3/3. After a meteoric rise to fame, Cochrane finds himself in front of a court and stripped of his titles for fraud on the London Stock Exchange. Known for his ingenuity and schemes, Cochrane breaks out of prison before embarking on the adventure of a lifetime in South America. He's put in charge of the Chilean and then Brazilian navies, helping these mighty countries break free from Spain and establish their independence. But Cochrane wasn't just doing it out of a sense of justice, he charged a high fee for his services and ensured to pillage what he could along the way.

In the final episode of the series, Dan recounts the later years of Cochrane's extraordinary life and how, even in his 70s, he was regarded as a liability by the Admiralty.

Written by Dan Snow, produced by Mariana Des Forges, edited by Joseph Knight and sound designed & mixed by Dougal Patmore.

You can find a link to episode 1 here: https://shows.acast.com/dansnowshistoryhit/episodes/1-thomas-cochrane-the-real-master-and-commander

Episode 2 here: https://shows.acast.com/dansnowshistoryhit/episodes/2-thomas-cochrane-the-real-master-and-commander

We'd love to hear from you! You can email the podcast at ds.hh@historyhit.com.

You can take part in our listener survey here.

3. Thomas Cochrane: From Disgrace to Freedom Fighter

Dan Snow's History Hit

3. Thomas Cochrane: From Disgrace to Freedom Fighter