Reviews

This richly detailed and entertaining account of the dramatic life of England's legendary hero, a self-confident, magnetic and paradoxical man, written by an officer of the Royal Navy and author of Nelson and His World, traces Nelson's rapid rise in the navy as a result not only of influence, but of his vigorous campaigns against the Spanish and French for control of the New World, followed by a prolonged struggle against Napoleon for supremacy of the seas. His bravery inspired the lasting love of Emma Hamilton, wife of the English ambassador to Naples, and won him an admiral's rank, knighthood and a seat in Parliament. Nelson paid for his triumphs, however, with the loss of his right arm and impaired sight, which, along with malaria and other injuries, ``maimed him in spirit as in body.'' His greatest victorythe defeat at Trafalgar ofthe French and Spanish fleets, which would change the course of historycost him his life at age 47 in 1806.Illustrations not seen by PW. BOMC and History Book Club alternates. (April)

British journalist Pocock has long been fascinated with naval hero Nelson, and the promise of a full, insightful biography has been inherent in earlier studies. With the appearance of this work, that promise has largely been fulfilled. It is well written, solidly grounded in the Nelson Papers and other manuscript sources, and it is the better for the author's understanding not only of the man but of his milieu. The work is particularly good on Nelson's official career, less so on his titillating private life. This is perhaps just as well, for sensation does not intrude. An important work that belongs in the first rank of the voluminous corpus of Nelson literature. Recommended for public and academic libraries. BOMC and History Book Club alternates. James A. Casada, Winthrop Coll., Rock Hill, S.C.