The Battle of Trafalgar

By Geoffrey Bennett

1805.

Off the Cape of Trafalgar, an epic sea battle was taking place which will be remembered throughout history.

The battle of Trafalgar has now passed into national mythology.

The expertise, courage and determination and confidence which gave Britain a victory of spectacular finality in October 1805 also provided her with one of her great legendary figures – a naval hero in life but much more like a national, if secular, saint in death.

However like the noise and smoke of battle, legends have a habit of obscuring facts and having lodged into the popular imagination are transcribed to history books.

In this masterly history, Geoffrey Bennett sets the battle in the context of the world-wide struggle of Napoleon, describes the ships, their crews and the tactics of the action.