Nelson & His World

No doubt you're aware that www.archive.org has Vols I to IV (up to January 1808) available for free download... but in the interest of completeness, I mention it.

Many thanks for the pointer Galiano.

Although I do love the feel of a real book to browse, this will keep me happily occupied for a while.

I took a peek and the plain text version of at least one volume (IV, IIRC) is missing a chunk of pages (whoever did the OCR was careless). I hope the PDF versions are complete.

A while ago I mentioned a DVD that was available called "I Remember Nelson" and asked if anyone could recommend it. At that time I was told that it wasn't available in the UK. I recently recieved it as a gift and sadly, I wasn't that impressed. The quality of the production was not very good. The premise of the show is looking at Nelson through the eyes of others; Hamilton, Lady Nelson, Hardy and a seaman. None of these paint Nelson in a particlularly positive light. It seemed like the producer was more interested in a particluar style instead of just presenting fact. It was a bit disapponiting and I would not recommend the purchase.

Kevin:

many thanks for the review - even though you found 'I Remember Nelson' was a disappointment. Many of us over here have been keen to get our hands on it, thinking we were missing something good, so it's really helpful to know that we can stop chasing it!

I was going to post this on the Information Forum but on second thoughts, I think this is the place for it.

Michael Nash has an essay 'Building a Nelson Library' in 'The Nelson Companion' (ed. Colin White RNM Publications ISBN 0 7509 3750 5) in which he lists his personal 'Top Twenty' from the hundreds of books connected with Nelson. It is a most interesting essay, and without going into his reasons, informative though they are, for his choices, I thought it might be helpful to list them - though you might think twice about buying at the moment: your bank account will be left bruised and bleeding in these credit-crunching days.

Nash also comments authoritatively on other books on Nelson, Emma Hamilton, the Nelson family etc. including outstanding recent books like John Sugden’s and Roger Knight’s works. But these are the top twenty:
.
Francis William Blagdon: Orme's Graphic History of the Life, Exploits and Death of Horatio Nelson (London: Edward Orme,1806)

James Harrison: The Life of Horatio Lord Viscount Nelson (London: C. Chapple, Pall Mall 1806)

Frederick Lloyd An Accurate and Impartial Account of the Late Lord Viscount Nelson (Ormskirk: J. Fowler, 1806) ) A shorter, pirated account of 46 pages which appeared in the USA in 1806 is also much sought after as a rarity.

T.O Churchill: The Life of Lord Viscount Nelson, Duke of Bronte Etc. ( London: J & W. MacGavin, 1808)

James Stanier Clarke & John M'Arthur: The Life of Admiral Lord Nelson KB from his Lordship's Papers ( London: T Cadell & W. Davies, and W. Miller, 1809)

Robert Southey: Life of Nelson ( London: John Murray, 1813)

Anonymous: The Letters of Lord Nelson to Lady Hamilton, with a
Supplement of Interesting Letters by Distinguished Characters
(London: Thomas Lovewell,1814)

Sir Nicholas Harris Nicolas: The Dispatches and Letters of Vice Admiral Lord Nelson (in 7 volumes, London: Henry Colburn, published between 1844-47)

Thomas James Pettigrew: The Memoirs and Life of Admiral Lord Nelson ( London: T. & W. Boone,1849)

J. C. Jeaffreson: Lady Hamilton and Lord Nelson( London: Hurst & Blackett Ltd., 1888)

Alfred Morrison: The Collection of Autograph Letters and Historical Documents formed by Alfred Morrison (Second Series 1882-1893) usually called the ‘Hamilton & Nelson Papers’ (Printed for Private Circulation 1893 & 1894)

Sir John Knox Laughton: The Nelson Memorial: Nelson and his Companions in Arms ( London: George Allen, 1896)

A.T. Mahan: The Life of Nelson: The Embodiment of the Sea Power of Great Britain (Boston, Little Brown & Co.; London: Sampson, Low, Marston & Co. 1897)

Lord Charles Beresford and H W Wilson: Nelson and His Times (London: Harmsworth Brothers no date – 1897-98)

Clennel Wilkinson: Nelson ( London, Bombay & Sydney: George Harrap & Co., 1931)

Carol Oman: Nelson (New York: Doubleday & Co. Inc.1946; London: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd., 1947))

G.P.B. Naish: Nelson’s Letters to his Wife and other documents, 1785-1831 ( London: Routledge & Kegan Paul with Navy Records Society, 1958)

Oliver Warner: A Portrait of Lord Nelson (London: Chatto & Windus 1958)

Geoffrey Bennet: Nelson the Commander (London: B.T. Batsford Ltd, 1972)

Tom Pocock: Horatio Nelson (London; The Bodley Head, 1987)

here ! here !

I ordered the DVD of I remember Nelson and would rather forget. It was a bit gauche and tawdry, but the death scene made me weep

Is there anything else out there that anyone can recommend about his naval career on film or documentary ?

Margaret

Good Morning Margaret
Have a try at these,

In Nelsons footsteps
Catalogue Number:SEV101
Presented by the late Colin White,Highly Recommended

Nelsons Trafalgar
Documentry
Catalogue Number 121997

Battle of Trafalgar: Nelsons Victory
Catalogue Number CROMDVD 1052

Great Commanders, Featuring Nelson
Catalogue Number SEV148

All available through the HMV On-Line service

Hope that helps

Welcome to the forum, Margaret!

And thanks, Stephen, for that helpful list; some things there are new to me.

Just remembered that Michael Portillo made a very reasonable biography on Nelson a couple of years ago, but I dont think it was released on DVD so you hay have to look out for it on the History Channel. i was fortunate to meet Michael Portillo here in Malta two years ago and was able to congratulate him on a good effort. I think the series was the top ten famous people in British History if I am not mistaken

Have just had a browse at the Waterstones web site and just seen that the long awaited Nelson Volume 2 by John Sugden was due for publication on 03/04/2008, publisher Jonathan Cape Ltd, ISBN 9780224060981. It appears not to have been released, does anyone have any information or update as to publication?

A year ago the publishers said that Sugden's volume 2 had been rescheduled for 2010.

tks for the welcome Anna, I have read about 15 books so far, starting with 'Trafalgar" by Roy Adkins, I have read 'Men of Honour' to 'Nelson's daughter', 'Nelson's Purse, 'The New Letters' I particularly enjoyed because I was curious on how he communicated, he didnt care for punctuation and emphazied a word by capitilizing it.
He was fascinating, and if you can find 'Communicating with a Norfolk accent (which is a scream) on YouTube, we can imagine his voice

cheers
Margaret P.S. I am currently reading John Sugden's Vol 1,

I've just added a list of Nelson books on the Information Forum - that should keep you busy!

One that should be worth the wait; at a time when bio.s of Nelson are quite popular, volume one stood out as a major work.