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Nelson: Love and Fame
Legendary for his exploits in war and love, Admiral Horatio Nelson comes into clear view in this captivating new biography.
“This is a wonderful book, the best modern biography of Britain’s greatest admiral.”—John Keegan, Daily Telegraph
“A great biography and a poignant love story.”—Benjamin Schwarz, Atlantic Monthly
“A masterly biography, cool and sharp in long shots, intimately persuasive in close focus, at all times difficult to put down and as timely as it is suggestive in its implications.”—Hilary Spurling, New York Times Book Review
“A splendid biography, not only because it is well written and well researched, but also because it neither seeks to demean the hero nor excuse the man. Heroism becomes the more remarkable when it is shown by people who in other ways are very like ourselves.”—L. G. Mitchell, Times Literary Supplement
“Vincent has written a masterful biography of a military man that examines the nuts and bolts of leadership in an entertaining and compelling way. . . . If you only read one biography of Nelson among the hundreds available, it should be this one.”—Paul Carbray, The Gazette (Montreal, Quebec)
“This is a wonderful book, the best modern biography of Britain’s greatest admiral.”—John Keegan, Daily Telegraph
“A great biography and a poignant love story.”—Benjamin Schwarz, Atlantic Monthly
“A masterly biography, cool and sharp in long shots, intimately persuasive in close focus, at all times difficult to put down and as timely as it is suggestive in its implications.”—Hilary Spurling, New York Times Book Review
“A splendid biography, not only because it is well written and well researched, but also because it neither seeks to demean the hero nor excuse the man. Heroism becomes the more remarkable when it is shown by people who in other ways are very like ourselves.”—L. G. Mitchell, Times Literary Supplement
“Vincent has written a masterful biography of a military man that examines the nuts and bolts of leadership in an entertaining and compelling way. . . . If you only read one biography of Nelson among the hundreds available, it should be this one.”—Paul Carbray, The Gazette (Montreal, Quebec)
688 pages, Paperback
First published December 11, 1959
19 people are currently reading
165 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 7, 2011
'Nelson' is a five star six hundred page full broadside of a biography. The author Edgar Vincent is an ex Royal Navy officer, which shows in this labour of love. Throughout this book we are presented with a life times collection of Lord Nelson's private letters and official communiques. Even if these documents are available in a single repository, it must still be a herculean task to present them all in so clear and concise a narrative. Much of Horatio's private correspondence naturally has the flowery eighteenth century style and reads as though written by Jane Austen, but don't let that put you off. (Interestingly, Jane's brother Francis was one of Nelson's naval officers.)
However, this is much more than a collection of Lord Nelson's letters. Here is a splendidly researched and well written modern biography and psychological portrait. A book that could be enjoyed on many levels by various readers. A very interesting voyage into eighteenth century naval life, a view of eighteenth century European power struggles and a genuine love story. With a full supporting cast. Boris Pasternak couldn't write this!
However, this is much more than a collection of Lord Nelson's letters. Here is a splendidly researched and well written modern biography and psychological portrait. A book that could be enjoyed on many levels by various readers. A very interesting voyage into eighteenth century naval life, a view of eighteenth century European power struggles and a genuine love story. With a full supporting cast. Boris Pasternak couldn't write this!
April 21, 2009
A fascinating read about the legend in British history that Lord Nelson was, and continues to be. But, this book is much more than a mere recounting of his many sea battles. Edgar Vincent bores into the person that was Nelson and the drivers in his being that made him what he was and what he represented and the internal turblence of his ethos that included his loveless marriage vis-a-vis his life's love and the mother of his daughter.
A lengthy and absorbing read easy to become lost and immersed in this wonderfully written epic to Britian's loved Nelson.
A lengthy and absorbing read easy to become lost and immersed in this wonderfully written epic to Britian's loved Nelson.
April 22, 2009
Detailed biography based on Nelson's correspondence, gives a good picture of Nelson as a person, his relationships with superiors, subordinates, his common-law wife Emma Hamilton and her husband. This book is widely regarded as one of the best Nelson biographies, but I would have liked to see a bit more on strategy and tactics of the battles themselves - as it is, the sheer number of anguished letters home for love, money and fame can be a bit overwhelming, though it gives a good indication of all the myriad things a captain and admiral had to deal with.
Great biography, but a little discipline and tightening up here and there wouldn't hurt.
Great biography, but a little discipline and tightening up here and there wouldn't hurt.
February 11, 2018
I can't really say how much I enjoyed reading Vincent's Nelson: Love and Fame. It was one of the great reading experiences in my life.
AND YET...I have not rated it five stars. As biographers of great historical figures go, Vincent made some misteps (incredibly long paragraphs among other faults). The quotes from letters are often longer than necessary to make his point. The focus of the book is clear in the subtitle, and I would have preferred more focus on Nelson as a sailor and commander. So only four stars.
It also has some strong points. The author engages very little personal editorializing and modern moral judgement of Nelson, his close associates, and other contemporaries. It is generally very objective. It is highly readable which is always a plus.
I would have enjoyed Nelson: Love and Fame no matter what because the sailing warriors of the 18th and early 19th centuries (especially Nelson) fascinate me, but the reason this book has been so great for me has everything to do with the many quiet mornings spent reading it during a very turbulent time of my life. It allowed me to just breath deep and relax. Thanks, Edgar Vincent.
AND YET...I have not rated it five stars. As biographers of great historical figures go, Vincent made some misteps (incredibly long paragraphs among other faults). The quotes from letters are often longer than necessary to make his point. The focus of the book is clear in the subtitle, and I would have preferred more focus on Nelson as a sailor and commander. So only four stars.
It also has some strong points. The author engages very little personal editorializing and modern moral judgement of Nelson, his close associates, and other contemporaries. It is generally very objective. It is highly readable which is always a plus.
I would have enjoyed Nelson: Love and Fame no matter what because the sailing warriors of the 18th and early 19th centuries (especially Nelson) fascinate me, but the reason this book has been so great for me has everything to do with the many quiet mornings spent reading it during a very turbulent time of my life. It allowed me to just breath deep and relax. Thanks, Edgar Vincent.
February 28, 2019
An "in his own words" biograpy wich tell the story of Nelson through his personal letters, and the letters of others. A decent read if you are already familiar with story of Nelson.
August 23, 2020
Military history was excellent. Personal narrative details about his relationships a little too detailed.
April 21, 2018
An impressive amount fo research went into this, but the writing does not match the effort. Not badly written, its nonetheless a slog to get through. While his letters are a wonderful resource he overuses to the point of almost be a collection of his letters surrounded by annotation. Clearly academic, it probably did not aim for a general audience, but I've read many similar books that are much more readable. If Mr. Vincent has written more books I clearly won't be seeking them out.
June 25, 2023
Wonderful, well written book and in-depth research by the author.
December 11, 2014
A Review by Anthony T. Riggio of “Nelson Love and Fame” by Edgar Vincent, 12-11-14
This was a hefty book and I would have preferred reading it on my Kindle. When I searched for it on Amazon, the Kindle Edition was $10.63. I searched on for a used hardbound edition and found one described as “Good” from a on-line used book dealer for $3.00 plus shipping of $3.00 for a total of $6.00. Naturally I bought the use hard bound and when I received it, it was in pristine shape. Makes one wonder why the electronic book is so expensive.
In any event, I read this book on the recommendation of a friend who thought this book was the most wonderful biography he ever read. In high school I read the entire Captain then Admiral Horatio Hornblower series by Cecil Scott Forester and I recall somewhere that Hornblower was inspired by the feats of Horatio Nelson. I found several resemblances to the Forrester hero but after completely reading Nelson, I found that his life did not live-up to the fictional Hornblower. I concluded fictional heroes do not have the human frailties and hurdles of the real life person.
Nelson was a most interesting historical figure and had a life that many today would not envy. He went to sea at age 13 and obtained his education via life experiences and on the job learning. I suspect he had some tutoring, especially since his writings are so expressive and crafted to weave his way through a bureaucratic British Naval Service. Nelson evolved from a ship boy all the way to the Vice Admiral rank and also achieved his Commander and Chief responsibilities at the height of the Napoleonic Wars. His professional life as a Naval Officer was quite interesting and through the facilitation of admirers and mentors, he was able to weave his way up the hierarchy of the Admiralty and was both applauded and heralded for his successes. Because of his ego, however, he felt cheated of greater recognition.
Nelson was both egotistical and paradoxically generous with his limited earnings. He started out in life as one of five sons of a country parson and had no royal pedigree but ultimately received the title both Lord and Baron.
His love life was very complicated, marrying Fanny who had minimal connections to title and wealth for convenience and experience only. Fanny’s father was miserly in providing for a sufficient dowry for her marriage and because of Fanny’s timidity and basic inexperienced in the worls was not fulfilling for Nelsons needs. Fanny produced no children.
When Nelson met Emma the wife of Sir William Hamilton, he discovered what his yearning demanded. It was a most strange arrangement between Sir Hamilton and Lady Hamilton. But as time went by they both fell and became lovers. At the time, Sir William Hamilton “loved” Nelson because of his friendship and the vicarious benefits Hamilton received from Nelson’s exploits and recognitions.
Nelson was a brilliant tactician in Naval combat and was always on deck during the tumult of these horrendous naval engagements and it resulted in severe physical injuries to his body. In the final naval battle and the one he achieved the greatest recognition was at the battle of Trafalgar and the honors were given posthumously/
The book was written by an English biographer, to wit Edgar Vincent and the language structure was often difficult to read and the battle scenes were somewhat confusing for the uninitiated. I gave this work four stars ass it was enjoyable but I did not fall madly in love with the work.
This was a hefty book and I would have preferred reading it on my Kindle. When I searched for it on Amazon, the Kindle Edition was $10.63. I searched on for a used hardbound edition and found one described as “Good” from a on-line used book dealer for $3.00 plus shipping of $3.00 for a total of $6.00. Naturally I bought the use hard bound and when I received it, it was in pristine shape. Makes one wonder why the electronic book is so expensive.
In any event, I read this book on the recommendation of a friend who thought this book was the most wonderful biography he ever read. In high school I read the entire Captain then Admiral Horatio Hornblower series by Cecil Scott Forester and I recall somewhere that Hornblower was inspired by the feats of Horatio Nelson. I found several resemblances to the Forrester hero but after completely reading Nelson, I found that his life did not live-up to the fictional Hornblower. I concluded fictional heroes do not have the human frailties and hurdles of the real life person.
Nelson was a most interesting historical figure and had a life that many today would not envy. He went to sea at age 13 and obtained his education via life experiences and on the job learning. I suspect he had some tutoring, especially since his writings are so expressive and crafted to weave his way through a bureaucratic British Naval Service. Nelson evolved from a ship boy all the way to the Vice Admiral rank and also achieved his Commander and Chief responsibilities at the height of the Napoleonic Wars. His professional life as a Naval Officer was quite interesting and through the facilitation of admirers and mentors, he was able to weave his way up the hierarchy of the Admiralty and was both applauded and heralded for his successes. Because of his ego, however, he felt cheated of greater recognition.
Nelson was both egotistical and paradoxically generous with his limited earnings. He started out in life as one of five sons of a country parson and had no royal pedigree but ultimately received the title both Lord and Baron.
His love life was very complicated, marrying Fanny who had minimal connections to title and wealth for convenience and experience only. Fanny’s father was miserly in providing for a sufficient dowry for her marriage and because of Fanny’s timidity and basic inexperienced in the worls was not fulfilling for Nelsons needs. Fanny produced no children.
When Nelson met Emma the wife of Sir William Hamilton, he discovered what his yearning demanded. It was a most strange arrangement between Sir Hamilton and Lady Hamilton. But as time went by they both fell and became lovers. At the time, Sir William Hamilton “loved” Nelson because of his friendship and the vicarious benefits Hamilton received from Nelson’s exploits and recognitions.
Nelson was a brilliant tactician in Naval combat and was always on deck during the tumult of these horrendous naval engagements and it resulted in severe physical injuries to his body. In the final naval battle and the one he achieved the greatest recognition was at the battle of Trafalgar and the honors were given posthumously/
The book was written by an English biographer, to wit Edgar Vincent and the language structure was often difficult to read and the battle scenes were somewhat confusing for the uninitiated. I gave this work four stars ass it was enjoyable but I did not fall madly in love with the work.
November 10, 2025
Fantastic portrait of one of my favorite historical characters. Nelson is remembered as a legendary figure because of his dramatic and heroic exploits, most notably at the battles of Cape St Vincent, the Nile, and Trafalgar, but this book also takes a really in-depth look at the person he was in both his professional and personal lives. It includes tons of quotations from decades of Nelson’s personal letters, which more than anything shows the vast amount of the research that went into this book. At times I thought it may have been better to paraphrase some of the longer/denser quotations because it would have allowed for longer, uninterrupted sections of Vincent’s writing which I thought was great. I also really enjoyed knowing that this was a passion project for the author, a lifelong Nelson enthusiast. “England expects every man will do his duty.” 4.5/5
January 20, 2015
It's a good biography about the man, how he formed a team, and how he was a great leader. But this is not a book about naval history...so I was a little disappointed. On the other hand, the book is well-written.
November 21, 2012
See Espen's review me feelings exactly.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews