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A Thirst for Glory: The Life of Admiral Sir Sidney Smith
Pocock's biography of Admiral Sir Sidney Smith who, along with Nelson, shared the credit for changing the course of history by ending Bonaparte's dream of eastern conquest shows that while Nelson has become the unrivalled national hero, Smith has been almost forgotten.
276 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1996
11 people are currently reading
39 people want to read
About the author
Tom Pocock
45 books4 followersTom Pocock was the author of 18 books (and editor of two more), mostly biographies but including two about his experiences as a newspaper war correspondent.
Born in London in 1925 - the son of the novelist and educationist Guy Pocock - he was educated at Westminster School and Cheltenham College, joining the Royal Navy in 1943. He was at sea during the invasion of Normandy and, having suffered from ill-health, returned to civilian life and in 1945 became a war correspondent at the age of 19, the youngest of the Second World War.
After four years wth the Hulton Press current affairs magazine group, he moved to the Daily Mail as feature-writer and then Naval Correspondent, becoming Naval Correspondent of The Times in 1952. In 1956, he was a foreign corresponent and special writer for the Daily Express and from 1959 was on the staff of the Evening Standard,as feature writer,Defence Correspondent and war correspondent. For the last decade of his time on the Standard he was Travel Editor.
He wrote his first book, NELSON AND HIS WORLD in 1967 on his return from reporting the violence in Aden and his interest in Nelson has continued. Indeed, eight of his books are about the admiral and his contemporaries; his HORATIO NELSON was runner-up for the Whitbread Biography Award of 1987.
Tom Pocock has contributed to many magazines and appeared on television documentaries about Nelson and the subject of another of his biographies,the novelist and imperialist Sir Rider Haggard.
Born in London in 1925 - the son of the novelist and educationist Guy Pocock - he was educated at Westminster School and Cheltenham College, joining the Royal Navy in 1943. He was at sea during the invasion of Normandy and, having suffered from ill-health, returned to civilian life and in 1945 became a war correspondent at the age of 19, the youngest of the Second World War.
After four years wth the Hulton Press current affairs magazine group, he moved to the Daily Mail as feature-writer and then Naval Correspondent, becoming Naval Correspondent of The Times in 1952. In 1956, he was a foreign corresponent and special writer for the Daily Express and from 1959 was on the staff of the Evening Standard,as feature writer,Defence Correspondent and war correspondent. For the last decade of his time on the Standard he was Travel Editor.
He wrote his first book, NELSON AND HIS WORLD in 1967 on his return from reporting the violence in Aden and his interest in Nelson has continued. Indeed, eight of his books are about the admiral and his contemporaries; his HORATIO NELSON was runner-up for the Whitbread Biography Award of 1987.
Tom Pocock has contributed to many magazines and appeared on television documentaries about Nelson and the subject of another of his biographies,the novelist and imperialist Sir Rider Haggard.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
August 13, 2016
This biography sets out to shed some light on one of the most unique British naval captains from the napoleonic wars, the dashing Sir Sidney Smiths.
In fact, if you are enthusiastic about the period you will already have come across his name at least once, at least in connection with the defense of Acre (I especially enjoyed these chapters. The details about Napoléon's campaigns in North Africa make for great and interesting reading), or his escape from the Temple prison. But despite all this monuments to him are indeed rare, and like so many of his generation his fame has been completely swallowed and overshadowed by Nelson's martyrdom. The biography argues that one reason for Smith's popularity having dwindled so quickly, despite his importance in the war, is that with his flamboyant personality, his dash and thirst for glory, he stepped on too many people's toes. Hell, he even managed to annoy kind Admiral Collingwood!
Smith's story, however, is well worth reading for anyone interested in the napoleonic wars (or just Napoléon). One can only wonder how the war might have been altered, if Smith had not managed to antagonise his superiors in such a way that they were reluctant to employ his diplomatic skills more effectively.
The biography focuses solely on his naval career. Glimpses of his civillian life, references to family and friends are rare. I thought that was unfortunate. I enjoy a military biography livened up by a few family anecdotes. In fact, any kinds of quotes from letters or anecdotes that are not directly related to the war effort are rare. I don't know if this was a conscious choice by the author, or whether there simply was not enough material for anything else. The book doesn't say, but I certainly would have preferred more of these.
In fact, if you are enthusiastic about the period you will already have come across his name at least once, at least in connection with the defense of Acre (I especially enjoyed these chapters. The details about Napoléon's campaigns in North Africa make for great and interesting reading), or his escape from the Temple prison. But despite all this monuments to him are indeed rare, and like so many of his generation his fame has been completely swallowed and overshadowed by Nelson's martyrdom. The biography argues that one reason for Smith's popularity having dwindled so quickly, despite his importance in the war, is that with his flamboyant personality, his dash and thirst for glory, he stepped on too many people's toes. Hell, he even managed to annoy kind Admiral Collingwood!
Smith's story, however, is well worth reading for anyone interested in the napoleonic wars (or just Napoléon). One can only wonder how the war might have been altered, if Smith had not managed to antagonise his superiors in such a way that they were reluctant to employ his diplomatic skills more effectively.
The biography focuses solely on his naval career. Glimpses of his civillian life, references to family and friends are rare. I thought that was unfortunate. I enjoy a military biography livened up by a few family anecdotes. In fact, any kinds of quotes from letters or anecdotes that are not directly related to the war effort are rare. I don't know if this was a conscious choice by the author, or whether there simply was not enough material for anything else. The book doesn't say, but I certainly would have preferred more of these.
January 19, 2022
Have read a lot about the Napoleonic Wars and Nelson, Wellington etc...but wasn't that familiar with Smith or indeed the battle of Acre... I had almost assumed that after the Fleet was destroyed the French Army had just withered and died, not the case it seems. Fascinating book on an a charismatic character who deserves to be more well known and remembered today.
February 14, 2024
A well written, well researched book about an eccentric naval captain in a world of larger than life characters.
The reason for three stars is that arguably after Acre, (not by any fault of Smith), his story fades off of the main stage. He has some interesting adventures but his own struggles with his superiors mean that he was never given the opportunity to do more, though he still was undoubtedly always interesting.
A frustration is that the author is clearly well deposed towards smith, often blaming his lack of advancement on jealousy and misunderstanding. I think that ignores a clear, consistent almost pathological habit of his too upset his colleagues, especially his superiors. I would have liked a more detailed exploration of this. He seemed a popular, generous and well meaning man to those under or around him, but his refusal to fall in line of any command authority and the grandiose / vainglorious way he held himself was his own undoing. This was clear to all around him, and his increasingly erratic behaviour at the end of his life suggest some psychological reasons. Was it his childhood? I hate to be too modern about it, but was his boundless energy, enthusiastim and lack of tact a symptom of a behavioural problem like ADHD?
Ultimately, Smith was a very brave adventurer, and this book does him justice in telling his story, but I felt there was more to explore.
The reason for three stars is that arguably after Acre, (not by any fault of Smith), his story fades off of the main stage. He has some interesting adventures but his own struggles with his superiors mean that he was never given the opportunity to do more, though he still was undoubtedly always interesting.
A frustration is that the author is clearly well deposed towards smith, often blaming his lack of advancement on jealousy and misunderstanding. I think that ignores a clear, consistent almost pathological habit of his too upset his colleagues, especially his superiors. I would have liked a more detailed exploration of this. He seemed a popular, generous and well meaning man to those under or around him, but his refusal to fall in line of any command authority and the grandiose / vainglorious way he held himself was his own undoing. This was clear to all around him, and his increasingly erratic behaviour at the end of his life suggest some psychological reasons. Was it his childhood? I hate to be too modern about it, but was his boundless energy, enthusiastim and lack of tact a symptom of a behavioural problem like ADHD?
Ultimately, Smith was a very brave adventurer, and this book does him justice in telling his story, but I felt there was more to explore.
January 15, 2025
Napoleons biggest opp, the ‘odd eccentric man’ Sidney smith was rival to one of the bigger villains in history Napoleon. Can anyone (apart from Ridley Scott) please make some more Napoleonic era movies?
Would love to read about sir Sidney smith from the perspective of his contemporaries, with the authors favouritism for sir Sidney potentially clouding some accounts of the delay in smiths career.
The siege of acre was fantastic, when non fiction reads like fiction you know you’ve got a good story.
Would love to read about sir Sidney smith from the perspective of his contemporaries, with the authors favouritism for sir Sidney potentially clouding some accounts of the delay in smiths career.
The siege of acre was fantastic, when non fiction reads like fiction you know you’ve got a good story.
June 21, 2025
An interesting guy and an interesting read.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews