Seize the Fire: Heroism, Duty, and Nelson's Battle of Trafalgar (P.S.) - Softcover

Nicolson, Adam

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0060753625 ISBN 13: 9780060753627

Publisher: HarperPerennial, 2006

Synopsis

In October 1805 Lord Horatio Nelson, the most brilliant sea commander who ever lived, led the British Royal Navy to a devastating victory over the Franco-Spanish fleets at the great battle of Trafalgar. It was the foundation of Britain's nineteenth-century world-dominating empire. Adam Nicolson's Seize the Fire is not only a close and revealing portrait of a legendary hero in his final action but also a vivid account of the brutal realities of battle; it asks the questions: Why did the winners win? What was it about the British, their commanders and their men, their beliefs and their ambitions, that took them to such overwhelming victory?

About this title

Review:

"Of the books marking the bicentenary of...Trafalgar, Adam Nicolson's can claim to be one of the most original"--The Week

"Vibrant and welcome addition to the admittedly already large library of Nelsonia."--Jonathan Bouquet, The Observer

"Nicolson brilliantly characterises each navy - British, French, Spanish - as an expression of the countries to which they belonged...vivid"--Country Life

"strikingly original...Mr. Nicolson brings to life superbly the horror, devastation and gore of Trafalgar."--The Economist

"A masterly reconstruction of this event."--Christopher Hitchens, Atlantic Monthly

"A thrilling book."--Bloomberg News

"So ripping I faced the classic ocean-voyage quandary. Halfway through, my supply of pages dwindling, I started to ration."--David Lipsky, New York Times Book Review

"argued with vigour and written with grace, it is an illuminating piece of interpretive cultural history."--Sunday Times (London)

"Bold and provocative...Nicolson's book stands out from amongst its rivals."--Sunday Telegraph

"Elegant and imaginative."--Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post

About the Author:

Adam Nicols on is the author of Seamanship, God's Secretaries, and Seize the Fire. He has won both the Somerset Maugham and William Heinemann awards, and he lives with his family at Sissinghurst Castle in England.

About this edition

• Publisher: HarperPerennial
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 0060753625
• ISBN 13: 9780060753627
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 386