NELSON’S NAVY IN 100 OBJECTS

◗ Gareth Glover ◗ Frontline Books (2021) (Pen and Sword Books) ◗ £25.00 ◗ 299 pages (hardback) ◗ ISBN:9781526731326 ◗ frontline-books.com

This is a high-quality book although it is difficult to say whether the objects support the text, or the text supports the objects. In any event, the narrative is fascinating, and the book is effectively a handbook on Nelson’s Navy albeit in a more unusual order and subject matter. The objects, with supporting photographs, range from uniform jackets to the Admiralty Board room and the book completes with a review of some of the ships and their fate at the end of the 19th Century. The obvious one is HMS Victory but there is also mention of HM Ships Trincomalee and Unicorn. I will let the reader find what and where they are! Each object sparks a discussion on where they fit into the navy and how they were used. For example, the Old Naval Academy in Portsmouth dockyard used to be a school for aspiring midshipmen. How that dovetailed in with the patronage system is discussed.

This is a great book, well presented and ideal for dipping into. It covers all the salient points of the old sailing navy during the Napoleonic wars. It is strongly recommended for all readers.