Seize the Fire : Heroism, Duty, and Nelson's Battle of Trafalgar
Author(s): Adam Nicolson
“Strikingly original. . . . Mr. Nicolson brings to life superbly the horror, devastation, and gore of Trafalgar.”—The Economist
Adam Nicolson takes the great naval battle of Trafalgar, fought between the British and Franco-Spanish fleets in October 1805, and uses it to examine our idea of heroism and the heroic. A story rich with modern resonance, Seize the Fire reveals the economic impact of the battle as a victorious Great Britain emerged as a global commercial empire.
Nicolson not only vividly describes describes the brutal realities of battle but enters the hearts and minds of the men who were there. HIs masterful history is a portrait of a moment, a close and passionately engaged depiction of a frame of mind at a turning point in world history.
Review(s):
“Elegant and imaginative.”
“The reader will find nothing dull about this sparkling work...majestic, poetic and, at base, authentic.”
“Vibrant and welcome addition to the admittedly already large library of Nelsonia.”
“A well-reasoned transoceanic rejoinder to Freeman’s Affairs of Honor, and a pleasure for fans of Aubrey and Hornblower.”
“Bold and provocative...Nicolson’s book stands out from amongst its rivals.”
“argued with vigour and written with grace, it is an illuminating piece of interpretive cultural history.”
“Nicolson’s eye for detail creates a compelling readability.”
“full of suspense and vivid, raw descriptions of the butchery...sublime writing”
“Of the books marking the bicentenary of...Trafalgar, Adam Nicolson’s can claim to be one of the most original”
“strikingly original...Mr. Nicolson brings to life superbly the horror, devastation and gore of Trafalgar.”
ISBN: 9780060753627