This richly illustrated book offers a concise overview of the historical background to Patrick O'Brian's acclaimed Aubrey/Maturin series, a straightforward exploration of what daily life in Nelson's navy was really like for everyone from the captain to the rawest recruit. Line drawings and charts help us to understand the construction and rigging of the great ships, the types and disposition of the guns, and how they were operated in battle. Contemporary drawings and cartoons illustrate aspects of naval life from the press gang to the scullery. Finally, a generous selection of full-color paintings renders the majesty and the excitement of fleet actions in the age of fighting sail.

A companion to O'Brian's sea novels, this concise, historical overview offers a straightforward explanation of what daily life was like in Admiral Horatio Nelson's navy. Line drawings and charts help readers to understand the construction and rigging of the great ships and the types and disposition of the guns. Contemporary illustrations and cartoons depict various aspects of naval life, from the press gang to the scullery.

A foreword by Patrick O'Brian introduces this definitive reference work, which stands as one of the most successful titles in Conway's 40-year history, with an impressive sales record to match. This book is the essential guide to Nelson's Navy for all those with an interest in the workings of the greatest fleet of the sailing era. The book is eminently readable and was the first single-volume work to cover in such depth this vast and complex subject. Written by one of the world's leading authorities on the sailing navy, the book contains considerable original research to give a clear and authentic picture of the Senior Service as a coherent yet complex whole. The book is also an indispensable reference for all readers of historical novels set during the age of Nelson, from the Aubrey-Maturin novels to Hornblower, Thomas Kydd and beyond. Original Edition ISBN: 9780851775210

Published to coincide with the bicentenary of Nelson's victory at Trafalgar, Nelson's Men o'War is a fascinating account of the day-to day reality of life at sea during the Napoleonic wars. Endorsed by the world renowned National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, the book contains a wealth of illustrations and first-hand accounts. Discover the hardships, the discipline and the dangers of life on board the Royal Navy's warships in the early nineteenth century. Including an outline of Nelson's career and battles, Nelson's Men o'War vividly brings to life this dramatic period of maritime history.

The opening of the film Master and Commander (Fox, summer 2003) will bring the realities of life in the Navy at the time of the Napoleonic wars to a whole new audience. Based on the first of the best-selling Aubrey/Maturin novels by Patrick O'Brian (published in the USA by W.W. Norton), and starring Oscar winner and gossip-column favorite Russell Crowe, it is set to be a summer blockbuster. Men o'War provides the background to the story, with detail of what life was really like for sailors and officers alike, serving on board the Royal Navy's warships in the early years of the nineteenth century. Published in conjunction with the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, one of the world's finest Naval museums, this detailed exploration into life on board the English warships captures the drama, hardships, discipline, and danger of sailing into battle as we approach the bicentennial of Nelson's victory at Trafalgar in 1805. Including information on the French and Spanish navies, and an outline of Nelson's career and main battles, Men o'War is a complete account of the real world behind the fiction.

This is a well-researched and highly readable account of naval life, both ashore and at sea, from a respected and admired historian and writer of whom it was written: ‘An author who really knows Nelson’s navy’ (Ramage’s Prize - The Observer) and ‘An expert knowledge of naval history’ (Ramage at Trafalgar - The Guardian).