Trafalgar: James Grant, HMS Norseman, 1799-1806

My Story: Boys

by Bryan Perrett

The yards came round, spilling the wind from the sails, and Norse man slowed to a standstill just out of range of the enemy's guns wallowing a little in the swell. More and more of the ships in Lord Nelson's column were coming up in turn to add the weight of their gunfire to the fray. Beyond, I could see the ships of Admiral Collingwood's column similarly engaged. It was a tremendous spectacle that almost made me forget the task I had been given. I looked towards the front of the enemy line and, sure enough, five of their ships were turning slowly and heading back towards the fighting...

Genres: Middle Grade, Historical, Historical Fiction, Diary

160 pages, Paperback

First published April 19, 2002

About the author

Bryan Perrett was born in 1934 and educated at Liverpool College. He served in the Royal Armoured Corps, the 17th/21st Lancers, Westminster Dragoons, and the Royal Tank Regiment, and was awarded the Territorial Decoration.A professional military historian for many years, his books include "A History of the Blitzkrieg" and "Knights of the Black Cross - Hitler's Panzerwaffe and its Leaders". His treatise Desert Warfare was widely consulted during the Gulf War. His most recent works, including "Last Stand, At All Costs" and "Against all Odds" examine aspects of motivation. During the Falklands and Gulf Wars Bryan Perrett served as Defense Correspondent to the Liverpool Echo. His books are widely read on both sides of the Atlantic and have been translated into several languages.

Reviews

[August · Rating 2 out of 5]

Much as I enjoy anything naval, this one just did not hold my interest. The main character was flat and seemed to have no personality whatsoever. While it was very informative, it felt much more like a nonfiction description of events surrounding the Napoleonic Wars than a novel based around a fictional character.

[Meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story focuses more on the Caribbean and Haitian Revolution than it does on Admiral Nelson and Europe, but the historical note is the opposite. There is a lot of nautical jargon but if you really care to, you can refer to the glossary.

[Molly]

This entire series is a wonderful way to learn history or teach it to adolescents. I find today's generations seem to recall more when they learn through other people (pop songs, celebrity gossip, etc.), so what better way to teach history than through someone else's perspective? Yes, "authentic" diaries would be "better", but would the language really hold the modern student's attention? Did the diary writer know what WOULD be important in the context of history? Probably not.