Every Man Will Do His Duty: An Anthology of Firsthand Accounts from the Age of Nelson 1793–1815

by Dean King, John B. Hattendorf

Twenty-two enthralling stories of the Royal Navy, bringing to vivid life the greatest battles and daily struggles of seafaring in the Napoleonic era

 

At the dawn of the nineteenth century, the British Navy was the mightiest instrument of war the world had ever known. The Royal Navy patrolled the seas from India to the Caribbean, connecting an empire with footholds in every corner of the earth. Such a massive Navy required the service of more than 100,000 men—from officers to deckhands to surgeons. These are their stories.

 

The inspiration for the bestselling novels by Patrick O’Brian and C. S. Forester, these memoirs and diaries, edited by Dean King, provide a true portrait of life aboard British warships during one of the most significant eras of world history. Their tellers are officers and ordinary sailors, and their subjects range from barroom brawls to the legendary heroics of Lord Horatio Nelson himself. Though these “iron men on wooden ships” are long gone, their deeds echo through the centuries.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Nautical, Naval History, Military Fiction, War, Biography

480 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 31, 1997

About the author

I like to read, wander cross-country, travel in cultures I don't understand, cycle, play squash, and I'm a foodie. But most of all I like to be in the throes of writing a book. This is invigorating work. The moment when the hard-won research combines with a bit of sweat and blood and occasionally a tear to become a fluid paragraph is like no other. What I hope to achieve is to suspend time and disbelief for the reader and carry her or him into another world, where they live more fully and in the moment.

Reviews

[Anna Wiley · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting and informative read. The excerpts were varied and well-chosen for the most part, though not all of the writers could boast equal skill with the pen as perhaps they could with a sextant. I found some of the passages difficult to get through, particularly the Nagle excerpts, as the editors were not permitted to standardize his spelling or grammar at all; the authenticity was interesting, at least. There were chapters that I found very engaging, though, and there are parts of this that I would certainly return to for research, if not entirely for pleasure.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

First person history during the age of sail. You learn a lot via the details.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book's description is of "Twenty-two enthralling stories of the Royal Navy, bringing to vivid life the greatest battles and daily struggles of seafaring in the Napoleonic era." Unfortunately, this anthology did not captivate me in the same way as Tin Can Soldiers - or at all.

Many of the anecdotes are presented in their original form; the men who wrote them were sailors, not writers. And in any age when every man was free to render his words with whatever spelling he liked, no less. It was enough to drive this modern reader to distraction. Even those which were clearly written lacked the pizzazz and passion of Hornfisher's stories (a high bar, I know), and it often felt like, "and then this happened and then this happened and then that happened." Ultimately, I gave up about half-way through.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

This compilation of twenty-two first hand accounts of naval operations during the height of British power (The Age of Nelson) brings together astonishing stories of the life and times of men at sea.

I recommend this compilation to anyone who loves naval historical fiction or the Napoleanic age in general.

[Darlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's nothing like first hand accounts of history to give you a feel for what people experienced. This book brings to life the journals of sailors, officers and others during the Napoleonic Wars. Excellent resource, and highly entertaining as well.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

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[Vasha7 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting, well-chosen collection of original accounts of naval life in the early 19th century.

[Dr E C MacMullin · Rating 4 out of 5]

intriguing