Published by Chatham Publishing (1996), price £28.00
ISBN 1-86176-003-5
224 pages, 200+ illustrations and drawings.

Horatio Nelson is one of the British heroes of the 19th century and his inspiration and leadership qualities have been promoted to generations of seamen since 1805, and indeed to the general public, who are all familiar with his name if not with his exploits. Nelson's Battles adds to the charisma of the man, but it is not simply a biography. It tells the story of the great man and the Royal Navy by looking at the campaigns and battles he was part of, and examines why he was so successful. The author argues that Nelson possessed a technical mastery of his profession, with an ability to judge the capacity of his opponents, and an ability to lead his men. He developed 'the Nelson Touch', which was a unique ability to infuse this spirit into others. This work by Nicholas Tracy looks at the characteristics that his contemporaries so admired, and uses many contemporary accounts to illustrate his character and attitudes. To compliment the text there is a multitude of pictures, maps and diagrams to explain all aspects of the story, many of which I have not seen before.

Nelson's Battles looks at his early career set against the backdrop of the wars with Revolutionary France, and is very much a story of the Royal Navy of the time. The section on Sea Power examines the uses to which the Navy was put, and the naval capabilities of the opposing nations - France, Spain and Holland. Naval strategy, guns, ships and battle tactics are all covered in sufficient detail to explain the story but not bore the reader with detail that detracts from the theme of the book, which is Nelson and his battles. Reading this work it is possible to obtain a good understanding of what the Royal Navy of the period was like and how it functioned.

No story of the naval actions of the period 1793-1815 can be appreciated unless the naval activities of the 18th century are examined, together with the lessons learnt during a century of intermittent warfare. Dr Tracy shows that the concepts put into practice during the Napoleonic Wars were developed and continually refined over the previous one hundred years. Nelson learnt his trade in a navy that had continually developed its tactical doctrine under such men as Hawke, Anson and Rodney. This willingness to adopt, adapt and continually revise resulted in a Royal Navy that could fight successfully, as is evident by such actions as The Glorious First of June, Camperdown, The Nile and Trafalgar. Nelson took this expertise and added his own 'Touch'; a formidable combination. Each battle of the time is examined in detail, with a generous helping of illustrations that not only bring the action to life, but explain the tactics used in simple diagramatic form.

Neslon's abilities as a diplomat are not overlooked, as when he was involved in truce negotiations with the Danes after the Battle of Copenhagen. The man certainly had broad talents and interests, as are illustrated by the inclusion in the text of his memorandum on the defence of the country in the event of a French invasion; which leads into a section on the French invasion plans and ultimately the Trafalgar campaign. This latter section included a comparison of Nelson and Villeneuve's tactics.

Nelson's Battles is an erudite work examining Nelson's considerable impact on the warfare of the period. It is a refreshingly new approach to telling the story of the man, the Royal Navy, and the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, entwining these subjects in a manner that clearly explains the story. Chatham Publishing is a new publisher that has recently come onto the naval history scene with a wide range of books of a very high standard. This one is no exception. For the information it contains, this is an inexpensive book. Recommended reading for naval historians.

Other Book Reviews:

Imperial Bayonets
Wellington's Peninsula Victories
British Forces in the West Indies
Recollections of Rifleman Harris
Origins of the French Revolutionary Wars
Anatomy of Glory

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