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Brilliant Brits
Nelson
Nelson
His coat was covered in medals for his victories. He lost an arm and the sight in one eye' He was England's greatest hero, who knew no fear. When he died, his body was pickled in a barrel of brandy.
Richard Brassey's 'Brilliant Brits' series covers famous English personalities, combining colourful drawings, lively captions, and interesting trivia to create a fascinating glimpse into the life of each figure covered.
His coat was covered in medals for his victories. He lost an arm and the sight in one eye' He was England's greatest hero, who knew no fear. When he died, his body was pickled in a barrel of brandy.
Richard Brassey's 'Brilliant Brits' series covers famous English personalities, combining colourful drawings, lively captions, and interesting trivia to create a fascinating glimpse into the life of each figure covered.
24 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
October 26, 2016
In the 'Brilliant Brits' series, Richard Brassey presents lively and often amusing captions, colourful, and again often amusing, drawings plus interesting bits of trivia to create a fascinating glimpse into the life of Admiral Lord Nelson.
Horatio was born in Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk, in 1758 and was one of 11 children, of which only five, three boys and two girls, survived. His village was only two miles from the sea and his uncle was a captain in the Royal Navy so it was no surprise that he decided on a life on the ocean waves. And he began young, 12 years old, when his uncle arranged for him to become a midshipman; on his first ship he went to the Caribbean but on his second, the 'Carcass' he sailed towards the North Pole in an attempt to find a way to the Pacific Ocean. On that voyage he very nearly lost his life for he sneaked off the ship to hunt a polar bear and was lucky that the ice cracking between himself and the bear saved him from being mauled to death.
Later on a voyage to India he caught malaria and then, having been made a captain at the young age of 21, he caught a severe fever and nearly died when on an expedition to capture a Spanish castle on the Mosquito Coast of Nicaragua. He survived and once again visited the Caribbean where, while waiting to call on the President of the island of Nevis, he fell in love with the President's niece, Fanny. They married and returned to Burnham Thorpe.
It was five years before he went to sea again when he visited Naples and stayed with the British ambassador, Sir William Hamilton and his wife, Emma. While out there he had an eventful time; he lost his eye at Corsica, captured two Spanish ships at the Battle of St Vincent, for which deed he was knighted, and led an attack on Tenerife where he was wounded and had to have his right arm sawn off - without anaesthetic!
He later defeated the French at the Battle of the Nile, helped the Hamilton's to win back Naples but at the same time he and Emma formed a liaison, even though she was still married to Sir William. Having returned to England, with the Hamiltons, when Napoleon invaded Italy once more, he met King George III but the Queen refused to see him because of his affair with Emma Hamilton.
Then came victory at the Battle of Copenhagen and at home he and Emma had a little girl, who they named Horatia. Now an Admiral and a Lord he once again went to sea, this time in HMS Victory to take on the French and, after signalling that he expected every man to do their duty, he was shot and killed as the English went on to win a famous victory.
His body was placed in a large cask of brandy to preserve it as the badly damaged HMS Victory was towed home. After lying in state at Greenwich, he was eventually buried at St Paul's Cathedral, this at his own earlier request as he believed that Westminster Abbey was built on mud and would one day sink!
This highly entertaining little book has a surprising amount of information for such a slim volume and is certainly a book that will invite the younger reader to discover more about our seafaring hero.
Horatio was born in Burnham Thorpe, Norfolk, in 1758 and was one of 11 children, of which only five, three boys and two girls, survived. His village was only two miles from the sea and his uncle was a captain in the Royal Navy so it was no surprise that he decided on a life on the ocean waves. And he began young, 12 years old, when his uncle arranged for him to become a midshipman; on his first ship he went to the Caribbean but on his second, the 'Carcass' he sailed towards the North Pole in an attempt to find a way to the Pacific Ocean. On that voyage he very nearly lost his life for he sneaked off the ship to hunt a polar bear and was lucky that the ice cracking between himself and the bear saved him from being mauled to death.
Later on a voyage to India he caught malaria and then, having been made a captain at the young age of 21, he caught a severe fever and nearly died when on an expedition to capture a Spanish castle on the Mosquito Coast of Nicaragua. He survived and once again visited the Caribbean where, while waiting to call on the President of the island of Nevis, he fell in love with the President's niece, Fanny. They married and returned to Burnham Thorpe.
It was five years before he went to sea again when he visited Naples and stayed with the British ambassador, Sir William Hamilton and his wife, Emma. While out there he had an eventful time; he lost his eye at Corsica, captured two Spanish ships at the Battle of St Vincent, for which deed he was knighted, and led an attack on Tenerife where he was wounded and had to have his right arm sawn off - without anaesthetic!
He later defeated the French at the Battle of the Nile, helped the Hamilton's to win back Naples but at the same time he and Emma formed a liaison, even though she was still married to Sir William. Having returned to England, with the Hamiltons, when Napoleon invaded Italy once more, he met King George III but the Queen refused to see him because of his affair with Emma Hamilton.
Then came victory at the Battle of Copenhagen and at home he and Emma had a little girl, who they named Horatia. Now an Admiral and a Lord he once again went to sea, this time in HMS Victory to take on the French and, after signalling that he expected every man to do their duty, he was shot and killed as the English went on to win a famous victory.
His body was placed in a large cask of brandy to preserve it as the badly damaged HMS Victory was towed home. After lying in state at Greenwich, he was eventually buried at St Paul's Cathedral, this at his own earlier request as he believed that Westminster Abbey was built on mud and would one day sink!
This highly entertaining little book has a surprising amount of information for such a slim volume and is certainly a book that will invite the younger reader to discover more about our seafaring hero.
Displaying 1 of 1 review