The Life of Nelson - Vol. I [Illustrated Edition]

When Admiral Mahan, passed away in 1914, his ideas and thoughts lived on in his writings, which spanned the naval strategy of his own times and the lessons learnt from history. They are still read at the modern naval academies and the ideas permeate the teachings at Annapolis. A flag officer in the U.S. Navy who fought during the American civil war for the Union forces, his works have gained a fame that makes him the foremost of the naval historians of the late 1800’s.
Of enduring interest is his two volume history of Horatio Nelson, the hero of the Royal Navy and the battle of Trafalgar. An epic and tragic figure in age that abounds with them, the victor of Trafalgar who never lived past that day to see his fame endure is a favourite for biographies however few are as balanced and detailed as Mahan’s.
The first volume covers Nelson’s early years his entrance to the Royal Navy and the patronage that enabled him to progress up the ranks swiftly. His decisive action at the battle of Cape St Vincent is covered in detail. Nelson’s thirst for action and glory is brought out in stark relief with his youthful naivety, and his deeply questionable actions in Naples are discussed in depth. The book ends after the brilliant victory at the battle of the Nile, which in itself would have been enough to be a crowning glory, leaving Napoleon and his expeditionary force stranded in Egypt.
Illustrations – Nelson (aged 22), Captain Maurice Suckling, Captain William Locker, Admiral Lord Hood, Admiral Sir John Jervis, Sir Thomas Troubridge, Lady Nelson, Lady Hamilton, Admiral Lord Keith Maps – Northern Italy and Corsica, Action of the Agammemnon vs the Ca Ira, Fleet action 1795, Battle of Cape St Vincent (3 maps), Mediterranean, Alexandra to Rosetta, Aboukir Bay, Battle of the Nile (2 Maps)
Author – Rear Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan 27/09/2010 – 01/12/1914