Remember Nelson: The Life of Sir William Hoste

By Tom Pocock

William Hoste, Royal Navy captain, was Lord Nelson’s protégé and became one of the greatest captains in the Napoleonic Wars.

Hoste entered the Navy in 1793 under the care of Nelson who had an affection for him. Following this he became a lieutenant in 1798 and was appointed commander of the Mutine brig after the battle of the Nile, at which he was present as the lieutenant of the Theseus.

During all his active career, he was employed in the Mediterranean and the Adriatic and made a fortune by the capture of Italian and Dalmatian merchant ships. He also made many successful attacks on the French military posts on shore and his most brilliant feat was performed on the 13th of March 1811 when his outnumbered force defeated a French squadron at the Battle of Lissa.

Said to have partly inspired Patrick O’Brian’s Captain Jack Aubrey, Hoste is a worthy successor to the legacy of Nelson. In Remember Nelson, Tom Pocock explores an often forgotten man in a perfect read for fans of naval history.