The Trafalgar Companion: The Complete Guide to History’s Most Famous Sea Battle and the Life of Admiral Lord Nelson

 
On October 21 1805, a British fleet led by Admiral Lord Nelson effectively crippled the combined fleets of Spain and France off of Spain's Cape Trafalgar—crushing Napoleon Bonaparte's dream of invading and conquering Britain. Despite suffering a mortal wound during the battle, Nelson secured his place in history with this victory, as well as ensuring Britain's century-long naval dominance of the Continent. This book is both a battle history and Nelson's biography. There are sections detailing every conceivable aspect of nautical life in the 19th century—ships and seamanship, guns and tactics, command and control, et al.—and sidebars sprinkled throughout the narrative present anecdotes, vignettes and little-known facts. In addition to its encyclopaedic coverage, the book is illustrated with hundreds of detailed maps and diagrams and drawings. The two-page, coloured drawings of many of the ships of both fleets—including Nelson's flagship, Victory—are painted in great detail.

About the author:
Mark Adkin is the author of numerous historical books. Ex-army himself, he has insider knowledge on all matters military.