The Trafalgar Captains

Book excerpt: A biographical survey of all the admirals, captains and commanding officers who served with Nelson at the battle of Trafalgar, together with details of the graves and monuments erected to their memory. Nelson's immortal fame has almost completely overshadowed the memory of those who served with him, and with the exception of a few famous names such as Collingwood and Hardy, most of the other commanding officers at Trafalgar are now completely unknown. The bicentenary of the battle, in 2005, offers a unique opportunity to rescue these men from obscurity and celebrate their achievements. The book opens with a chapter on the concept of the Band of Brothers, and looks at how many of the Trafalgar captains had actually served with Nelson before (in fact, very few of them) and highlights some of the main new insights that have emerged as a result of recent research. It then gives brief biographies of each of the thirty-eight officers. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the work is the part given over to descriptions of the graves and monuments, with transcriptions of their epitaphs, based on a survey by members of the 1805 Club; and each description will be accompanied by clear directions to enable readers to find and visit them, and specially-commissioned black and white photographs. Part travel book, part biography and a moving testimony to Nelson's faithful captains, this work will appeal to all Nelson enthusiasts and historians as well as to a wider readership inspired by the bicentennial celebrations in 2005.