I am a fan of the likes of Horatio Hornblower, Nathanial Drinkwater, Jack Aubrey and Richard Bolitho, all of whom have one thing in common; the Royal Navy of the Napoleonic era. Reading these novels has prompted me to find out more about the historical background to their stories, and this edition of The Dusty Archive will look at some recent publications in this field. I will also take a look at a couple of museum exhibitions and a society with a Napoleonic naval interest.

Book Reviews

Conway Maritime Press are a major publisher of naval books, covering the history, structure and modelling of ships of war and merchant vessels. Naval Warfare in the Age of Sail-The Evolution of Fighting Tactics 1650-1815 by Brian Tunstall (Pub.1990) looks at naval tactics and their exponents. While the book covers a period of 150 years, the sections on the Seven Years War and the American Revolution explain how the navies of the time developed their battle techniques, and how these paved the wav for the practice of naval warfare during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, with specific battles analysed. The book is illustrated with black and white plates and maps, and is priced at £ 35.

While this volume is not cheap, those who fight naval battles in miniature will find it a valuable source of information.

Trafalgar and the Spanish Navy by D. Harbron (Puh. 1988, price £ 20) explores the renewal of Spanish sea power during the eighteenth century. The Spanish navy is looked at from the Spanish point of view, relating all aspects of the navy from the requirement for a strong sea-going force; the construction of the warships and their armament: overseas shipyards (e.g. Havana); the fighting effectiveness of officers and men: and some very interesting biographies of the principal officers involved at Trafalgar. There is a detailed table of the ships engaged in the battle, which lists vessels and men, and the appendix lists Spanish ships of the line 1714-1825. A fascinating read.

Among the authors who write text books on the naval history of this period, Brian Lavery is prominent among them. His book Nelson's Navy is essential reference on all things relevant to the Royal Navy from 1793-1815. It covers the ships, men and the organisation in very great detail. It is priced at £ 35, and is worth every penny in my opinion.

Conway Maritime Press publish a detailed catalogue. Their address is 24 Bride Lane, Fleet Street, London, EC4Y8DR.

Some books I regard as purely reference material; others I will quite happily take to bed with me but they have to be both interesting and easy reading.

A book that falls into this bedtime reading category is Trafalgar: Countdown to Battle 1803-1805 by Alan Schom (Michael Joseph Ltd., 1990). The events leading up to the great battle are described in detail, with an account of the immense French preparation for the invasion of England, Bntish countermeasures and the characters involved: Napoleon, Pitt, Villeneuve, Lord St. Vincent, George III and of course, Nelson; to name but a few. This is an enjoyable read, for a reasonable price (as books go these days) of £ 17.99.

Societies

This is performed by holding meetings around the country and organising visits to places with a Nelson connection. A journal, The Nelson Dispatch, is published quarterly, and contains many interesting articles of relevance to the man and his time. The Society also published the results of members researches, and supports suitable charities. The annual subscription is £ 5, and details may be obtained from the Membership Secretary, 39 Woodland Mount, Hertford, Herts., SG13 7JD. Tel. 0992 550443.

Museums

If you want to get a 'feel' for a Napoleonic ship, then obviously a visit to H.M.S. Victory at Portsmouth is a must. This vessel is part of Naval Heritage at Portsmouth which also includes the Mary Rose, H.M.S. Warrior and the Royal Naval Museum. This museum houses a fascinating collection of British naval history, with a very strong emphasis on Nelson and the Royal Navy of the Napoleonic period. There are well-presented displays under headings such as: The Rise of the Royal Navy (14851 792); The Story of HMS Victory: The Campaign of Trafalgar; The Immortal Memory (relics and memorabilia of Lord Nelson); The Heyday of Fighting Sail (1793-1815). Other displays tell the story of the Navy to the present day.

The Museum has a very well-stocked shop selling a range of books, models, postcards etc. For further details contact Portsmouth Naval Heritage Trust, Building 1/24, College Road, HM Naval Base, Portsmouth, POI 3LX. Tel. 0705 839766.

While on the subject of Nelson memorabilia, I happened to visit Caldicot Castle, South Wales, a couple of years ago, and to my surprise discovered that here was a display related to Nelson and HMS Foudroyant (his earlier flagship), complete with a cannon from that vessel in the castle grounds. The castle is interesting in its own right, and further details may be had from: The Castle Keeper, Caldicot Castle, Caldicot, Gwent, NP6 4HU. Tel. 0291 420241. There is also a Nelson Museum at Monmouth, although I have not visited this one yet so cannot comment on it. For details of this telephone 0600 3519.

If you are visiting Portsmouth to delve into Napoleonic naval history, then there is a very large collection of books and manuscripts in the Local History section of the Central Libraq, all relating to the history of the City and the Royal Navy. The address is: Central Library, Guildhall Square, Portsmouth, POI 2DX, or telephone 0705 819311.

The major repository of naval history in this country is the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, SE10 9NF, Tel. 081 858 4422. Aside from the very extensive collection of historical exhibits, the museum also possesses a Reading Room containing a vast amount of books, manuscripts and prints. Access is with a Readers ticket, obtainable from the address above.

Even if you are unable to visit any of these museums, you will find the staff very helpful in answering any written queries. Please be courteous when writing and enclose a self- addressed stamped envelope for reply. If the museum sends you any literature or photocopies of use in your research, then drop them a brief line to say thank you. It is surprising how many people take the effort of others for granted, especially if those efforts are conducted through the relative anonymity of a letter.

Naval History

Napoleonic Association member Dave Hollins has sent me some research sources on the Austrian and Russian navies of the Napoleonic periods:

The Imperial and Royal Austro-Hungarian Navy by A. Sokol. This contains a very brief section on the Napoleonic period, but it is quite interesting.

Militaria Austriaca No.l (1977);Journal of the Austrian Military History Society. There is a short illustrated section on the development of naval ensigns (in German). Militarhistorische Schriftenseihe (in German).

No.37: Kriegsschiffe auf der Donau.

No.59: Kriegschamplatz Bodensee 1799-1800 and 1809. (Theatre of war on Lake Constance).

Osterreichs Kriegsmarine 1440-1848 (in German). This lists all the vessels and provides a general history. The book can be obtained through the inter-library loan system.

The Russians at Sea by David Woodward (Pub. Kimber 1965), again available via the library system.

Dave has some translations of the relevant parts of the above publiations and is willing to help anyone with an interest in the army and navy of Napoleonic Austria. If you send your query to me, I will pass it on to him.

Books

Greenhill have just published The Illustrated Napoleon by David Chandler (price £ 17.50). As one expects from this much-respected author, it is a very readable and informative work. It tells the story of Napoleon from his childhood, through his military education, to his early campaigns in Italy and Egypt, followed by the rise of the Napoleonic Empire, and the Emperor's instruments of power; the Marshals, the cavalry, infantry and artillery. There are chapters on Napoleon's decline and final defeat at Waterloo, with an interesting section on Napoleon's legacy to France and to the world.

The book is generously illustrated with both monochrome and colour pictures, and these have been chosen to tell the story, alongside the text, of the life one of history's greatest men. The French interred their beloved Emperor at Les Invalides. In The Illustrated Napoleon David Chandler has brought him alive again. Highly recommended.

March saw the publication by Greenhill of Napoleon and the Archduke Charles by F. Loraine Petre.

Napoleonic Relics

I mentioned above that I came across a small display of Nelson relics in Caldicot Castle. A few years ago while on holiday in Autria, I happened to stumble on a small museum and panorama of the battle of Bergisel in 1809, in which Andreas Hofer, at the head of a force of Tyrolean patriots, fought the French and Bavarians.

These two examples serve to illustrate the point that, while there are large museums displaying vast collections of Napoleonic relics, there also exist these relics in small out of the way places, that not many people know about until they stumble on them quite by chance.

So, if this year you take the family on holiday and happen to visit the Lower Sodbury Museum of Rural Stonking and discover that one of the locals was in the Life Guards at Waterloo, and his uniform and weapons are tucked away in this museum, then let me know. I will give it a mention in this column, so that those interested in that particular subject may visit the museum to study what was, until you discovered it, a little known piece of Napoleonic history gathering dust.

Contact: Paul Chamberlain, Research Officer - Napoleonic Association, 14 Overfield Road, Stopsley, Luton, Beds., LU2 9JU. Tel. 0582 24171 (24hrs).

New Magazine

A new publication First Empire, the world's first Napoleonic gaming magazine has just been released, published by First Empire Publishing. Copies of issue 1 are available from Partizan Press, £ 1.80 inc. p&p.