Hello all. Wondering if any of you guys can help me? Im currently preparing a brief on Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar and I am trying to find out what influence it has had on modern naval strategy and tactics.
I know that you guys know your stuff and are probably a lot more knowledgable than me.
Any help would be amazing
Thanks
X Gill
The following is an excellent addition to any naval library re Nelson and his influence. Its called "The Star Captains"
Editorial Reviews
Book Description
Novelists from C. S. Forester to Patrick O'Brian have glorified Nelson's dashing frigate captains, but how much of their story is true? The author of this new volume on the nature of frigate command argues that the legend was very close to reality. Based on detailed studies of the appointments, training, and promotion of the Royal Navy's officer corps, he contends that frigate commanders were an elite group whose careers followed separate paths from their contemporaries. They exhibited specific and highly prized skills that were rewarded with fast-track promotions and resulted in the creation of one of the most successful military cadres in history. Often facing daunting odds, these frigate captains won the vast majority of their battles and a place in maritime lore. This book is a fascinating contribution to the broader understanding of the workings of Nelson's navy and will appeal to enthusiasts and historians alike.
About the Author
Tom Wareham is a curator at London's Museum of Docklands.
Product Details
- Hardcover: 256 pages
- Publisher: US Naval Institute Press (October 2001)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1557508712
- ISBN-13: 978-1557508713
- Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
In addition, I would also refer outside of Nelson and get an overview of what helped him get to his position of importance. So, I'd refer to
"1759, The Year that Britain became Master of the World"
Editorial Reviews
From Publishers Weekly
Starred Review. "The entire history of the world would have been different but for the events of 1759," McLynn (
Wagons West;
Napoleon; etc.) argues in his stylish account of a year crowded with scheming, battles and British conquest. That year was the fourth in the Seven Years War, a struggle between France and England for global dominance that was fought worldwide. McLynn focuses on the deadly conflict, contrasting the two nations' differing wartime policies and showing how the combination of Britain's maritime prowess and sheer good luck helped it emerge triumphant, albeit by a narrow margin. Elegantly explicating the geopolitical tensions, military technology, tactics and topography behind each battle, McLynn portrays the leadership of stalwarts on both sides. He also reveals various military blunders and maligns the often celebrated Gen. James Wolfe, who took Quebec for Britain on the Plains of Abraham. McLynn brilliantly delineates the cat-and-mouse maneuvering of the duke of Choiseul, intent on invading Britain, and his dupe, Bonnie Prince Charlie, intent on Jacobite restoration. He leads each of his fascinating chapters on the campaigns with a tantalizing taste of the general cultural scene in 1759, ranging from literary innovations such as Laurence Sterne's novel
Tristram Shandy to the ethics of Orientalism. Splendidly narrated, with balanced insights into the Native American aspect of the French and Indian Wars, McLynn's book will enthrall all lovers of history told well. 16 pages of b&w illus. not seen by
PW.
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Book Description
If not for the events of 1759, the entire history of the world would have been different. Called the "Year of Victories," 1759 was the fourth year of the Seven Years, or the French-and-Indian War and defeat of the French not only paved the way for the global hegemony of the English language but also made the emergence of the United States possible. Guiding us through England's conquests (and often extremely narrow victories) in India, North America, and the Caribbean, Frank McLynn (Wagons West) controversially suggests that the birth of the great British Empire was more a result of luck than of rigorous planning. Along with stirring depictions of the two greatest battles of 1759, Quebec and Quiberon, McLynn includes anecdotes of the intellectual and cultural leaders of the day—Swedenborg, Hume, Voltaire—and interweaves primary sources, ranging from material in the Vatican archives to oral histories of Native Americans, in a brilliant chronicle of a pivotal year in world history.
Product Details
- Hardcover: 432 pages
- Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press (January 11, 2005)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0871138816
- ISBN-13: 978-0871138811
- Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 1.5 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
I own both books, and they are "keepers"
