Victory: From Fighting the Armada to Trafalgar and Beyond

(Paperback)

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There is no more illustrious warship name in British naval history than HMS Victory, which is inextricably linked with Admiral Lord Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar. In 1805 the most famous Victory was the scene of Nelson's greatest triumph and also his death. She is today preserved at Portsmouth as the oldest commissioned warship in the world. Less well known is that six previous warships also carried the name. The first Victory was Sir John Hawkins' flagship during the Battle of the Armada in 1588 while the loss of the sixth in 1744 was considered a national tragedy. All manner of maritime life is included in this book, from piracy in the Azores to gentlemanly encounters between fleets and the battle of annihilation that was Trafalgar. The full horror, majesty and thunder of naval strategy and warfare in the age of fighting sail are all revealed via first-hand accounts of the action and key events. The post-Trafalgar career of Victory is also studied, including her part in destroying Napoleon's hopes of conquering Russia. We also learn how HMS Victory was saved for the British nation and the world. Researched and written by leading maritime experts Iain Ballantyne and Jonathan Eastland, 'Victory' will be enjoyed by all those interested in naval heritage and the proud fighting record of the Royal Navy. ILLUSTRATIONS: 120 b/w photographs

Author Bio

Iain Ballantyne has written extensively about navies past and present. He has visited warships and commando units to report on their operational activities in the Middle East, Mediterranean, Adriatic, Asia-Pacific and the Arctic, including covering the fall of the Soviet Union - plus its impact in Russia, Latvia and the Czech Republic - along with the 1990/91 Gulf War. A former newspaper defence reporter and current Editor of the global naval affairs magazine WARSHIPS International Fleet Review, Iain has also contributed to television news and documentary programmes, and radio shows. He is host of the Warships Pod podcast. Among his other naval history books are Warspite, HMS Rodney and the award-winning Killing the Bismarck (all published by Pen & Sword). In 2017, Iain was presented with a prestigious Fellowship Award by the UKs Maritime Foundation for making a truly outstanding contribution to stimulating public engagement in maritime issues. JONATHAN EASTLAND, the renowned maritime photographer and writer, has studied Victory for more than thirty years and taken photographs of every corner of her and of every aspect of her restoration during that period.