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Life in Nelson's Navy
Life in Nelson's Navy
288 pages, Paperback
First published December 12, 1981
4 people are currently reading
88 people want to read
About the author
Dudley Pope
130 books93 followersDudley Pope was born in Ashford, Kent.
By concealing his age, Pope joined the Home Guard aged 14 and at age 16 joined the Merchant Navy as a cadet. His ship was torpedoed the next year (1942). Afterwards, he spent two weeks in a lifeboat with the few other survivors.
After he was invalided out of the Merchant Navy, the only obvious sign of the injuries Pope had suffered was a joint missing from one finger due to gangrene. Pope then went to work for a Kentish newspaper, then in 1944 moved to The Evening News in London, where he was the naval and defence correspondent. From there he turned to reading and writing naval history.
Pope's first book, "Flag 4", was published in 1954, followed by several other historical accounts. C. S. Forester, the creator of the famed Horatio Hornblower novels, encouraged Pope to add fiction to his repertoire. In 1965, "Ramage" appeared, the first of what was to become an 18-novel series.
Pope took to living on boats from 1953 on; when he married Kay Pope in 1954, they lived on a William Fife 8-meter named Concerto, then at Porto Santo Stefano, Italy in 1959 with a 42-foot ketch Tokay. In 1963 he and Kay moved to a 53-foot cutter Golden Dragon, on which they moved to Barbados in 1965. In 1968 they moved onto a 54-foot wooden yacht named Ramage, aboard which he wrote all of his stories until 1985.
Pope died April 25, 1997 in Marigot, St. Martin. Both his wife and his daughter, Jane Victoria survived him.
By concealing his age, Pope joined the Home Guard aged 14 and at age 16 joined the Merchant Navy as a cadet. His ship was torpedoed the next year (1942). Afterwards, he spent two weeks in a lifeboat with the few other survivors.
After he was invalided out of the Merchant Navy, the only obvious sign of the injuries Pope had suffered was a joint missing from one finger due to gangrene. Pope then went to work for a Kentish newspaper, then in 1944 moved to The Evening News in London, where he was the naval and defence correspondent. From there he turned to reading and writing naval history.
Pope's first book, "Flag 4", was published in 1954, followed by several other historical accounts. C. S. Forester, the creator of the famed Horatio Hornblower novels, encouraged Pope to add fiction to his repertoire. In 1965, "Ramage" appeared, the first of what was to become an 18-novel series.
Pope took to living on boats from 1953 on; when he married Kay Pope in 1954, they lived on a William Fife 8-meter named Concerto, then at Porto Santo Stefano, Italy in 1959 with a 42-foot ketch Tokay. In 1963 he and Kay moved to a 53-foot cutter Golden Dragon, on which they moved to Barbados in 1965. In 1968 they moved onto a 54-foot wooden yacht named Ramage, aboard which he wrote all of his stories until 1985.
Pope died April 25, 1997 in Marigot, St. Martin. Both his wife and his daughter, Jane Victoria survived him.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
March 17, 2022
The best companion to reading Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey-Maturin books. Fascinating history.
June 29, 2017
An older book (from the 80s), but still an interesting read. Takes all the "Hollywood stereotypes" out of what life was like in the Royal Navy in the time of Trafalgar (early 1800s). In short, yes, it was a tough life, but a) it was better than the Army and b) for the times, it wasn't so bad.
Things I learned:
1. The Royal Navy *never* keelhauled anyone. Flogging, yes, but no keelhauling.
2. Got the British perspective on American being absconded by press gangs. Yes, he points out, it was illegal (and a major cause of the War of 1812). Americans living near ports/at sea could go to a notary to get a paper with their name, height, and stating they were born in the US. But from the British point of view, this was a pretty worthless piece of paper. Joe Smith could go to as many notaries as he wanted (and lie about his birth if he felt like it), get extra statements, then sell them. At least the "exemption from pressing" certificates the British issued had detailed descriptions of the man in question.
3. The cutaway drawing of the HMS Victory was very interesting and showed how very little space these men had to themselves while on board.
The narrative got a little too detailed in spots (and occasionally got a little technical with the nautical terms), so I just skipped over those places.
Things I learned:
1. The Royal Navy *never* keelhauled anyone. Flogging, yes, but no keelhauling.
2. Got the British perspective on American being absconded by press gangs. Yes, he points out, it was illegal (and a major cause of the War of 1812). Americans living near ports/at sea could go to a notary to get a paper with their name, height, and stating they were born in the US. But from the British point of view, this was a pretty worthless piece of paper. Joe Smith could go to as many notaries as he wanted (and lie about his birth if he felt like it), get extra statements, then sell them. At least the "exemption from pressing" certificates the British issued had detailed descriptions of the man in question.
3. The cutaway drawing of the HMS Victory was very interesting and showed how very little space these men had to themselves while on board.
The narrative got a little too detailed in spots (and occasionally got a little technical with the nautical terms), so I just skipped over those places.
September 24, 2024
This is a very dense text, sometimes reading like an academic treatise. However, for anybody interested in the British navy at the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th, it makes fascinating reading. It could have been longer, with more on the influence which played such a large part in the promotion of naval officers, but perhaps that might come in a factual book from another naval historian. Let’s hope so.
July 5, 2021
Reads like an annual report. All Data and no action.
Had hoped to learn about Nelson and his seamanship and ability to win naval battles. Not a word.
If you like this level of excitement, may I recommend reading the most recent United States Census.
Had hoped to learn about Nelson and his seamanship and ability to win naval battles. Not a word.
If you like this level of excitement, may I recommend reading the most recent United States Census.
April 3, 2024
An entertaining, detailed description of life in the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic wars. Colorful bits from a wide variety of seamen's accounts and an excellent bibliography to lure the reader to further treasures.
July 18, 2019
4.5 stars
June 15, 2021
A bit of a hard slog, but filled with some excellent facts. The passion of the author is clear throughout.
August 1, 2015
This is a hard book to rate with a star system, because it's very good in a lot of ways, not so great in others.
The very good, then: Pope obviously has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the Georgian Royal Navy and its workings, and provides a very competent overview, from the Board of Admiralty itself, through the position and duties of the officers, to the daily routine aboard ship. He provides some really good number-crunching as well, lots of facts and figures, extensively drawn straight from the primary sources, and some of those figures are very interesting, especially the examination of pursers' expenses and dodges, and the sheer scale of corruption uncovered by St Vincent's inquiry against Dundas. There's a lot of good, valuable information to be mined here.
But although this book is good on cold hard facts and the organisation of the navy, it doesn't really get under the skin of the men and women who lived and worked and fought in the naval ships. So a casual reader, looking for a quick Nelson's navy fix, might find it a bit on the dry side. And although Pope provides an extensive bibliography of primary and secondary sources, he doesn't provide line references, which makes it a bit frustrating as a research book.
All told, though, this is still a good addition to any Age of Sail fanatic's collection.
The very good, then: Pope obviously has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the Georgian Royal Navy and its workings, and provides a very competent overview, from the Board of Admiralty itself, through the position and duties of the officers, to the daily routine aboard ship. He provides some really good number-crunching as well, lots of facts and figures, extensively drawn straight from the primary sources, and some of those figures are very interesting, especially the examination of pursers' expenses and dodges, and the sheer scale of corruption uncovered by St Vincent's inquiry against Dundas. There's a lot of good, valuable information to be mined here.
But although this book is good on cold hard facts and the organisation of the navy, it doesn't really get under the skin of the men and women who lived and worked and fought in the naval ships. So a casual reader, looking for a quick Nelson's navy fix, might find it a bit on the dry side. And although Pope provides an extensive bibliography of primary and secondary sources, he doesn't provide line references, which makes it a bit frustrating as a research book.
All told, though, this is still a good addition to any Age of Sail fanatic's collection.
February 7, 2011
Excellent insight into naval life in the late 17 and early 1800's. Mr Pope is English so occasionally syntax, humor and calculations (in English currency) may be cause for pause, and re-reading to get the drift.
Most naval history books covering the period concern themselves primarily with battles, commanders, tactics and strategy, this book delves into the more constant battles which the everyday seaman had to deal with in regards to politics, corruption, discipline, daily routine, meals and medical science (such as it was).
Nowadays, we think our lives, society and governments complicated. Reading this book, I came away with an appreciation of the old saying that "Nothing is new under the sun". Running the most powerful navy in the world at the time covered by this book, was just as complicated, political and filled with human drama as are the stories we read of everyday in our current newspapers. In the end, it is the everyday people who make the difference. Britain's navy owed it's superiority to the creativity, initiative and hard work exhibited by the men who manned her ships.
A good read with a good list of additional sources of information in regards to the subject matter.
Most naval history books covering the period concern themselves primarily with battles, commanders, tactics and strategy, this book delves into the more constant battles which the everyday seaman had to deal with in regards to politics, corruption, discipline, daily routine, meals and medical science (such as it was).
Nowadays, we think our lives, society and governments complicated. Reading this book, I came away with an appreciation of the old saying that "Nothing is new under the sun". Running the most powerful navy in the world at the time covered by this book, was just as complicated, political and filled with human drama as are the stories we read of everyday in our current newspapers. In the end, it is the everyday people who make the difference. Britain's navy owed it's superiority to the creativity, initiative and hard work exhibited by the men who manned her ships.
A good read with a good list of additional sources of information in regards to the subject matter.
May 28, 2025
This book delivers what its title promises: a solid survey of conditions in the British navy in the last decade of the 18th century and the first few years of the 19th. I particularly enjoyed the parts that focused on the daily life aboard ships in the age of sail. Those who’ve read author Dudley Pope’s better-known work, The Black Ship, will recognize several passages. Further, every once in awhile Pope seems to get distracted by tangents on odd and often comparatively uninteresting topics ranging from signal flags to the author’s biased view of impressment of American seamen to the politics of the fight against corruption in the Navy Board. That aside (or not aside, if one happens to have an interest in such topics), those seeking a readable account of this era in naval history could do a lot worse.
March 6, 2013
Originally I picked up this book after getting deep into the Patrick O'Brian "Aubrey/Maturin" series. Having always been fascinated with this period in history, and wanting to develop a better picture in my mind of the time period O'Brian was writing about, I sought a more factual account of life both on and off the ships in the Royal Navy. "Life in Nelson's Navy" does an excellent job of painting a detailed picture of naval life in the 18th and 19th centuries and the conditions under which these men sailed and fought, lived and died, and everything in-between. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a historical account of life in the Royal Navy and on any nation's ships of the line for this period in history.
December 21, 2012
Excellent view of life in the old Royal Navy of sailing days.....
May 12, 2016
excellent
May 4, 2020
A good read.
April 5, 2017
You’ll get more than a whiff of sea air in this richly detailed telling of what life was really like in the “Wooden Walls” of England.
How about inhaling the funk of several hundred men and – yes - women, unwashed for months, living alongside livestock, and crammed into extremely confined quarters.
Fourteen inches were width allocations for hammocks. Floor to ceiling deck heights for hands could be as little as 4ft 10in.
As for toilet arrangements, these were, thankfully, neglected areas in Hollywood’s tales of swashbuckling heroes on the high seas.
Not so for Pope who explains how ‘heads’ in the bows were over-the-side, exposed-to-the-elements affairs. In heavy swells and chilly seas it was constipation that kept the surgeon busy.
The detail is both encyclopedic and entertaining but it’s the context that makes this such an enlightening read.
We’ve all read or seen stories about the floggings, the weevils, the press gangs and the brutality of life at sea; while they are largely true they neglect the context of the times and have to be seen as part of a bigger picture.
Only a small proportion of men were conscripted into the navy: for London the quota was 5,700 out of a population of 750,000. Pope sets that against WWII conscription rates in which every able-bodied man was called up unless they could prove their civilian job was essential war work.
Life was violent and harsh at sea, but life was harsh and violent on land too. This was a time when there was no police system and only a small standing army was retained lest it threatened overthrow of government.
Corruption and nepotism was evident in all areas of the navy - just as it was throughout the country – and disease was rife too.
It’s in the area of plague and pestilence that soldiers and sailors really suffered, especially those dispatched to the tropics where typhus, yellow fever, and fevers and agues took a heavy toll.
In the 20-plus years of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars the navy lost 1,875 men in a series of battles compared with more than 72,000 who succumbed to disease or died in accidents on board.
I still like reading yarns and seeing movies about the days of sail, but it’s also good to have a grasp of the grim and not-so-glamorous reality too.
How about inhaling the funk of several hundred men and – yes - women, unwashed for months, living alongside livestock, and crammed into extremely confined quarters.
Fourteen inches were width allocations for hammocks. Floor to ceiling deck heights for hands could be as little as 4ft 10in.
As for toilet arrangements, these were, thankfully, neglected areas in Hollywood’s tales of swashbuckling heroes on the high seas.
Not so for Pope who explains how ‘heads’ in the bows were over-the-side, exposed-to-the-elements affairs. In heavy swells and chilly seas it was constipation that kept the surgeon busy.
The detail is both encyclopedic and entertaining but it’s the context that makes this such an enlightening read.
We’ve all read or seen stories about the floggings, the weevils, the press gangs and the brutality of life at sea; while they are largely true they neglect the context of the times and have to be seen as part of a bigger picture.
Only a small proportion of men were conscripted into the navy: for London the quota was 5,700 out of a population of 750,000. Pope sets that against WWII conscription rates in which every able-bodied man was called up unless they could prove their civilian job was essential war work.
Life was violent and harsh at sea, but life was harsh and violent on land too. This was a time when there was no police system and only a small standing army was retained lest it threatened overthrow of government.
Corruption and nepotism was evident in all areas of the navy - just as it was throughout the country – and disease was rife too.
It’s in the area of plague and pestilence that soldiers and sailors really suffered, especially those dispatched to the tropics where typhus, yellow fever, and fevers and agues took a heavy toll.
In the 20-plus years of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars the navy lost 1,875 men in a series of battles compared with more than 72,000 who succumbed to disease or died in accidents on board.
I still like reading yarns and seeing movies about the days of sail, but it’s also good to have a grasp of the grim and not-so-glamorous reality too.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews