Nelson - The New Letters (Revised)

Nelson was a letter writer of great flair and somehow between his naval service and recovering from various illnesses and wounds and of course despite his famously tangled love-life he managed to write an extraordinary number of them on all subjects and addressed to all manner of recipients. This widely-praised volume collects together over 500 of those letters dating from 1777 to just days before the Battle of Trafalgar that would seal both his fate and his fame. They range from detailed battle orders to passionate love letters from the business of securing - or giving - patronage to diplomatic reports for kings queens politicians and dignitaries. All aspects of Nelson's life are covered here particularly his seldom-glimpsed family life so that the reader cannot fail to see him in a new light. Nor can any reader fail to marvel at the combination of traits that made the man great: his brilliant leadership and organisation his daring and ruthless military mind and not least his very real compassion even for his enemies. Dr COLIN WHITE was Director of the Royal Naval Museum in Portsmouth UK. One of Britain's leading naval historians he was recognised worldwide as an authority on Nelson. In 2005 he was the mastermind behind the hugely successful 'Trafalgar Festival' for which he was awarded the Longman-History Today Trustees Prize. Published in association with the National Maritime Museum and the Royal Naval Museum.