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Two hundred years ago, Napoleon Bonaparte dominated Europe and threatened Britain with invasion. Against him stood the Royal Navy and the already legendary Admiral Horatio Nelson. On 21 October 1805 a massive naval battle off the coast of Spain decided mastery of the seas. Then, over the following days and nights, the battleships and their exhausted crews endured a gale of awesome fury. As Captain Charles Tyler wrote to his wife Margaret, 'the wind blew a perfect storm'. TRAFALGAR takes readers from the claustrophobic turmoil of a gun-deck in battle, to the desperation of men pumping water from sinking hulks adrift in hurricane force winds. Having fought in the most confused and bloody naval conflict that any had known, English, American, Irish, Spanish and French seamen then had to endure a terrifying combination of weather and circumstances - the stuff of every mariner's nightmare. The authors of the bestselling FINEST HOUR tell this story not only through the diaries, letters and memoirs of the men who wrestled with the enemy and the elements, but also through the eyes of their wives and children - on board, watching in horror from the towers of Cadiz, or waiting anxiously at home. In this authoritative new history, dramatic personal accounts are supported by extensive original research from logs, muster books and personal files discovered in France, Spain and Britain. Intriguing characters abound: Geannette, wife of a Flemish 'main topman'; Louis Infernet, propelled to success by the French Revolution ; James Martin, a stalwart of the British lower deck; Dionisio Galiano , sailor, scientist and explorer of the New World, and many more. The demands of life at sea - and what this extraordinary mix of people had suffered and achieved in the turbulent years that led up to TRAFALGAR - make compelling reading.… (meer)
An outstanding account of the battle of Trafalgar concentrating, as the subtitle says, on the men, the battle and the storm. What is missing, compared to the usual account is the campaign, the cat-and-mouse game that led to the two fleets being stationed at Cadiz. The authors more than make it up by producing an immersion account of life on board of British and French warships, explaining and describing how the tasks are performed, presenting the men and their background as well as their commanders. The hands-on account of the ship against ship battles show that in the actual encounter the two sides were close to balance. The British won because the French van did not want or manage to turn around in time and engage in battle. The French commander should have chosen a more compact formation, otherwise he isn't really to blame for the defeat.
When the battle is finished, the suffering doesn't stop. In view of an approaching storm that threatens to drive the surviving ships against the coast, the crews frantically try to rescue their ships and prizes. Many of the Spanish and French ships that had survived the battle were destroyed by the storm. Many British prize crews went down too or were taken captive. This aspect of the famous battle deserves to be better known. Highly recommended. ( )
The battle of Trafalgar on Oct 21 , 1805 , off the coast of Spain destroyed the combined French and Spanish fleet and established British supremacy over the world's oceans. A racy account of this historic event as seen by the men who participated in it, on either sides of the battle. An immensely enjoyable read
Two hundred years ago, Napoleon Bonaparte dominated Europe and threatened Britain with invasion. Against him stood the Royal Navy and the already legendary Admiral Horatio Nelson. On 21 October 1805 a massive naval battle off the coast of Spain decided mastery of the seas. Then, over the following days and nights, the battleships and their exhausted crews endured a gale of awesome fury. As Captain Charles Tyler wrote to his wife Margaret, 'the wind blew a perfect storm'. TRAFALGAR takes readers from the claustrophobic turmoil of a gun-deck in battle, to the desperation of men pumping water from sinking hulks adrift in hurricane force winds. Having fought in the most confused and bloody naval conflict that any had known, English, American, Irish, Spanish and French seamen then had to endure a terrifying combination of weather and circumstances - the stuff of every mariner's nightmare. The authors of the bestselling FINEST HOUR tell this story not only through the diaries, letters and memoirs of the men who wrestled with the enemy and the elements, but also through the eyes of their wives and children - on board, watching in horror from the towers of Cadiz, or waiting anxiously at home. In this authoritative new history, dramatic personal accounts are supported by extensive original research from logs, muster books and personal files discovered in France, Spain and Britain. Intriguing characters abound: Geannette, wife of a Flemish 'main topman'; Louis Infernet, propelled to success by the French Revolution ; James Martin, a stalwart of the British lower deck; Dionisio Galiano , sailor, scientist and explorer of the New World, and many more. The demands of life at sea - and what this extraordinary mix of people had suffered and achieved in the turbulent years that led up to TRAFALGAR - make compelling reading.
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(4.07)
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When the battle is finished, the suffering doesn't stop. In view of an approaching storm that threatens to drive the surviving ships against the coast, the crews frantically try to rescue their ships and prizes. Many of the Spanish and French ships that had survived the battle were destroyed by the storm. Many British prize crews went down too or were taken captive. This aspect of the famous battle deserves to be better known. Highly recommended. (