The Campaign of Trafalgar

'The 1805 Trafalgar campaign was ‘the crowning chapter in the history of naval warfare.’ Julian S Corbett Historian Corbett posits his arguments with the hindsight of a century, addressing the impact of Nelson and the politics behind the campaign. The historian contrasts correspondence from Napoleon and other commanders with the instructions from Pitt, Castlereagh and others. The battle reinvigorated the British navy and gave them confidence in their superiority, yet Napoleon became ‘dictator’ of Europe in spite of the destruction of his own naval power. Corbett is partisan, using “our” and “us” frequently, and the tone is patriotic and proud of the naval and military might of the British Empire. Corbett also conveys the perils of seafaring in the early 19th century: scurvy, bloody assaults and ships burning at sea all feature in the campaign. Above all, the discipline and courage of the campaign is evident in a readable history of a conflict that is a key moment in European history. Sir Julian Stafford Corbett (1854-1922) was a geo-strategist and naval historian. He wrote historical fiction before becoming a lecturer at the Royal Naval College. Read more