Nelson - the New Letters

One of the most acclaimed Nelson books of recent years, this collection presents over 500 letters which record his life and exploits in his own words. Nelson was a letter writer of great flair and somehow, between his naval service and recovering from various illnesses and wounds and, of course, despite his famously tangled love-life, he managed to write an extraordinary numberof them, on all subjects and addressed to all manner of recipients. This widely-praised volume collects together over 500 of those letters, dating from 1777 to just days before the Battle of Trafalgar that would seal both his fateand his fame. They range from detailed battle orders to passionate love letters, from the business of securing - or giving - patronage to diplomatic reports for kings, queens, politicians and dignitaries. All aspects of Nelson's life are covered here, particularly his seldom-glimpsed family life, so that the reader cannot fail to see him in a new light. Nor can any reader fail to marvel at the combination of traits that made the man great: his brilliant leadership and organisation, his daring and ruthless military mind and, not least, his very real compassion, even for his enemies. Dr COLIN WHITE was Director of the Royal Naval Museum in Portsmouth, UK. One of Britain's leading naval historians, he was recognised worldwide as an authority on Nelson. In 2005, he was the mastermind behind the hugely successful 'Trafalgar Festival', for which he was awarded the Longman-History Today Trustees Prize. Published in association with the National Maritime Museum and the Royal Naval Museum.

About the Author :
Colin White is Director of Trafalgar 200 at the National Maritime Museum and Deputy Director at the Royal Naval Museum

Review :
Colin White...successfully reminds us why the memory of Nelson and his achievements has endured. In Nelson - The New Letters Colin White has brought to life a treasure-trove of 1,200 letters, creating a virtual Nelson autobiography. Striking....revealing....gives a sharp insight....[the] letters give a distinct sense of how Nelson was able to inspire so high a degree of loyalty and devotion.....this is a work very much for scholars. In Trafalgar's bicentennial year, there have been several Nelson biographies, but no book about this authentic English hero could surpass the fascination of Nelson's own words...faithfully edited by one of our pre-eminent naval scholars, this compulsive volume paints a picture of the man in all his astonishing complexity. They are coruscatingly vivid letters, alive with bright expressiveness. [...] On important matters, he writes with gripping verve; the letters giving accounts of engagements, especially those to the Duke of Clarence, are extraordinarily exciting. [...] This is an important addition which the general reader shouldn't overlook. Adds a new dimension. [...] This is the closest we will ever get to reading Horatio Nelson's autobiography. There is much fresh evidence here to illustrate Nelson's virtuosity as a leader. Impressively wide-ranging.... A Nelson fan's delight and a welcome addition. In so far as Admiral Nelson has a representative on earth it is Colin White. [...] [An] important addition to the printed Nelson sources [by] perhaps the best-known 'Nelsonian' of our day. Standing far above the bicentenary fanfare...White has significantly added to our understanding of Nelson's tempestuous personality. Nelson's character and conduct, his tactical ideas and strategic insight emerge from his correspondence, in essence in the form of autobiography.....White has served his subject well. By any standards, Nelson The New Letters is a distinguished scholarly achievement....Colin [White] has done real service, including printing riches which are still not in the public domain...[he] is a judicious and widely-read editor and he presents his chosen letters with explanation and caution.