Nelson: The Immortal Memory

by David Howarth, Stephen Howarth

British naval historian David and his author and sailor son Stephen characterize Vice Admiral Horatio Viscount Nelson (1758- 1805) as a fierce and skillful fighter but a gently and kindly man in their biography of the hero of Trafalgar and other naval battles. They do not provide a bibliography. The 1988 cloth edition was published by J. M. Dent and Sons. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Genres: Biography, History, Nonfiction, Naval History

408 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

David Armine Howarth (1912 - 1991) was a British historian and author. After graduating from Cambridge University, he was a radio war correspondent for BBC at the start of the Second World War, joining the Navy after the fall of France. He rose to the rank of lieutenant commander and spent four yeas in the Shetland Islands, becoming second in command of the Shetland Naval base. He was involved in the Special Operations Executive (SOE), including the Shetland Bus, an SOE operation manned by Norwegians running a clandestine route between Shetland and Norway, which utilized fishing boats with crews of Norwegian volunteers to land agents and arms in occupied Norway. For his contributions to espionage operations against the German occupation of Norway, he received King Haakon VII's Cross of Liberty. The King also made Howarth a Chevalier First Class of the Order of St Olav.

After the War he designed and built boats before turning to writing full time. He wrote an account of the Shetland Bus operation, as well as many other books of history, bringing to his many of his books an immense practical knowledge of ships and the sea.

David Howarth died in 1991. At his request, his ashes were scattered over the waters of Lunna Voe, Shetland, near Lunna House, the first base of the Shetland Bus operation.

Reviews

[Bonnie Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Howarth does not disappoint in this brilliantly-written history.

[Elizabeth S · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book about the famous admiral Lord Nelson. It covered both his public and personal life, acknowledged his weaknesses and his triumphs. The authors seemed faithfully honest about Nelson, but did add enough commentary on his day and times and the sea life that he lived to help us understand and not misjudge by today's standards. Well worth reading for history buffs and arm-chair admirals.

[Jon Gautier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Howarth is really good, so too is this book; I don’t have anything clever to say, except you should read it, especially if you don’t already know a lot about Nelson, and maybe first read a bit about 18th century European and naval/Nelson history, as more background will help you enjoy this excellent and comprehensive book

[Stuart Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing biography of Nelson. Follows his entire career and his turbulent personal life. Nelson is vain, insubordinate, and a poor sailor prone to seasickness. He is also brilliant, innovative, and unfailingly loyal. He has two great loves in his life, love of the sea and love of whoever is his current romantic attachment. And through these loves he causes all who know him and many more who do not to love him. His sailors and fellow officers love him, and all of England grows to see him as their greatest hero. His greatest weakness is women. He is constantly falling in love, and it causes him to make rash decisions. He marries precipitously to a beautiful woman, but they are not a very good match, and eventually this leads to his strange three-person marriage which scandalizes Georgian England and causes many problems with his professional career. His wife is a noble lady of great beauty, but she never reconciles to being the wife of a sailor. As a Roman Senator once said, "People speak of the great beauty of my shoes, but only I know where they pinch me." His mistress is married to a much older man, of low birth and had had many lovers, and the one thing most people noted about her was her enormous girth. The heart wants what the heart wants. Despite this Nelson became the greatest Naval hero in British history, and his victory at Trafalgar ended the era of great naval battles for 100 years. His ship, Victory, is still listed on the English roles of active ships, and his victory and death at Trafalgar are still celebrated annually in the Navy.

An excellent biography, focused on Nelson himself. His battles are mostly covered quickly, his personal life more closely. The effects of his life and his death on the English are displayed, and his natural charisma endure to this day.

[Catherine Jeffrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating insight into Nelson and his naval career. I just wish this account had been illustrated,

[kunkku · Rating 5 out of 5]

why did i never hear of nelson in my british secondary school?

[Julian Stockwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An immensely human portrait of Nelson.