Cover of The Pursuit of Victory: The Life and Achievement of Horatio Nelson

The Pursuit of Victory: The Life and Achievement of Horatio Nelson

The acclaimed naval historian Roger Knight has written a magisterial biography of one of the greatest military heroes of world history. How did Horatio Nelson achieve such extraordinary success? Roger Knight places him firmly in the context of the Royal Navy of his time. Nelson was passionate and relentless from the outset of his career; his leadership in battle was unrivalled. But his success depended also on the strength of intelligence available to him, the quality of the ships he commanded, the potency of his guns, and the skill of his seamen.

Read more

Based on a vast array of new sources, this biography demolishes many of the myths that have surrounded Nelson for two centuries. Knight demonstrates that this great Romantic hero was in his time a shrews political operator and often a difficult subordinate. He was occasionally naive, often impatient, and only happy when completely in command. While capable of great acts of generosity, he could be deeply ruthless—both aboard ship and in his personal life.

Destined to be the definitive account of Horatio Nelson's life for generations, this dazzling biography greatly enriches our understanding of this extraordinary man—brilliant, severely flawed, and never to be crossed.

Audience
adult

Click a tag to see books like this one that share it.

Read it? Sign in to help tag it.

Liked The Pursuit of Victory: The Life and Achievement of Horatio Nelson? Here’s where I’d start.

These suit anyone who liked The Pursuit of Victory: The Life and Achievement of Horatio Nelson. Sign in and mark a few books for picks shaped around your own taste.

  1. Nelson: The Sword of Albion Shares biography, history, nonfiction
  2. Wellington: The Iron Duke Shares biography, history, british history
  3. Marlborough: England's Fragile Genius Shares biography, history, nonfiction
  4. Storm and Conquest: The Clash of Empires in the Eastern Seas, 1809 Shares history, nonfiction, british history

“People who read The Pursuit of Victory: The Life and Achievement of Horatio Nelson tend to reach for these next.”

  1. The Command of the Ocean: A Naval History of Britain, 1649­-1815
  2. The Billy Ruffian
  3. Seize the Fire: Heroism, Duty, and Nelson's Battle of Trafalgar
  4. The Rise of Napoleon Bonaparte

“If you want more of the same (biography about history), start with these.”

  1. Perdita: The Literary, Theatrical, Scandalous Life of Mary Robinson
  2. Privilege and Scandal: The Remarkable Life of Harriet Spencer, Sister of Georgiana
  3. Henrietta Howard: King's Mistress, Queen's Servant
  4. Casanova: Actor Lover Priest Spy

“If it was the history that hooked you, try one of these.”

  1. Churchill
  2. Winston S. Churchill: The Challenge of War, 1914-1916
  3. The Last Lion 2: Winston Spencer Churchill: Alone, 1932-40
  4. George IV: The Rebel Who Would Be King

“These start from a similar idea, even if they go somewhere else with it.”

  1. Perilous Fight: America's Intrepid War with Britain on the High Seas, 1812-1815
  2. Battle of Leyte Gulf: 23-26 October 1944
  3. Trafalgar: Countdown to Battle, 1803-1805
  4. Tenacious