Nelson & His World

Sorry to hear of the passing of Ludovic Kennedy today. A fine writer, his book 'Nelson and his Captains ' (Nelson's Band of Brothers) is a fine publication to anyone's Nelson book collection.

Yes, an excellent, and very readable book. Ludovic Kennedy served in the Royal Navy during World War Two.

I have the paperback edition of N&HC, which gives only a general list of sources, with no precise references for specific quotations, etc. which is rather frustrating. I wonder if anyone has a hardback edition, and can tell me whether more precise references are given there.

Roger Knight's hardback edition of the 2005 biography of Nelson had detailed references, but I was dismayed to find that the paperback edition I bought for a friend omitted them, and contained only a general list of sources. I wonder if it is standard practice for publishers to curtail references in paperback editions?

I'm sure many here will recognise some of his great books, 'Pursuit' the Sinking of the Bismarck. 10 Rillington Place and perhaps one of my favorites when he wrote about his birthplace, Scotland, 'In Bed with an Elephant' a great introduction into Scottish History. Highly Recommended if you can find it.

Besides his expertise and knowledge in Naval and nautical matters, and to his many books should be added his volume on Sea Journeys – the collected recollections of many on being at sea – and which he edited, he should also be remembered for his many television appearances.

Who can forget, for example, his brave questioning in the recording studio of that intrepid and 'courageous' parliamentarian, the Hon. Jim Hacker, in 'Yes, Minister' and 'Yes, Prime Minister'?

He will be sadly missed.

I've just read a comment on Ludovic Kennedy's memorial service in 'The Oldie'. A lifelong atheist, he asked for Nelson's prayer before Trafalgar to be included in the service.

Anna,

I have the 1975 hardback edition of Nelson and his Captains. The sources listed contain approx. 100 published sources as well as reference to perhaps a score of owners of private papers, 3 files held by the British museum and one by the Nelson museum.

If that's more than your paperback lists, I can do a scan and send it to you.

Ned:

how very kind of you to offer; thank you. But before I put you to the trouble of copying the list, I wonder if I could find out a little more about the sources listed. The paperback edition does contain a long list of sources; what it doesn't do, is give superscript numbers or footnotes in the text linking a specific quotation to a specific reference in the list of sources, so there is no way of following up a quotation to read it in context in the original source.

If your hardback edition does indeed contain precise references linking each quotation to its source, I'd be very grateful to have a copy of these.

Anna,

I just flipped through the book and am sorry to say have not found a single footnote and the quotations are not referenced to the sources page.

Ned:

Thanks, anyway! Much appreciated.