The Loss of His Majesty's Frigate Anson

A vivid, first‑hand account brings the sudden disaster of a Royal Navy frigate to life, as told by the captain’s own steward. The narrative follows the ship’s desperate struggle against a ferocious gale, the frantic attempts to find safe harbour, and the heartbreaking loss of Captain Lydiard when the vessel finally runs aground near Helston. Through the steward’s eyes, listeners hear the roar of the sea, the clatter of broken bowsprits, and the heroic, if tragic, efforts to save the crew.

The book also weaves in the equally harrowing tale of another frigate, the Sidney, which struck a hidden shoal months later, and spares a few survivors to recount their ordeal. Interspersed anecdotes about the brutal famines that plagued sailors at sea add a broader picture of naval life in the early 1800s. Together, these accounts create a gripping, human portrait of courage and loss on the high seas.