History fans

V

vic008

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 Aug 2007
Messages
507
Location
CHCH. NZ
Visit site
Looking at"The Destruction of L'Orient at the Battle of the Nile" by G. Arnald. Now this painting shows lots of seamen in rowing boats. Presumably their ships have gone down. Was the fight over for them or would they look for enemy row boats and carry on fighting with them? Perhaps they are shipwreck survivors and so are sacrosant.?
 
It was normal to tow the boats during battle, partly so they didn't get damaged in ship to ship fire, also to clear the decks and one less source of splinters flying around.

I'd imagine if the coast was held by friendly forces, make for that - if not, make for another ship on one's side.

For a FANTASTIC read on the Battle of The Nile and a great deal else, try

' Nelson - The Sword of Albion ' by John Sugden

This large book has more detailed research than anyhting I've ever seen, it took ten years to write - detail right down to Nelsons' private letters, daily orders, stores orders, domestic life, just a fabulous book - if you only buy one book on the period - and the man - get this one !
 
Seajet said:
It was normal to tow the boats during battle, partly so they didn't get damaged in ship to ship fire, also to clear the decks and one less source of splinters flying around.

I'd imagine if the coast was held by friendly forces, make for that - if not, make for another ship on one's side.

For a FANTASTIC read on the Battle of The Nile and a great deal else, try

' Nelson - The Sword of Albion ' by John Sugden

This large book has more detailed research than anyhting I've ever seen, it took ten years to write - detail right down to Nelsons' private letters, daily orders, stores orders, domestic life, just a fabulous book - if you only buy one book on the period - and the man - get this one !
Click to expand...

Thank you. Holiday reading collection started.
 
Tzu,

my description can't do it justice, as I like biographies I picked this up in the library - after a few pages I thought ' I've just got to buy a copy of this '.

As well as all the detail it's very readable and covers the relationship with Emma Hamilton in detail, his wife Fanny was an admirable person but the love between Nelson and Emma was white-hot; as her husband - who condoned the affair, not that he had much choice - was Governer of Naples and Napoleon's army was a serious threat, Nelson almost disobeyed orders when in command of the Mediterranean Fleet and always made sure Naples was protected.

The book covers his family, the troubles he had and went to with his property in Norfolk and Italy, a lot of other battles like Copenhagen and leads up to Trafalgar.

Before I read this I just thought ' a good tactical Admiral who did well ', now I think he was even more ' the right man in the right place at the right time ' than Churchill; he had his faults, but is now a top hero of mine.
 
Thanks for that. But would Nelson or Vernon row to shore if there were still some French or Spaniards bobbing about? Maybe the rules said you were out of the fight if you lost your ship. Would they rescue or kill any enemy they could?
Im picturing Nelson in your rowboat still wanting to attack the enemy? ( personally I would head for the beach)
 
The impression I got was he wan't a killer, he just wanted to deny the French - ie Napoleon -any chance of attacking or overtaking more territory, especially England; I suspect if he was in an open boat and saw a French one, he'd capture it then work up to retaking a ship of the line !

But the chances of his losing a ship and ending up in a boat seem non-existent, just his name was enough to demoralise an enemy.
 
Last edited:
my impression is that once the fighting unit, the ship, was nullified the men from her would be afforded respect and care as POW. Officers would be brought here and possibly traded.
Spry from Percuil brought such an officer home with him, where he stayed until an exchange was organised. Unfortunately the English half of the exchange died (I think, something prevented the completion) and the Frenchman returned himself to England under the rules pertaining at the time.
 
I sometimes wonder who 'earned' the most hype written about him; was it Nelson or was it Churchill? Both were extremely fortunate and being in the right place at the right time, despite their blunders. It's a close call.
It is well known that it is the victors who write the 'history' and what they write is aimed at their potential readers.
 
PuffTheMagicDragon said:
I sometimes wonder who 'earned' the most hype written about him; was it Nelson or was it Churchill? Both were extremely fortunate and being in the right place at the right time, despite their blunders. It's a close call.
It is well known that it is the victors who write the 'history' and what they write is aimed at their potential readers.
Click to expand...

Churchill's was a MUCH more complex situation, but he did make some blunders; still a true hero.

Nelson was I think the more gifted at his relatively simple - but not that simple - job, he was a genius at what he did; I would never have thought that before I read Sugden's book which must be the definitive work on the subject, beware it is a BIG - and last I heard quite expensive - book.
 
Unlike Churchill, Nelson did not write his own version of history. Churchill wrote many historical books, covering many periods - including the 20th century, and his own time of ascendance. Of course he didn't show himself in a bad light, though later historians have show that many of his decisions were flawed, either morally or practically. But then again, what politician can point to having a completely clean slate in either respect? "Politics is the art of the possible" , and further, politicians ALWAYS operate with insufficient data, especially in the fog of war.

Nelson was a great naval commander, who used the tool honed by many others whose names we forget. If commanders and administrators from Pepys to St Vincent hadn't brought the navy to the state that Nelson found it in, he wouldn't have been able to have the impact he did. He was also very lucky in that he commanded at many more major actions than most sailors of the time ever saw! We hear of the great fleet actions, but a sailor who had been present at one could expect to be revered by his shipmates ever after, as a minority of officers or sailors took part in the great fleet actions. The humdrum life of the navy was escorting convoys and commerce destruction, and many sailors never saw action at all.
 
Another book which I recommend highly is N.A.M. Rodger's "The Wooden World", - the book which launched his distinguished career as a Naval historian. It covers in detail the daily life and social conditions in the Navy during the Seven Years' War, when the Navy of Nelson's era was being formed (and HMS Victory was being built - she was no spring chicken at Trafalgar!)

Things were very far from "rum, sodomy and the lash", many officers played instruments (particularly the flute - easy to stow!) and one Post Captain was black, and the son of a slave.
 
Minn said:
Another book which I recommend highly is N.A.M. Rodger's "The Wooden World", - the book which launched his distinguished career as a Naval historian. It covers in detail the daily life and social conditions in the Navy during the Seven Years' War, when the Navy of Nelson's era was being formed (and HMS Victory was being built - she was no spring chicken at Trafalgar!)

Things were very far from "rum, sodomy and the lash", many officers played instruments (particularly the flute - easy to stow!) and one Post Captain was black, and the son of a slave.
Click to expand...

yes, that's where my info above came from
 
Also well worth reading is Patrick O'Brian's Captain Aubrey series. Although fictional it is very well researched and he uses much contemporary data (letters, reports, logs etc) to base his story on actual events and add to the human element to the story. His Captain Aubrey was at the Nile for example.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top