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Nelson: A Dream of Glory
There have been numerous biographies of Nelson, but most fail to penetrate the mythology encrusting Britain's greatest naval hero. John Sugden has examined thousands of naval, military, diplomatic and personal documents. He has ruthlessly stripped away the legends and brilliantly reconstructed Nelson's private and public life.
A Dream of Glory charts the period of Nelson's career most neglected by earlier writers -- from childhood to his debut as a public hero after the breathtaking victory against the Spanish fleet at Cape St Vincent, when he became an admiral and stood on the verge of international fame. Dealing with every facet of Nelson's life -- the man, the naval officer and the Georgian -- John Sugden offers the only full account of Nelson's early voyages and the first complete analysis of the formative incidents in his career, including his conflict with civil and naval superiors in the West Indies, his campaigns in Corsica and his service as a commodore in the Mediterranean. Throughout there are revealing discoveries about his relationships with his family, patrons, officers and also, with his women.
A Dream of Glory combines ground-breaking scholarship with a vivid and compelling style. This magisterial biography will immediately become the benchmark against which all subsequent books about Nelson will have to be judged.
A Dream of Glory charts the period of Nelson's career most neglected by earlier writers -- from childhood to his debut as a public hero after the breathtaking victory against the Spanish fleet at Cape St Vincent, when he became an admiral and stood on the verge of international fame. Dealing with every facet of Nelson's life -- the man, the naval officer and the Georgian -- John Sugden offers the only full account of Nelson's early voyages and the first complete analysis of the formative incidents in his career, including his conflict with civil and naval superiors in the West Indies, his campaigns in Corsica and his service as a commodore in the Mediterranean. Throughout there are revealing discoveries about his relationships with his family, patrons, officers and also, with his women.
A Dream of Glory combines ground-breaking scholarship with a vivid and compelling style. This magisterial biography will immediately become the benchmark against which all subsequent books about Nelson will have to be judged.
943 pages, Paperback
First published September 2, 2004
42 people are currently reading
756 people want to read
About the author
John Sugden
47 books25 followersAn independent scholar and a former associate editor of Oxford University Press's American National Biography project, John Sugden holds degrees from the Universities of Leeds, Lancaster and Sheffield.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
August 21, 2024
Impressively researched, and I appreciate that it covers ground often glossed over in other biographies, but it was a little dry for me throughout. Things picked up somewhat when the French Revolution finally hit, and the Battle of Cape St. Vincent was legitimately exciting reading. This volume leaves us with a Horatio Nelson who has lost an arm, sight in one eye, and his first major battle, and he's heading home under the impression that his career is over. I'm looking forward to seeing just how wrong he is in the next one!
May 26, 2023
Detailed biography of the first 38 years in the life of Horatio Nelson, Britain’s greatest admiral. The author discusses Nelson’s early life and his rise through the ranks of the British Navy. Nelson’s successes and failures are fairly discussed, as well as his personal relationships.
The qualities that drove Nelson were a desire for glory and, almost to a fault, serving his country. He cultivated personal relationships with those in command of him, as well as those who served under him, and was intensely loyal to both. Because of this, officers above him worked to advance Nelson, and officers and seamen under him were willing to serve him, even when transferred to other commands.
Downsides of Nelson’s character: Boastfulness, self-advertisement, susceptibility to flattery, a tendency to underestimate opposition.
Upsides of Nelson’s character, which outweighed the downsides: Tireless energy, his enterprise and opportunism, refusal to be beaten, confidence, devotion to duty, loyalty, initiative and courage. Another feature that Nelson developed was the ability to convey what today is called commander’s intent, ensuring that his officers understood his overall intentions in battle, leaving them free to exercise initiative to accomplish his goals.
This first volume in a two volume set finds Nelson, who had previously lost use of an eye, losing his right arm in the lost battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. After losing his arm, Nelson remarked that “I am useless to my country.” His greatest battles, at the Nile, Copenhagen, and Trafalgar (covered in the next volume), still awaited him. In seven years time, Nelson would be dead.
The author consults previously tapped sources, as well as naval records and correspondence, to write a good account of the years leading up to the victories that immortalized Nelson.
The qualities that drove Nelson were a desire for glory and, almost to a fault, serving his country. He cultivated personal relationships with those in command of him, as well as those who served under him, and was intensely loyal to both. Because of this, officers above him worked to advance Nelson, and officers and seamen under him were willing to serve him, even when transferred to other commands.
Downsides of Nelson’s character: Boastfulness, self-advertisement, susceptibility to flattery, a tendency to underestimate opposition.
Upsides of Nelson’s character, which outweighed the downsides: Tireless energy, his enterprise and opportunism, refusal to be beaten, confidence, devotion to duty, loyalty, initiative and courage. Another feature that Nelson developed was the ability to convey what today is called commander’s intent, ensuring that his officers understood his overall intentions in battle, leaving them free to exercise initiative to accomplish his goals.
This first volume in a two volume set finds Nelson, who had previously lost use of an eye, losing his right arm in the lost battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife. After losing his arm, Nelson remarked that “I am useless to my country.” His greatest battles, at the Nile, Copenhagen, and Trafalgar (covered in the next volume), still awaited him. In seven years time, Nelson would be dead.
The author consults previously tapped sources, as well as naval records and correspondence, to write a good account of the years leading up to the victories that immortalized Nelson.
May 20, 2020
In reviewing this biography, I'm not going to tell you anything about the life of Horatio Nelson you can't easily find on Wikipedia. Why? Because most, if not all, of Wikipedia's Nelson entry is based on the content of Sugden's two books. In essence, Sugden is to Horatio Nelson's life story what Richard Rhodes is to the rise of the nuclear age.
Is Nelson's life worth such exhaustive, definitive treatment? I'd have to say no. His decisive victory over the French and Spanish fleets at the Battle of Trafalgar was his most impactful success, an epic naval triumph achieved in his late 60s that falls outside the scope of this first volume. Here, Sugden captures all the known, respectably verifiable, blow-by-blow details of Nelson's first 39 years: from birth to low-rent, single-connection gentry (his great-grandmother was a Walpole who begot the first Earl of Orford), to apprenticeship to the Royal Navy at 12, through to his reckless success at Cape St. Vincent, which is immediately followed by the equally devastating (and reckless) defeat at Tenerife that cost him his right arm.
Nelson is employed all over the British Empire: learning on the job in India, then in the Americas (mostly the Caribbean) during the Revolutionary War, a brief stint in Cathay in the 1780s, and then in and around the Mediterranean over the course of the French Revolution and the resulting Napoleonic wars. Throughout, Sugden portrays him as a diligent letter-writer, nascent cheerleader and self-promoter, and competent seaman -- all in all, a charismatic, likeable go-getter. Martially-speaking, Nelson is a man undaunted by chaos, a gloryhound who would rather be at the van of the mortar than a moribund ancillary or prize-catcher. He's thus the beneficiary of Brittania's outright naval supremacy and the victim of her lackluster land-based capability. The former rewards his heroics off the coast of Portugal, the other nearly gets him killed at Nicaragua, Corsica, and the Canary Islands.
As you might expect, Sugden's best bits are those which immerse the reader in 18th century life and/or military action. The problem here is that life in the 18th century was largely tedious, consisting mostly of hanging around the house, farm, or engaged in routine, quotidian toil. To be sure, wars continental and colonial were to be had aplenty, but one man can't be everywhere -- let alone the thick of the fight -- and young Nelson sees far more inaction than action. I have to assume that all those previous biographers who glossed over Nelson's early years had good reason to do so. Still, Sugden's purpose is the full Nelson portrait, and in that he succeeds mightily. His descriptions of events and settings are so vivid, they catch you squinting at whitewashed Jamaican plaster and rolling in your briny, canvas hammock. A typical passage (p. 161):
UPDATE: My review of Sword of Albion (Sugden's biographical "sequel") is here.
Also, if you ever get a chance to watch Ioann Gruffudd in AMC's Horatio Hornblower series, by all means do so. We watched the first 100 minute episode (The Duel) last night, and it's the perfect companion to these biographies. Everything about 18th century naval life and tactics is depicted there.
Is Nelson's life worth such exhaustive, definitive treatment? I'd have to say no. His decisive victory over the French and Spanish fleets at the Battle of Trafalgar was his most impactful success, an epic naval triumph achieved in his late 60s that falls outside the scope of this first volume. Here, Sugden captures all the known, respectably verifiable, blow-by-blow details of Nelson's first 39 years: from birth to low-rent, single-connection gentry (his great-grandmother was a Walpole who begot the first Earl of Orford), to apprenticeship to the Royal Navy at 12, through to his reckless success at Cape St. Vincent, which is immediately followed by the equally devastating (and reckless) defeat at Tenerife that cost him his right arm.
Nelson is employed all over the British Empire: learning on the job in India, then in the Americas (mostly the Caribbean) during the Revolutionary War, a brief stint in Cathay in the 1780s, and then in and around the Mediterranean over the course of the French Revolution and the resulting Napoleonic wars. Throughout, Sugden portrays him as a diligent letter-writer, nascent cheerleader and self-promoter, and competent seaman -- all in all, a charismatic, likeable go-getter. Martially-speaking, Nelson is a man undaunted by chaos, a gloryhound who would rather be at the van of the mortar than a moribund ancillary or prize-catcher. He's thus the beneficiary of Brittania's outright naval supremacy and the victim of her lackluster land-based capability. The former rewards his heroics off the coast of Portugal, the other nearly gets him killed at Nicaragua, Corsica, and the Canary Islands.
As you might expect, Sugden's best bits are those which immerse the reader in 18th century life and/or military action. The problem here is that life in the 18th century was largely tedious, consisting mostly of hanging around the house, farm, or engaged in routine, quotidian toil. To be sure, wars continental and colonial were to be had aplenty, but one man can't be everywhere -- let alone the thick of the fight -- and young Nelson sees far more inaction than action. I have to assume that all those previous biographers who glossed over Nelson's early years had good reason to do so. Still, Sugden's purpose is the full Nelson portrait, and in that he succeeds mightily. His descriptions of events and settings are so vivid, they catch you squinting at whitewashed Jamaican plaster and rolling in your briny, canvas hammock. A typical passage (p. 161):
The jungle closed in on lofty banks, looking black and threatening beneath huge trees that shot up to reach the light and wove their crowns into an unbroken canopy… Large butterflies, moths and dragonflies flitted in the still moist air, and iridescent hummingbirds hovered busily before brilliant flowers. But for Nelson and his men there were rapids, falls, currents and countercurrents to absorb their attention, and the extremes between the exhausting daytime heat on the river and the falling temperatures that enveloped the makeshift camps at night to endure.I'll spare you the grisly details of an amputation at sea; they can be found on page 770. The historian is pulling his literary freight; you can't blame the author if his subject is so often devoid of activity. It is primarily for this reason that I’m now reading Sugden’s follow-up. In spinning Nelson’s extramarital affair with and child by the wife of the British Envoy to Naples contemporaneous with his stride into history over the hulls of Napoleon’s navy, Sugden should finally get to offer up a chronicle worthy of the chronicler.
UPDATE: My review of Sword of Albion (Sugden's biographical "sequel") is here.
Also, if you ever get a chance to watch Ioann Gruffudd in AMC's Horatio Hornblower series, by all means do so. We watched the first 100 minute episode (The Duel) last night, and it's the perfect companion to these biographies. Everything about 18th century naval life and tactics is depicted there.
May 13, 2012
As a proud Scot of the modern age, meaning one leaning towards independance,
I have to say I am very proud believe it or not to be British.
It's hard not to be after reading John Sugden's "A dream of glory".
Is Nelson not one of the bravest, craftiest, and most
honourable humans we "Brits", ha ha ,have ever produced?
Honestly, what an inspiration to anyone.
A believer in social justice and a lenient commander.
A master of sail, and a loyalist to these islands
A saint, well maybe not, but surely one of the greatest Englishmen who've
ever lived.
Slainte.
I have to say I am very proud believe it or not to be British.
It's hard not to be after reading John Sugden's "A dream of glory".
Is Nelson not one of the bravest, craftiest, and most
honourable humans we "Brits", ha ha ,have ever produced?
Honestly, what an inspiration to anyone.
A believer in social justice and a lenient commander.
A master of sail, and a loyalist to these islands
A saint, well maybe not, but surely one of the greatest Englishmen who've
ever lived.
Slainte.
November 29, 2025
I am going to keep this short as much of what I wrote for the second part of this Nelson biography Sword of Albion applies equally here and there is little point recapitulating. I am equally enthusiastic, perhaps more so, about this first half.
The focus here is on Nelson’s life up to the point when he becomes an admiral. This means that with the exception of his actions at the battle of Cape St Vincent none of Nelson’s best known battles are included. This if anything makes it more interesting as Nelson’s role before this point is less well known, perhaps not always as exceptional, but still daring, interesting, often a little rogue and therefore exciting. This can be all the more so for Sugden diving into events that are little considered in other biographies - though he does rather like to draw attention to wherever he is breaking new ground which I am less enamoured with.
As a captain is a forceful and fearless leader, but in other respects at this point he does not stand out so much from the Royal Navy’s other captains with all the same concerns; getting enough influence to get decent postings. But doing very well with the opportunities he is given. He very definitely goes ‘above and beyond’ in his earliest campaigns in the Caribbean. And much of his best work in the Revolutionary wars is on land in Corsica in which Sugden shows himself to be as good at describing the difficulties of besieging fortresses as catching enemy fleets at sea.
Sugden also shows Nelson to be an excellent manager of his ships, even if he is very young when he gets his first. But at the same time this is also the book that contains the years of frustration for Nelson. Time at failing to get a posting with any action, time at home on half pay, and worries about injuries. Perhaps not surprisingly therefore the personal side is very well brought out in this first volume. Nelson’s family is of course a key part right from the beginning and he marries Fanny about a third of the way through the book and the personal interplay with Nelson often neglectful that reaches its heights in the next book begins in this.
As with the first this is very well written and incredibly well researched. I'm probably a bit unusual in having read the second book first… but if like me you liked the second you will definitely like the first too! Also for anyone interested in the Royal navy, the wars at the end of the 18th century, but also I would think to anyone interested in the social history of Britain at the end of the 18th century.
The focus here is on Nelson’s life up to the point when he becomes an admiral. This means that with the exception of his actions at the battle of Cape St Vincent none of Nelson’s best known battles are included. This if anything makes it more interesting as Nelson’s role before this point is less well known, perhaps not always as exceptional, but still daring, interesting, often a little rogue and therefore exciting. This can be all the more so for Sugden diving into events that are little considered in other biographies - though he does rather like to draw attention to wherever he is breaking new ground which I am less enamoured with.
As a captain is a forceful and fearless leader, but in other respects at this point he does not stand out so much from the Royal Navy’s other captains with all the same concerns; getting enough influence to get decent postings. But doing very well with the opportunities he is given. He very definitely goes ‘above and beyond’ in his earliest campaigns in the Caribbean. And much of his best work in the Revolutionary wars is on land in Corsica in which Sugden shows himself to be as good at describing the difficulties of besieging fortresses as catching enemy fleets at sea.
Sugden also shows Nelson to be an excellent manager of his ships, even if he is very young when he gets his first. But at the same time this is also the book that contains the years of frustration for Nelson. Time at failing to get a posting with any action, time at home on half pay, and worries about injuries. Perhaps not surprisingly therefore the personal side is very well brought out in this first volume. Nelson’s family is of course a key part right from the beginning and he marries Fanny about a third of the way through the book and the personal interplay with Nelson often neglectful that reaches its heights in the next book begins in this.
As with the first this is very well written and incredibly well researched. I'm probably a bit unusual in having read the second book first… but if like me you liked the second you will definitely like the first too! Also for anyone interested in the Royal navy, the wars at the end of the 18th century, but also I would think to anyone interested in the social history of Britain at the end of the 18th century.
July 15, 2025
An insightful, well-researched and very comprehensive entry.
Sugden does a great job fleshing out Nelson and his contemporaries. The style is atmospheric and the world of the era, the Navy, and its societies are brought to life. Nelson’s own professionalism, courage, charisma, patriotism, sense of honor and duty, loyalty to his commanders and men, and sincere religious life is laid out well. He also does a good job explaining how Nelson moved up the ladder due to flattery and intrigue, until his career finally took off due to some courageous yet rather ambiguous performances in battle.
The writing is lively, (if a bit breezy or conversational in a few parts) and his analysis of controversies is pretty balanced. The reader may be struck at how ordinary and even, perhaps, boring, Nelson’s career was at this early stage, with only one major battle. The book also ends with the aftermath of Tenerife, where Nelson lost his arm and generally wallowed in depression.
Sometimes Sugden will refer to Nelson by his first name, which some readers may find a little annoying. The book could have used more maps, and perhaps more detailed ones (some of the images could have been reproduced better as well). Some readers may find that the narrative sometimes bogs down in too many facts. Sometimes there could have been more explanation of the wider context or strategy when it comes to certain battles. Also, at one point Sugden writes that Braddock's defeat at the Monongahela took place in 1775.
A rounded and well-written work.
Sugden does a great job fleshing out Nelson and his contemporaries. The style is atmospheric and the world of the era, the Navy, and its societies are brought to life. Nelson’s own professionalism, courage, charisma, patriotism, sense of honor and duty, loyalty to his commanders and men, and sincere religious life is laid out well. He also does a good job explaining how Nelson moved up the ladder due to flattery and intrigue, until his career finally took off due to some courageous yet rather ambiguous performances in battle.
The writing is lively, (if a bit breezy or conversational in a few parts) and his analysis of controversies is pretty balanced. The reader may be struck at how ordinary and even, perhaps, boring, Nelson’s career was at this early stage, with only one major battle. The book also ends with the aftermath of Tenerife, where Nelson lost his arm and generally wallowed in depression.
Sometimes Sugden will refer to Nelson by his first name, which some readers may find a little annoying. The book could have used more maps, and perhaps more detailed ones (some of the images could have been reproduced better as well). Some readers may find that the narrative sometimes bogs down in too many facts. Sometimes there could have been more explanation of the wider context or strategy when it comes to certain battles. Also, at one point Sugden writes that Braddock's defeat at the Monongahela took place in 1775.
A rounded and well-written work.
February 23, 2024
A 4+ magnum opus on the life of Nelson through the failed attack on Tenerife. It's an amazing accomplishment. The level of research and what I can only describe as world-building, are exceptional. And we are in luck, as the book skirts, but does not cross over into, hagiography. Nelson was a deeply flawed person. But he was also a very great one, and at times a good one, too. But let the reader beware--you have to really want to know about both the sociology and the technology of the sailing navy to enjoy this book. On that side of the ledger what fascinated me were the myriad personal and familial relationships that went into manning a warship in the Royal Navy. Society really was a skein of dependent relationships and patronage. When Nelson got command of the 64-gun ship of the line Agamemnon he brought aboard young men from all around Norfolk where he lived, sons of gentry, surgeons, brewers, and publicans known to the family and given posts commensurate with their standing in the community. These favors were traded for future considerations. He also developed a Following, a group of common sailors of various grades whom he took with him from ship to ship as a nucleus of people he could trust. Overall, a fantastic story.
October 3, 2021
Me pasé a esta biografía porque la primera que escogí me resultaba excesivamente sinóptica. Esta peca de lo contrario y abunda en detalles, lo que explica que se haya dividido en dos tomos. Por lo demás, cumple mis expectativas y me ayuda a comprender mejor al personaje, la cultura Británica y el trasfondo de mis novelas navales favoritas. Nada de lo que se narra en ellas es menos fantástico que la realidad y si O'Brien intentara hacerme tragar el abordaje doble de la batalla del Cabo San Vicente, probablemente hubiese meneado la cabeza y lo hubiese achacado a un exceso de peliculas de acción.
Lo que si esperaba en una biografía con pretensiones académicas es un poco más de respeto hacia los enemigos de la pérfida albión en vez de esos navíos enormes tripulados por una dotación donde el más listo es Manuel de Barcelona.
Vale que los españoles y franceses fuesen menos profesionales que los capitanes británicos, pero es que cuando le dan pal pelo, tambien es culpa siempre de los demás.
En fin que la historia bien, el imperialismo caduco ya tal.
Lo que si esperaba en una biografía con pretensiones académicas es un poco más de respeto hacia los enemigos de la pérfida albión en vez de esos navíos enormes tripulados por una dotación donde el más listo es Manuel de Barcelona.
Vale que los españoles y franceses fuesen menos profesionales que los capitanes británicos, pero es que cuando le dan pal pelo, tambien es culpa siempre de los demás.
En fin que la historia bien, el imperialismo caduco ya tal.
March 14, 2019
As much of a test of endurance as a late-18 century voyage to the other side of the world, this enormous book is just volume 1 of 2 (with volume 2 even longer!). This ends in 1797 when Nelson is on his way home after losing his right arm at Tenerife (having lost his eye earlier in Corsica). It seems as if his promising Naval career is over - a one-armed Admiral is not much use he thinks.
The author describes the first forty or so years of Nelson's life very skillfully and interestingly and in great detail. Lots of little nuggets in each chapter. If you have the time and patience to invest in this enormous tome it is well worth your time.
It may be a while until i can muster enough enthusiasm to tackle Vol 2 though!
The author describes the first forty or so years of Nelson's life very skillfully and interestingly and in great detail. Lots of little nuggets in each chapter. If you have the time and patience to invest in this enormous tome it is well worth your time.
It may be a while until i can muster enough enthusiasm to tackle Vol 2 though!
May 20, 2020
Epic. This is my first biography of Nelson but I can't imagine reading another one....besides the author's sequel, of course. For me, when you get a feel for the subject's personality you've read a great biography. Of course, that depends on the availability of great source material. Fortunately, this biography succeeds on both counts. I really felt like I understood Nelson the man after having read the book. There is so much to take out of this book on leadership as well. Its well written and entertaining as well.
November 16, 2022
Started out a little slow. Probably more information than the average arm chair historian needs (I don't need to know what Horatio Nelson's shipmates' parents did back in England) but it soon became a swashbuckling good time. Even a chapter of his life which was previously ignored by most biographers, his time in the Caribbean enforcing British trading regulations, actually became interesting in Sugden's telling. I picked up this book randomly off the shelf at the library and I definitely recommend it.
November 1, 2022
Quality fluctuates with the varying interest produced during Nelson’s career . A fine book but exhaustive . Pedantic at times . Great scholarly achievement however I like to think this is the series that Nelson would look back upon 200 years later and say they finally got it right . One is reminded of Chenrows Washington.
February 25, 2019
It's worth the read but not easy to read. I wanted to love this biography but is not always a fun read. It is full of interesting facts that are not always found elsewhere and it does pull the strands of Nelson's early life together as a backdrop for the man he becomes.
March 4, 2025
Overall a great first half of his biography. The last 150 pages finally really ramp up and keep you reading! There were parts that were too detailed and thus became mundane; however it was an extensive read. I will read the second book this year.
June 1, 2023
Seemed reasonably even handed. Presented virtues and vices.
February 6, 2019
Really good some bits dragged but excellent
June 23, 2007
Somehow I got interested in naval history and this is an absolute must if you have the same fascination. The book does not cover the glorious last years of Nelson's life. It takes you through his family, childhood, and from his earliest years at sea as a "squeak" through midshipman, lieutenant, master & commander, commodore, and just into admiral.
Every type of correspondence has been lovingly ploughed through to produce what I found a riveting account of his life, loves, characteristics, mistakes etc. It does not hide any of his faults. What it also does is make you aware of the times he lived in, the social attitudes, the culture, etc. and tries to explain why he thought like he did. It also shows you the beginnings of what British people think of as one of their national treasures; Lord Admiral Nelson the battle hero of Nile, Copenhagen and sadly Trafalgar.
He was a man of his times, when battle tactics were changing both on land and sea along with the worth of the infantryman and the able seaman. He was loved and followed from ship to ship by both officer and seamen as he proved to be an exceptional leader and motivator. He was a rogue, a roue, an egotist and desparately desired recognition and glory - but above all else he was "English and proud of it".
Every type of correspondence has been lovingly ploughed through to produce what I found a riveting account of his life, loves, characteristics, mistakes etc. It does not hide any of his faults. What it also does is make you aware of the times he lived in, the social attitudes, the culture, etc. and tries to explain why he thought like he did. It also shows you the beginnings of what British people think of as one of their national treasures; Lord Admiral Nelson the battle hero of Nile, Copenhagen and sadly Trafalgar.
He was a man of his times, when battle tactics were changing both on land and sea along with the worth of the infantryman and the able seaman. He was loved and followed from ship to ship by both officer and seamen as he proved to be an exceptional leader and motivator. He was a rogue, a roue, an egotist and desparately desired recognition and glory - but above all else he was "English and proud of it".
August 2, 2012
This is biography as it should be written. John Sugden has found new and hitherto unknown sources to give us a fresh look at this most famous of (and written about) admirals. Nelson was a man of many parts, brave and patriotic, yet also a shameless self-promoter and easily flattered. His sailors and his officers (usually) loved him, yet he also betrayed and abandoned his wife and his mistress. It would, however, be a mistake to judge Nelson according to 20th century standards, and Sugden places him firmly in the 18th, so that we can better understand the man, his time and ,most importantly, his accomplishments in the field of naval warfare. This volume covers Nelson's early life and his career until the loss of his arm at Tenerife. Little did anyone know that his best and most glorious days were still ahead of him! We can only hope the 2nd volume is published soon. An excellent book indeed.
July 25, 2010
Without a doubt, this will be the definitive biography of Nelson (assuming the author comes out with Vol. 2) It was 400 pages more than I wanted to read about the pre-Trafalgar Nelson, so I knew I wouldn't finish it. Still, the parts I read and skimmed were brilliant and lively. I learned things about Britain and the period on every page. It appeared to be wonderfully balanced and gave us Lord Nelson with some flaws. If the author has any bias its against the fascinating Emma Hamilton. He seems to downplay her in favor of letting us know that Nelson's wife Fanny was devoted and not the "shrew" some biographers have made her to be. If he does come out with Vol.2, I probably will read the whole thing.
February 14, 2013
Sugden charts the early life and career of Britain's most famous naval hero in an astonishing level of detail, debunking some popular myths along the way, to draw a nuanced portrait of Horatio Nelson. Like all the best biographers, he walks the fine line between admiration and brutal honesty about his subject. Nelson's courage, warmth and humanity are given a fair showing alongside his vanity, foolhardiness and infidelity.
Sugden also displays a solid grasp of Nelson's historical context, how it influenced him and how he was both typical and remarkable among his contemporaries.
A word of caution - this is a *very* long book, covering nearly 40 years and some of the most remarkable campaigns of the 18th century. Be prepared to devote some serious time to reading this.
Sugden also displays a solid grasp of Nelson's historical context, how it influenced him and how he was both typical and remarkable among his contemporaries.
A word of caution - this is a *very* long book, covering nearly 40 years and some of the most remarkable campaigns of the 18th century. Be prepared to devote some serious time to reading this.
May 2, 2015
Quite simply the most comprehensive biography of Britain's greatest admiral. An astonishing achievement.
The book draws on a wealth of sources to present a full and balanced picture of Nelson. Vain, often obsequious but not the hypochondriac portrayed by some, Nelson was nevertheless the consummate warrior sailor who inspired confidence in his men and the nation.
This is the first part of the biography covering Nelson's rise. The second part, Sword of Albion is equally compelling.
The book draws on a wealth of sources to present a full and balanced picture of Nelson. Vain, often obsequious but not the hypochondriac portrayed by some, Nelson was nevertheless the consummate warrior sailor who inspired confidence in his men and the nation.
This is the first part of the biography covering Nelson's rise. The second part, Sword of Albion is equally compelling.
July 26, 2007
This is the beginning of a fabulously readable and comprehensive biography of Lord Nelson, the Royal Navy's most famous commander during the Napoleonic Wars. If you have any interest in this time period or Nelson in particular, this book should be at the top of your list. I just hope the author gets that second volume out soon!
November 15, 2013
Well, to say the least, it was thorough. I think with better editing at least 100 pages could have been trimmed. I was perhaps more annoyed by the length (and took way longer to read it) because I had it in paper book form, and even in paperback, this thing is a BRICK. Generally, though, it is a very well done biography.
August 10, 2012
A FANTASTIC treatment of the rise of Nelson, Britain's greatest naval hero. A swashbuckling adventure and fine historical work rolled into one, this book was very difficult to put down. Been waiting (impatiently) 6 years for the sequel, and rumors have it The Sword of Albion will be released this fall!
January 27, 2013
Wow.
The intensity of detail here is nothing short of extraordinary. Obsessive, even. I'm really quite impressed. The nice thing is that the detail didn't really get in the way of getting to know Nelson -- an incredible, brave and deeply flawed person. Only thing keeping it from five stars was the fact that it was a very dense read in spots, and an outright slog on occasion.
The intensity of detail here is nothing short of extraordinary. Obsessive, even. I'm really quite impressed. The nice thing is that the detail didn't really get in the way of getting to know Nelson -- an incredible, brave and deeply flawed person. Only thing keeping it from five stars was the fact that it was a very dense read in spots, and an outright slog on occasion.
August 1, 2007
So far so good. The concept of 'interest' in colonial era cannot be explicated enough. The parallels to current concept of having 'connections' is obvious. Anyone know if there's been any writing on this?
January 19, 2009
I stuck with this for 400+ pages. At that point, I think I'd read about 2 sea battles, neither of which was Trafalgar or the Nile. It was enjoyable but too slow, stuck in the Doldrums with nary a headwind.
December 12, 2012
I haven't got time to go in to great detail here, suffice to say it is an excellent read. Brilliantly researched and written in a highly readable 'voice'. I waited and waited for the next one to come along and getting ready to get stuck into that. Wonderful.
August 6, 2013
for all its intimidating length (for it is the first and shorter of two volumes) it is a joy to read and passes too quickly. wonderful detail is rendered brightly and Sugden's opinion and judgment is impeccable throughout. biography is rarely better than this.
November 10, 2008
Disappointed that it ended in 1797 and didn't continue until Nelson's death. Where is Volume Two, John?
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