First published in 1984 by Hutchinson & Co (Publishers) Ltd.

An explosive chronicle of history's greatest sea battle, from the co-author of the forthcoming Gibraltar: The Greatest Siege in British History (March 2018) In the tradition of Antony Beevor's Stalingrad, Nelson's Trafalgar presents the definitive blow-by-blow account of the world's most famous naval battle, when the British Royal Navy under Lord Horatio Nelson dealt a decisive blow to the forces of Napoleon. The Battle of Trafalgar comes boldly to life in this definitive work that re-creates those five momentous, earsplitting hours with unrivaled detail and intensity.

Two hundred years ago, Napoleon Bonaparte dominated Europe and threatened Britain with invasion. Against him stood the Royal Navy and the already legendary Admiral Horatio Nelson. On 21 October 1805, a massive naval battle off the coast of Spain decided mastery of the seas. Then, over the following days and nights, the battleships and their exhausted crews endured a gale of awesome fury. As Captain Charles Tyler wrote to his wife Margaret, 'the wind blew a perfect storm'. The authors of the bestselling FINEST HOUR tell this story not only through the diaries, letters and memoirs of the men who wrestled with the enemy and the elements, but also through the eyes of their wives and children. Whether you are already familiar with this period of history or are coming to it for the first time, TRAFALGAR is a book that will enthral as it illuminates an event whose repercussions still echo today.

Presents the battle of Trafalgar in it's historical scope and context. Quotes extensively from journals and sources and brings to life the whole story of the British-French conflict, at sea and on land, at the dawn of the nineteenth century.

"This surprising treat for lovers of naval history and real-life adventure traces Collingwood's exploits from his harsh coming of age at sea through his storied service in the American Revolution to the long and bitter struggle with Napoleon. Collingwood emerges as a wily and daring commander who was at his steely-eyed best when outgunned by the enemy. His coolness under fire is revealed in lively accounts of his rescuing Nelson from destruction and the entrapment of a 26-ship enemy fleet with a tiny, four-vessel squadron. At Trafalgar, he was seen calmly munching an apple as he led his squadron, guns blazing, into furious battle. It was Collingwood, himself devastated by the loss, who delivered the news of Nelson's death to a nation stunned by the tragic price of victory.".

This is the true story of the Battle of Trafalgar, Britain's most significant sea battle, as seen through the smoke-hazed gunports of the fighting ships. In an atmosphere of choking fumes from cannon and musket fire, amid noise so intense it was almost tangible, the crews of the British, French and Spanish ships did their best to carry out their allotted tasks. For over five hours they were in constant danger from a terrifying array of iron and lead missiles fired from enemy guns, as well as the deadly wooden splinters smashed from the ships' hulls by the cannon-balls. While the men manoeuvred the ships and kept the cannons firing, the women helped the surgeons tend the sick or helped the boys - the 'powder monkeys' - in the hazardous job of carrying gunpowder cartridges from the central magazine to the gun decks. Trafalgar set the seal on British naval supremacy, which became the mainspring for the growth of the British Empire, and in the short term not only prevented Napoleon from invading Britain, but also enabled Britain and its Continental allies to mount the campaign that would eventually defeat the French Emperor: without Trafalgar there would be no Waterloo.

The Seventeenth Sharpe Novel Sees Sharpe Returning From India To London To Join The Newly Formed Green Jackets. Sharpe, Though A Little More Comfortable With His New Officer Rank, Is Sure That This New Unit Is Of Lower Status, And That He Has Failed. His Ship Home Is Shipwrecked: He Is Captured By Pirates, But Fighting Free With A Few Companions, Finds Himself On A British Navy Ship Heading To Join Nelson'S Fleet. And There, In October 1805, He Finds Himself Involved In The Great Sea Battle, And Discovers New Skills In Fighting On Sea