The most renowned naval officer of the mid-nineteenth century, Thomas Cochrane, tenth Earl of Dundonald (1775–1860), led an eventful life. Due to a financial scandal, he left the Royal Navy for a period and became a celebrated mercenary. Volume 1 of this two-volume work, published in 1859, concerns his activity in the wars of independence of Chile and Peru, covering his taking command of the Chilean navy in 1818, his recruitment of British and American officers, attacks on Spanish shipping, littoral warfare on Spanish forts, seizure of booty, and his troubled relationship with the Chilean government. It goes on to recount his command of a Chilean expedition to liberate Peru from the Portuguese in 1820 and his departure from Chile in 1822 before further unrest. Cochrane was the quintessential naval hero of the age, and his memoir remains of interest to both scholars and readers of maritime adventure.
