Plagued with gout and gambling debts, George Brydges Rodney fought against his fate to become a successful and respected man.
But it was not without cost.
George Brydges Rodney was a British naval officer, most famous for his service during the American War of Independence.
His dramatic escapades included fleeing to France, sneaking back to England during wartime, escaping shark-infested waters, and running for parliament…
The life of Rodney was not without its thrills or its dangers.
In this biography David Hannay grapples not just with Rodney’s life in the navy, but his life at home, his aspirations, his dreams, his secrets.
Fighting at times both the French and the Spanish, it seems fated that Rodney will fail, but with perseverance and the help of his men perhaps all is not lost.
Through Hannay’s irreverent, honest biography Rodney the famous British admiral becomes George Brydges Rodney, the man.
David Hannay (1853-1934) was an author and lecturer in naval history. He also wrote for the Scots Observer, the Times Literary Supplement, and the Pall Mall Gazette.
