Quicksilver Captain by Jacqueline Reiter is the story of Sir Home Popham, a fascinating and little known naval officer of the late-eighteenth and early nineteenth century. This is the second historical biography by Dr Jacqueline Reiter and it tells the story of an extraordinary man, extraordinarily well.
Popham’s career must have been a challenge to research and to write. His story is not that of dramatic battles or naval glory. He doesn’t feature in any of the huge paintings of the era and if he is known at all today, it is for his signalling system. However Popham was a brilliant, mercurial and versatile officer who was known as much for his spectacular mistakes as for his successes.
Dr Reiter does a brilliant job of capturing the quixotic nature of Popham. She writes with a balanced pen, showing her subject’s shady side along with his undoubted talents. She also manages to draw out his vulnerabilities along with his arrogance. The Popham she depicts must have driven his fellow officers, his commanders and the politicians who employed him completely mad at times. However, his achievements show flashes of genuine brilliance and the author paints a nuanced picture of his virtues and his flaws.
I loved this book. Having already researched Popham for my own work, I found this biography well-researched, well-written and hugely entertaining. Dr Reiter has the rare knack of combining scholarship and storytelling in her work. This makes Popham’s story appealing to navy specialists, general historians and readers who love a well-told tale.
Absolutely fabulous and highly recommended. I can’t wait to find out her next subject.