Yes, the ploy of including Nelson name in the title of many books published lately is wearing a little thin now - not that it wasn't since it first began.
It is obviously a publicity stunt, with a view to selling the books, but in many instances it can be a little misleading. To take this latest book on Collingwood, he was by no means in Nelson's shadow but a naval officer of considerable standing in his own right and irrespective of their long friendship. The fact that he was second in command at Trafalgar, might have something to do with the book's title. Looking at the book's cover, it isn't immediately clear to me either which is the sub title, since 'In Nelson's shadow', which is given as the main title, appears in somewhat smaller and written letters. I can, however, accept using Nelson's name more generally, e.g. Brian Lavery's 'Nelson's Navy', or (sorry Tycho) Janet Macdonald's 'Feeding Nelson's Navy', but in biographies it would seem to be rather superflous.
Since we are with Pen and Sword books I also happily spotted this, which is based on the collected lectures given at the Trafalgar Conference at Portsmouth in 2005 and which I attended. I shall therefore be buying it, when it comes out, but it would be worth purchasing if you are interested in the battle itself, since the expert speakers put it in a new context and shed new light on many areas:
http://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/?product_id=1650
No prizes for guessing where the book's title comes from!
Kester
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