The Nelson Touch: The Life and Legend of Horatio NelsonAdmiral Horatio Nelson captures our imaginations like few other military figures. A mixture of tactical originality, raw courage, cruelty, and romantic passion, Nelson in action was daring and direct, a paramount naval genius and a natural born predator. Now, in The Nelson Touch, novelist Terry Coleman provides a superb portrait of Britain's most revered naval figure. Here is a vivid account of Nelson's life, from his childhood and early career at sea—where a high-placed uncle helped speed his advancement to post captain—to gripping accounts of his greatest sea battles. Readers will witness the Battle of the Nile, where Nelson crushed a French squadron of thirteen ships of the line, and the Battle of Trafalgar, where he died at the moment of his greatest triumph. What emerges is a man of strength of mind amounting to genius, frequently generous, always fascinated with women, often uneasy with his superior officers, and absolutely fearless. Nelson was a ruthless commander, whose instinct was not just to defeat the enemy but to annihilate him. Sure to appeal to readers of Patrick O'Brian and other seafaring fiction, as well as all military history and naval history buffs, this is a superbly written biography that gives readers the texture and feel of this magnificent life. |
Contents
Natural Born Predator | 1 |
Well Then I Will Be a Hero | 9 |
The Whole Glory of the Service | 17 |
The Reduction of the New World | 27 |
Fair Canada and the Merest Boy | 37 |
Subjects of the Grand Monarque | 45 |
Running at the Ring of Pleasure | 51 |
Let My Heart Speak for Me | 61 |
Inactive at a Foreign Court | 217 |
The Homecoming | 237 |
Champion of England in the North | 251 |
Not Since the Armada Business | 269 |
So Much for Gratitude | 283 |
Planting Trees with One Hand | 291 |
The Long Watch and the Grand Race of Glory | 301 |
A Legacy to My King and Country | 313 |
Perceive the Contrary Effect | 71 |
Nelson Found Wanting | 85 |
The Horror and the Benefit to the Nation | 105 |
Shall Come Laughing Back | 123 |
The Making of the Legend | 139 |
The Nile and the Happy Instrument of God | 149 |
The Family and the Great Stage of Life | 165 |
Fiddlers Poets Whores and Scoundrels | 175 |
The Sicilifying of My Own Conscience | 187 |
State Funeral and Empty Chariot | 327 |
The Founding of a Family | 335 |
Nelson at Naples 1799 | 345 |
Nelsons Text | 351 |
Ships Ratings | 355 |
Notes and Sources | 359 |
Select Bibliography | 403 |
Index | 409 |
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Common terms and phrases
action Addington admiral admiralty April ashore asked battle BL Add BL Eg Boreas British brother Buonaparte Burnham Thorpe Ça Ira Caracciolo Clarke and M'Arthur command Corsica Davison Duke Earl Edmund Nelson Emma Hamilton England English father flag French fleet frigate Greenwich Gutteridge honour Hood hope Horatio Horatio Nelson Jamaica January June Keith king knew Lady Hamilton Lady Nelson later Leghorn letter lieutenant London Lord Nelson Maria Carolina Matcham Maurice Mediterranean midshipman minister Minto Monmouth Morning Morrison Naish Naples naval navy Neapolitan Nelson to Emma Nelson to Fanny Nelson to Locker Nelson to St Nelson to William Nelson wrote never Nevis Nicolas III Nicolas VII night Nile orders Palermo Parker Pettigrew post captain Prince William queen rebels replied Revd Edmund Nelson royal Ruffo sailed saying sea officer sent ships Sir Peter Parker Spanish Spencer squadron St Vincent Suckling thought told took Toulon Troubridge victory wife William Nelson wounded