Well, a good point. But although Cochrane was involved in at least one duel that I have read about so far, he was horrified to have killed his man and swore he would never be so tetchy again. He did have a quick temper (a red-headed Scot, what would you expect).

The reviewer was, I think, wrong in describing him as an inventor. It was his father the 9th Earl that was the inventor. Good at inventing but bad at business. When Cochrane joined up as a Middy, his father had to borrow money to pay for the uniform.