Trafalgar

by Oliver Warner

Overview

First published in 1959, this is an enthralling account of the Battle of Trafalgar viewed in perspective of Lord Nelson’s personal career, and of the struggle for naval supremacy in the Napoleonic Wars.

The Battle of Trafalgar of 21 October 1805 was a naval engagement fought by the British Royal Navy against the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies, during the War of the Third Coalition (August-December 1805) of the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815).

Twenty-seven British ships of the line led by Admiral Lord Nelson aboard HMS Victory defeated thirty-three French and Spanish ships of the line under the French Admiral Villeneuve in the Atlantic Ocean off the southwest coast of Spain, just west of Cape Trafalgar, near the town of Los Caños de Meca. The Franco-Spanish fleet lost twenty-two ships, without a single British vessel being lost. It was the most decisive naval battle of the war, conclusively ending French plans to invade England.

‘Enables even the most non-naval readers to appreciate not only the actual battle itself but the brilliance—of the strategy which led up to it.’ The Times

‘A stirring picture of the battle in which Nelson died destroying Napoleon’s power at sea. Mr. Warner brings to his scenes, before, after and during the battle, dozens of illuminating incidents.’—New York Times

‘A book one is proud to place on one’s shelves.’—Sunday Times

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781787206670
Publisher:	Friedland Books
Publication date:	07/11/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	163
File size:	21 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Oliver Martin Wilson Warner (28 February 1903 - 14 August 1976) was a well-known British naval historian and writer.

Warner was born in 1903 and educated at Denstone College and Caius College, Cambridge. In 1926, he succeeded Frank Swinnerton as staff reader at the publishing house of Chatto and Windus. In addition to his work as staff reader he also worked on the company’s advertising material. As a young man he made contributions to magazines such as The Spectator and Time and Tide, some of which were later reproduced in his 1947 book Captains and Kings. In 1939, he published an account of his visit to an “unworldly” relative in Canada, entitled Uncle Lawrence. During the Second World War he joined the Admiralty secretariat, initially serving in the Commission and Warrant (C.W.) branch before serving on the war artists advisory committee. He later served as secretary to the naval honours and awards committee.

After the war he became deputy director of publications of the British Council, where he remained until his retirement in 1963. He worked thereafter at Chatto and Windus for another year before concentrating on writing. By the time of his death he had more than twenty books in print. He married twice, first to Dorothea Blanchard who died in 1937, by whom he had one daughter. He was married secondly to Elizabeth Strahan, with whom he had one son and one daughter.

Warner died at his home, Old Manor Cottage, Haslemere, on 14 August 1976. A memorial service was held on 21 October (Trafalgar Day) at St. Lawrence Jewry-next-Guildhall church. As well as family members, the naval historians Professor Christopher Lloyd and Captain Stephen Roskill were in attendance, among others.