A heroes' hero

[charlie_cochrane]

When we went to see the excellent film "Senna" I thought afterwards that, if it had been a fictional story, everyone would have called it cliched and far-fetched. But it wasn't fictional - sometimes real life is just more amazing than art can cope with.

Edward Pellew (yes, he was real, not just a character in Hornblower), has that same "larger than life" aura about him. Go here and read "Pellew the Hero" for an example of what he got up to.

I've been immensely privileged to have had in my hands letters he wrote, thanks to the marvellous Alex Broughton (who wrote those incredible sonnets for All Lessons Learned). I can't describe the "aura" they had.

Britain may have had wooden walls two hundred years ago, but she had iron men to sail them.

Comments

[eglantine-br.livejournal.com]

I will always be grateful to the whole Hornblower world, for allowing me to get to know the real people-- alive and dead.

[charliecochrane.livejournal.com]

*nods* Absolutely.

[anteros-lmc.livejournal.com]

Amen to that :)

[charliecochrane.livejournal.com]

I knew you'd approve.