The Media Archive

Social Politics and the Midshipmen’s Mutiny, Portsmouth 1791

In 1791 Thomas Leonard, a midshipman assigned to duty aboard HMS Saturn, refused to subject himself to the masthead punishment ordered by his First Lieutenant and triggered a series of events that came to be known as the Midshipmen’s Mutiny. The incident involved the young gentlemen of the Channel Fleet and made visible a break [...]
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Mastering Leadership Reflexes: A Case Study of Captain Aubrey

The most fascinating aspect of Jack Aubrey’s character is the contradiction between his personality by land and by sea. On land he’s lost, unlucky in money and love, while at sea he’s utterly in command of himself and those around him. We’ve examined his leadership skills before (here and here) but the following is a [...]
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The Mauritius Command Radio Play

*SPOILERS* Patrick O’Brian’s naval epic set in 1809, dramatised by Roger Danes. Starring David Robb as Captain Jack Aubrey and Richard Dillane as Doctor Stephen Maturin.
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Education and Leadership in Cinema: Master and Commander

We have already discussed Jack Aubrey’s skills and characteristics as a leader as well as the potential educational value of Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, but the following guide takes those two concepts and combines them! It’s very exciting. The guide is meant to be used in training firefighters in the [...]
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Logistical Challenges of Sea Power in the Age of Sail

A naval force usually does not possess the ability to accomplish to the satisfaction of its commanders all of its wartime tasks. Whether the conflict is in home waters or across an ocean, naval commanders are confronted by a broad spectrum of potential responsibilities. They can include fleet-on-fleet battle, blockade, convoy escort, coastal patrol, and amphibious operations, conducted [...]
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Horatio Hornblower Miniseries Pt. 2: The Examination For Lieutenant

Still serving aboard the HMS Indefatigable, Horatio Hornblower has been promoted to acting Lieutenant. Neutral Spain has concluded a peace treaty with France and the British now have another enemy to face. They soon come across a sunken British supply ship and rescue its Captain, ‘Dreadnought’ Foster, a man with a reputation for bravery that [...]
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Playing At Command: Midshipmen and Quarterdeck Boys in the Royal Navy, 1793 – 1815

One of the most difficult things for modern-day readers to understand about the hierarchy in Aubrey’s Royal Navy is the fact that boys as young as nine were sent to sea and actually given authority over men as old as their parents with decades of seafaring experience. Even more incomprehensible is the fact that these [...]
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Spanish Naval Uniforms During the Napoleonic Era

While the heroes of our beloved series have little direct interaction with the Spanish navy, they often share the waves with them, knowingly or not. The following is a guide describing the various uniform regulations that applied to the Spanish navy during our time period. There are images that go with the description as well. [...]
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Horatio Hornblower Miniseries Pt. 1: The Even Chance

After devouring all the books of our beloved series in approximately one month, I naturally found myself hungry for more Age of Sail fiction. Someone recommended the Horatio Hornblower books, which I dutifully checked out. I’ll be honest: I think the Aubrey/Maturin series blows Horatio Hornblower right out of the water. Despite being similar on [...]
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Law and Morality in Patrick O’Brian’s Post Captain

One of the things that makes our beloved series so, um, belovable, is the incredible density of the details packed into it. There’s more in every book than just an enjoyable adventure. Within each book one can find discourses on nature (both animal and human), medicine, science, politics, technology… Every aspect of Napoleonic Era life [...]
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