Nelson's Ships by Peter Goodwin

I found this to be just fascinating. It was well written, beautifully illustrated and chock full of information. It gives a brief history of each vessel in which Nelson served.

I'm not surprised it's good, Peter Goodwin was Keeper and Curator of HMS Victory, and was the historical consultant for the film "Master and Commander-The Far Side Of The World", which I hold to be one of the best HNF movies ever.
I must get hold of a copy. I've just found (and bought) his "Nelson’s Men O’War: The Illustrated Story of Life in Nelson’s Navy" on Ebay, great value for around £6 delivered!

I've just received this book, which I bought on Ebay for £6 delivered, and can highly recommend it. It's full of fascinating details, including paintings, copies of actual logs and documents from Nelson's Navy. It's going to provide me with an incredible amount of reading over the years, a great source of information which I will be referring to over and over again.

One small quotation from it:

"Unfortunately our romantic image of the Georgian navy has been coloured by the distorted accounts from the naval reformers of the 1830's and inadequate research by 19th and early 20th century historians, further embellished by sensation-seeking film and television producers only too willing to please their audiences. In reality, detailed analysis of the primary sources show that Nelson's navy was a highly organised institution supported by a sound provisioning policy. In keeping with the times, it provided an efficient medical and welfare service for its men who, without reasonable food and health, would never have been able to operate the ships for long periods at sea, let alone fight the numerous battles that arose. What is clear is that most seamen employed in the Georgian navy were professional men, highly skilled in the art of seamanship in both its basic sense - handling sails, knotting and splicing ropes, operating the rigging and dealing with both the anchor and other boat work - and its more professional sens - the fundamental art of knowing how to work and survive in every possible situation that arises from the relationship between the natural elements of sea, wind and sky."

There are still quite a few of Goodwin's books still on UK Ebay, definitely worth considering.

I've just added a listing for Peter Goodwin to the site

(& merged both Goodwin Topics)

Goodwin has a new book coming out next year HMS Victory Owner's Workshop Manual: An Insight Into Owning, Operating and Maintaining the Royal Navy's Oldest and Most Famous Warship

That one's going onto my wishlist!

Full title is Nelson's Ships - A History of the Vessels In Which He Served (capitalisation from the cover). Another tremendous, detailed, fascinating tome and a book which is difficult to put down. I bought mine secondhand on Ebay for £9.00 including delivery, an absolute bargain. I have several of Peter Goodwin's books and this one lives up to every other of his great works. It covers the 25 ships on which Nelson served, plus 11 others with which he had a connection, all in great detail and beautifully detailed, with pictures, drawings and plans of each one.

If you only buy one non-HNF book covering this era make sure it's this one.

Highly recommended!

Thanks, Astrodene. I never thought of adding to the other thread.