Fulminata reviewed Billy Ruffian by David Cordingly
Review of 'Billy Ruffian' on 'Goodreads'
4 stars
The biography of a British 74 gun ship of the line, from her construction to the auction of her remains, with an epilogue covering the fates of some of her captains and her most famous passenger.
The Bellerophon had the distinction of being an important player in three of the most important naval battles of the Napoleonic Wars, and of being the ship that Napoleon surrendered to after Waterloo. Following her history gives an interesting look at the history behind the historical fiction of C.S. Forester and Patrick O'Brian.
Well worth reading, although I felt the last quarter necessarily dragged a bit as it deals with Napoleon's time on the ship, and its history as a prison hulk. Important parts of its history for which a lot of documentation exists, but less interesting from the perspective of someone primarily interested in the ship's history as an active duty warship.