author
Sir Henry Keppel
1809–1904
A fearless Royal Navy officer who spent more than 80 years connected to the sea, he became one of Victorian Britain’s best-known admirals. His career ranged from the First Carlist War and China to the Crimean War, and he later wrote lively memoirs about life under four monarchs.
4 Audiobooks
The Expedition to Borneo of H.M.S. Dido For the Suppression of Piracy
by Sir Henry Keppel, Rajah of Sarawak James
A sailor's life under four sovereigns, Volume 1 (of 3)
by Sir Henry Keppel
A sailor's life under four sovereigns, Volume 3 (of 3)
by Sir Henry Keppel
A sailor's life under four sovereigns, Volume 2 (of 3)
by Sir Henry Keppel
About the author
Born in 1809, he entered the Royal Navy in 1822 and rose through a long, highly active career to become Admiral of the Fleet. He served off Spain during the First Carlist War, took part in anti-piracy and naval operations in the East, and earned a reputation for dash, energy, and personal bravery.
His best-known service included action in the Second China War and the Crimean War, and he later held major senior commands, including command of the China Station and the post of Commander-in-Chief, Devonport. He was promoted to Admiral of the Fleet in 1877, a mark of the high standing he had reached after decades at sea.
Remembered as one of the Royal Navy’s colorful Victorian figures, he also left a written record of his experiences in A Sailor’s Life under Four Sovereigns. He died in 1904, having lived through an extraordinary span of British naval history.