Trafalgar: An Eyewitness History (Tom Pocock's History of Nelson)

This is a wonderful little book. Tom Pocock has marshalled Admiralty transcripts, minutes, sailors letters and newspaper reports to create a concise and highly succinct book about the prelude to the great sea battle, its course and its aftermath. But what gives this book added depth are that similar French sources are used thus giving a richness to the human experience that might have been lacking in a less generous essay. Naturally, much of the focus is on Nelson himself but not to the exclusion of other principal characters most noteably Vice Admiral Collingwood whose vessel initially breached the french/Spanish line. On occasion the tales of derring-do and conduct becoming of gentlemen - 'tis but a fleshwound'- lean towards the Pythonesque but, even handed as ever, Pocock shows that bravery was not the sole preserve of the English.Pococks narrtive interventions are kept to a minimum thus letting the documents speak for themselves and tell the story; in fact they are in a less intrusive lower case.It is no wonder that the English refuse to forget Nelson or Trafalgar. Without that decisive, bloody, bloody battle England would have lost control of the seas and England could well have fallen to Napoleon's armies assembled on the French coast and the monumental course of Britains history - think of The Empire - would not have been so.It's too much to hope, I think, given that Britain has a particularly myopic and anti-history New Labour government who would, no doubt, want to apologise to France for all the ships we sunk, but this is a part of British history that surely every school child should be taught. And for those of who had forgotten just what the battle of Trafalgar on the 21st of October 1805 came to mean then we could have no better a reminder than this justifiably classic book.

This is a well constructed eyewitness account of this most famous of naval battles on 21 October 1805, using accounts from a wide range of participants on both the English, and the French and Spanish side under Napoleon. This battle was seen, first and foremost, as "the final defeat of Napoleon’s hopes of invading the British Isles" and the battle that "had given Britain command of the sea, however many more battleships Napoleon might build". It therefore probably deserves to be seen alongside other such existential threats to Britain as the Normans in 1066 and the Nazis in 1940. This account shows each stage of the battle, through the run up to it, the course of events on 21 October including of course the death of Nelson, and the aftermath, including the storm that dispersed many surviving ships, and the transport of Nelson's body back to London for his funeral. One of the most poignant themes is the mixed feelings of Britons, relief at the victory of Britain over Napoleonic forces, mixed hugely with sadness at the death of Nelson, a genuine popular hero with ordinary landlubber Britons as well as with the rank and file sailors in British ships; in the words of one seaman in Nelson's flagship the Victory, "Great God! I would rather the shot had taken off my head and spared his life".One minor criticism I had is that perhaps the extracts from eyewitnesses dominated the text a little too much, and I could perhaps have done with a little more analysis and commentary on the events.

This is a well researched and presented book which I would recommend. It sets the battle into the context of the war and explains the campaign in which the battle was the pivotal point whilst dwelling on the events after the battle which were for many more dangerous than the fighting.My only observation would be that the blow by blow description of the battle would have been easier to follow had there been some diagrams of the engagement at various times during the action however these are easily available from the net and frankly reproducing them on Kindle probably wouldn't be very effective.All in all an excellent read for newcomers as well as grizzled naval historians

The events leading up to the Battle of Trafalgar, the battle itself and the aftermath, as told through the words of the men who were there. Hats off to the author/editor. He has done a remarkable job of assembling these first-hand accounts – sourced from letters sent home, journals, logs and reports – into a cohesive narrative, one that puts you into the heart of the battle. You’ll think you’re there, but will be relieved you’re not as the tension ramps up and the first shot is fired. Lord Nelson gets his due, but it is the words of the lower ranking sailors that puts a lump in one’s throat, be it in awe of their bravery and patriotism or the haunting acceptance of their impending death. I found midshipman Robert Smith’s eve-of-battle letter addressed to his parents in which he seeks to comfort his soon-to-be grieving mother particularly moving.

Often vivid accounts of war at sea. Brutal at times. Manages to remain engaging throughout. One of the best history books I have read.

Trafalgar was one of the most important naval battles in British history. Nelson's defeat of the French and Spanish fleet ended Napoleon's attempted invasion and confirmed British naval supremacy. The battle made such an impact on the culture than even today most people know Nelson's supposed last words: "Kiss me Hardy". Those weren't actually his last words, of course, and you'll find a much more realistic account of the scene in Pocock's book, a well-assembled collection of eye witness accounts covering all aspects of Trafalgar. It's fascinating stuff and gives a vivid flavour of the events, helped by Pocock's introduction and linking material. Hardy's actual last words? "Thank God I have done my duty". An essential book for anyone interested in Trafalgar, naval matters, or British history.

I enjoyed this well written account of trafalgar it made me even more aware of Nelsons greatness and the debt England owed this great man

More than 200 years after the battle this book delivers a stunningly fresh rendition of, not only the battle that defined an epoch, but the European turmoil leading up to it. I can't imagine a more fresh, vibrant account. Probably half this narrative comes from letters. Missives from half-literate ratings between decks to political leaders of the time, and the bulk of them are the eyewitness accounts that give the book a title. Tom Pocock died in 2007 and with his passing we lost one of the great Nelson scholars. His compendious knowledge and intimacy with surviving correspondence allowed him to assemble this remarkable work. One of the few publications I've enjoyed so much as a Kindle e-book, that I was moved to buy a hardback copy for my library.

I read a lot of history in my work, and some of it requires discipline to finish. So I was delighted by Pocock's compelling and pithy narrative. The book draws from recounts and letters from participants in the battle, so in addition to the concise facts, Pocock presents different perspectives and voices, animating the battle. It read with the pacing of fiction and kept me engaged.

A magnificently researched examination in arguably the most important sea battle in history. Told through eye witness accounts (some of them unpublished until now), it gives an unrivaled account from seamen and officers from both sides of a bloody and drawn out assault which cost both sides dearly. Napoleon finally had to give up on his dream of invading Britain, and Nelson paid for his victory with his life.There have been plenty of books devoted to these events, but few make you understand what it was really like to be on the ships as they sought to destroy each other.A deeply impressive achievement.

Sold as "USED", but obviously new. The packing slip described the product accurately, down to the drop of ink that must have hit the outer edge of the book during the binding process -- the book came in a slip-cover -- No real harm was done, but the book would have been considered imperfect. Very pleased with the source, the product, and the service.Also, an intriguing book, if your into books about the age of wooden ships and iron men.

Excellent document! It is a must for anybody interested in history and, especially, in Nelson's bio. It provides you a new perspective about Trafalgar's epic.