Product Description

This introduction to the years of the Napoleonic wars (1793 to 1815) tells the story of one of the keys to that great conflict, the Ship of the Line - the deadly battleships that played such a vital role in the battles. The author describes the ships' construction and armaments, the daily life of the men who served and the problems faced by commanders of the time in battles that include the Glorious First of June, the Battle of the Nile and Trafalgar.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #591671 in Books
• Published on: 2002-03-28
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 208 pages

Review
"- 'this is an excellent book... action packed with many of the great sea battles that form such an important part of the nation's history - especially of course Trafalgar... Above all it is clearly and simply written and most readers, whether technically minded or not should have little difficulty in following the story of the main battles' - The Nautical Magazine - 'possibly the most useful new book to introduce the reader to the concept of Napoleonic Naval history' - First Empire

About the Author
David Tudor Davies is a retired Chartered civil engineer who has had a lifetime's interest in ships and the sea. In retirement he developed a great interest in Military and Naval history, especially of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic period. He is a member of the Navy Records Society and Society for Nautical Research.

Customer Reviews

Required reading for all sea-lovers
What a great book! I wish I'd read it before I started reading any naval fiction (or fact, for that matter).
Not as detailed as Dr.Roger's 'Wooden World' but much more readable, with lots of snippets of info and descriptions of procedures that are taken for granted in most books - like 'what is a messenger and how is it used?' - most buffs have a vague idea, but not in the detail that is shown here.
The text is lively, flows logically from one subject to an allied one, keeping one interested as one is taken through the construction, manning and working of the ship. Then we are treated to remarkably un-jingoistic descriptions of the famous battles of the Napoleonic era, with blow-by-blow diagrams showing the positions of the opposing fleets throughout the action.
My only complaint is that not quite enough space is given to shipboard life, and a little too much praise is heaped on Nelson (after all, that's what Nelson expects....) but not a mention of Cochrane, whose tactics, gung-ho zeal and inventiveness were the epitome of what a fighting captain should be (at least, in the eyes of the public - and Patrick O'Brien).
However, a damned good show ****