Trafalgar

The Untold Story of the Greatest Sea Battle in History

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Pub Date 13 Dec 2018 | Archive Date 21 Feb 2019

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Description

A brilliant, page-turning account of the most famous sea fight in history.

Beginning with a vivid recreation of Napoleon's army assembling at Boulogne for the invasion of England, Nicholas Best tells how the French fleet joined with their Spanish allies and set out for a decisive battle with the Royal Navy.

Following events through the eyes of eyewitnesses on the gun deck as well as the admiral's cabins, he takes us to the Mediterranean and the West Indies and back to the coast of Spain as the rival fleets manoeuvre for advantage. Then follows his gripping minute-by-minute account of the actual battle: a truly murderous affair as the rival fleets trade cannon shots as point-blank range.

A brilliant, page-turning account of the most famous sea fight in history.

Beginning with a vivid recreation of Napoleon's army assembling at Boulogne for the invasion of England, Nicholas Best tells...


Advance Praise

“You can almost smell the whiff of gunsmoke and feel the sweat as the battle begins. This is history with a page-turning quality.”

Good Book Guide


“Recreates the terrible tension and uncertainty of the naval campaign that led to the most famous sea fight in history. His original research draws on a wide range of eyewitnesses to craft a gripping minute-by-minute account.”

Cambridgeshire Journal


“Rattles along excitingly... the battle is grippingly described with a Master and Commander/Patrick O'Brian touch.”

Daily Mail


“Nicholas Best uses eyewitness accounts to recreate the tension and uncertainty of the campaign that led to the battle, and to describe the carnage and the glory of Trafalgar itself.”

Church Today


“This gripping book tells the story of Britain's legendary naval victory on October 21, 1905 in which the national hero, Admiral Lord Nelson, was killed by a French sharpshooter... Nicholas Best has done an excellent job describing the build up to the Battle and the primitive conditions on the ships... This book is replete with fascinating details.”

Glasgow Evening Times


“None are likely to be more comprehensive or gripping than this one, which describes the Royal Navy's triumph over the French which effectively scuppered Napoleon's threat to invade Britain... He is unsparing in his details of the bloodshed wrought by cannons and cutlass wielding seamen who boarded the shattered ships.”

Birmingham Post


“Trafalgar was not only a great sea battle, it saved Britain from invasion by Napoleon. That is why this book, which rattles along excitingly, gave me fresh appetite for the subject. It sets Nelson's victory in context - the risks of 1940 were just as grave in 1805.... Nicholas Best's racy account of the prelude to the sea battle makes one realise how risky sea warfare was under sail.”

Daily Mail

“You can almost smell the whiff of gunsmoke and feel the sweat as the battle begins. This is history with a page-turning quality.”

Good Book Guide


“Recreates the terrible tension and uncertainty of the...


Available Editions

EDITION Paperback
ISBN 9781786080691
PRICE US$16.99 (USD)

Average rating from 19 members


Featured Reviews

The Napoleon era is a period in history that i know very little about, so had no hesitation in accepting an invite to read it. What a wonderful and interesting read it was, and it certainly had me gripped from start to finish. A well deserved five stars. Highly recommended.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy and this is my honest review.

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How often can a reader say a non-fiction book was a real page-turner? This book was.

The “untold” owes much to the author’s approach and methodology. The bibliography in the end matter reveals his source materials. It contains an extensive list of books and papers dealing with the battle, Nelson himself, or Bonaparte.

Mr. Best has extrapolated some wonderful stories from those sources and put them together in a most readable book.

This book not only details one of the most famous naval encounters in British history but also sets the scene in a most interesting fashion. That scene is Napoleon Bonaparte’s ruthless domination of Europe and his great desire to invade and conquer England.

Boulogne and the English Channel were the key factors in the general’s invasion plans. He was a master on land but needed the French and Spanish navies to engage the British Royal Navy so his Grand Army could cross the Channel to invade England.

The navies of France and Spain combined but were no match for either the sea skills of the English or the tactical acumen of Lord Horatio Nelson.

The account of the sea battle of Trafalgar is the highlight of the book. It is detailed in every aspect recounting the collective and individual actions of ships of all three countries and their officers. Both fascinating and horrific, is the only way I can describe it.

The telling of the story is enhanced by including contemporaneous accounts of high and junior officers, and enlisted men of all three navies. The individual accounts are not limited to battle alone. There are also heart-warming stories such as Jeanette. She disguised herself as a man to serve alongside her French sailor spouse. I’ll say no more about that.

Read this book. You won’t be disappointed.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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This reads like a historical novel. The characters are well defined and the action is paced and descriptive. Most people who are familiar with the Battle of Trafagar are unaware of its position in the greater context of Napoleon's desire to invade England. The parallels between Napaleon and Hitler are astounding. This book is much more than just a description of the events and tactics used at Trafalgar. Many individuals on both sides contribute and are intriguingly developed by the author. Horatio Nelson's personal life is delved into, but what happened to his wife?

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This is the story of the battle of France against England. Trafalgar. Napoleon was to invade England by sea. This book tells of the terrible loss of men on both sides and the heroes of the war. The heroics of Admiral Lord Nelson and the great part he played is discussed in depth. The names of people who fought will be very familiar to history buffs. It is a very interesting book. Well written and researched. Captivated me from the first chapter. I highly recommend this book. I received this book from Net Galley and Thistle Publishing for a honest review. The opinions expressed are my own.

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Book Review: Trafalgar: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sea Battle in History by Nicholas Best

"The coast of Spain was a dark mess in the distance, the sun just beginning to reveal itself over a low range of hills that the Moors had named Tarif-al-Ghar." - Nicolas Best

Thus commenced the depiction of Trafalgar, one of the greatest victories of the British Royal Navy which saved Britain from invasion by Napoleon.

It was in this sea battle at Cape Trafalgar, Spain on October 21, 1805, that Lord Nelson, considered as one of Britain's greatest heroes, was shot and killed. (Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, 1st Viscount Nelson, 1st Duke of Bronté, KB, British flag officer in the Royal Navy.)

Partly based on first-hand accounts of those who survived the battle, this epic novel takes the reader deeply into the thoughts and strategies of Napoleon (originally Nabulione Buoaparte), and extends into the built-up to and aftermath of the battle, Napoleon's obsession with Charlemagne, his coronation and his decisive victories against the Third Coalition (Britain, Russia and Austria /Holy Roman Empire)

"Boulogne, 1805. Napoleon studies Dover Castle through a giant telescope. Behind him stands an army of 167,000 men, superbly trained and itching to invade..."

Pretty compelling reading, right from the first sentence through the end.

Review based on an advance reading copy provided by NetGalley and Thistle Publishing.

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The intriguing story of the build-up to the Battle of Trafalgar, the dreadful bloody battle itself and the immediate political and military aftermath.
The author, Nicholas Best, captures the reader’s attention from the very start of the book. He has an easy reading style, quite unusual for a military historian. I really enjoy his attention to detail that draws the reader ever deeper into the story, very much like being a willing participant in the final battle.
I was previously unaware of the advanced scale of Napoleon’s preparations to invade Britain from the French ports on the Channel coast. Only the vagaries of the wind and the Royal Navy were able to protect us from invasion. The British defences at that time were very ‘Dad’s Army’ in nature and no doubt Bonaparte’s troops would not have had too much trouble in securing a firm foothold on the mainland.
The British fleet badly needed vital repairs after being on port blockade duty for a number of years. The French and Spanish were generally too timid and inexperienced to escape the blockades.
The graphic scenes of the main battle, are not for the faint hearted, with no punches being spared. I find it incredible how men can bravely face up to close quarters combat in the most horrific of circumstances.
I particularly enjoyed the account of the first unscheduled meeting between Nelson and Wellington. Intriguing to see how Wellington’s unfavourable first impression of Nelson, gradually changed over the course of their conversation. I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall.
The vignettes of Nelson’s life were very poignant, it is easy to understand why he was so loved by sailors of the fleet. Sadly his personal life made him a few enemies of senior Admiralty members His final wishes of securing his lover, Emma Hamilton, a comfortable life were ignored and she died in poverty.
To summarise, an excellent read, very well researched with some new insights into the battle. I will eagerly await any future books by this excellent author.

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I love to read historical fiction, and was so looking forward to this one. I am sure this story will be a great read for history buffs but I just could not get into it. I was lost between all the battles, names, ships, people and places. I will give this one 4 stars for effort because I think the author did a massive amount of research. Maybe someday I will specifically set aside a day or two to fully concentrate and try to absorb this masterpiece.
I was given the opportunity to receive this book from Thistle Publishing through NetGalley. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. This one gets 4****’s

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(Review is scheduled to post January 9, 2019, at my website)

Trafalgar by Nicholas Best () - One of the greatest sea battles in history is placed within its full historical context and introduces us to the actors in very human terms

I will get my only quibble with this book out of the way first. The subtitle, “The Untold Story” borders on the absurd. I can’t imagine that any sea battle has been more examined more often or in greater detail than this one. I would be hard pressed to come up with another naval engagement that gets the attention this one has over the years. There’s good reason for it. If Napoleon and his allies had won this battle, or even damaged Nelson’s fleet seriously, the change in the history of Europe is profound. He might have been able to complete an invasion of England (although, as the author points out, there were still many problems to overcome).

While I’m not sure it offers much that is “untold”, the telling of the story here is a good as any I’ve ever read. Best doesn’t restrict his focus to the action on the sea. Instead, he places the battle into the larger context of what was going on in England, France, and Spain that brings those powers into conflict in the waters of the Atlantic. He also sidesteps two bits of lazy history in the telling. Napoleon is shown in both his brilliance and egotism (and at his actual height, an ongoing historical canard that has always annoyed me). The same for Nelson. The admiral’s story, especially those written by hero-worshiping English authors, too often falls into hagiography. Both men were brilliant in the ways that led them to greatness, but also bore flaws that created complications throughout their lives.

Best of all, this is history presented almost in the format of a thriller. This is not a linear repetition of the facts. It is a well-told story that weaves together the many characters and events surrounding the action at Trafalgar. Thus, this book is readable to an extent you rarely get in military history.

If you love history, military history, naval history or European history, this book will fit comfortably on your “To Be Read” list. Combining the attention to detail that history buffs demand with the kind of storytelling that makes those details accessible to mainstream readers, “Trafalgar” is an early star in my

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This paging-turning historical fiction novel, thrust into the Battle of Trafalgar. With each page, we dive deeper into the battle, which keeps you on the edge of your seat. The book explores the tactics taken in battle as well as gives a great description of the events that took place at Trafalgar. I enjoyed how well the characters were developed. Overall, I think this book is a must read!

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Rating: 4.0/5.0

Although this is non-fiction the book reads like historical fiction. The writing is so easy to read, grasp and written in an intriguing and very interesting way. Reading about Napoleon Bonaparte and the greatest historical Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 was a great experience especially since I have not covered these subjects before.

We get to read about what the witnesses say who lived in that era and experienced all the events that lead to the battle and during it. I really liked the way the author kept the chapters short and the writing simple but at the same time getting to the point with each chapter's goal.

The book has so many different stories from different individuals. Many are heart touching and have so many details to them. This itself makes this non-fiction book read like a very enjoyable collection of stories. If you are looking for information about Trafalgar then I would recommend this book.

Many thanks to David Haviland from Thistle Publishing who provided me a free copy of this book in return of an honest unbiased review.

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One of my first looks at the Napoleon wars. Nicholas Best pulled me in and gave me a front line view on the conflicts. Challenging read but I learned so much.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy and this is my honest review.

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This book is gripping and I have to say quite brilliant. It is history that reads like fiction which is very clever. It is well researched, detailed and I read it in one sitting.
I Highly recommend for any fan of the period.
I was given an ARC by NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

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This is an interesting book with vivid descriptions of the actual battle with accounts from those involved. It is well-worth reading for anyone who wants to learn more about Nelson and the battle. I especially liked the depiction of Lord Nelson. This was a moving and well-researched history.

I received this free ebook from Net Galley in return for an honest re

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