| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Amazon.co.uk Trade-In Store for more details. |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
More About the Author
Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Review
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Revisionist history with a sharp edge,
By Marcus Horatius (Bucks) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Nelson: The Man and the Legend (Paperback)
Terry Coleman re-examines the man and the myth that is Nelson, in the process delving minutely into details of Nelson's actions (both public and private) and finding many that were less than creditable. But then, could anyone -- famous or not -- survive such a merciless examination of their every act? In Coleman's eyes, Nelson was a vainglorious, duplicitous and dishonest man whose naval achievements were more a result of good luck, his good connections, and good officers than Nelson's own genius. In the actions of St Vincent, the Nile and Copenhagen especially, Coleman at best damns with faint praise, regarding these victories as overexaggerated and Nelson's role in them as less than the man himself led everyone to believe. Coleman is all too ready to twist the knife whenever occasion arises: yes, Nelson's actions at the siege of Naples were hasty and illegal, but the author seems unable to let it go, harping on and on about the subject at length. He is also firmly on the side of Fanny Nelson and against the notorious Emma -- which, considering the short shrift Nelson's first wife has had in the past, is probably only fair. The author's contempt for the Nelson-Hamilton triangle is evident. To take one other example, he is also very quick to criticise Nelson for not visiting his dying father, even though his estranged wife Fanny was living with him and the old man had very been severe in his remarks about Nelson & Emma -- calling her a force of evil no less -- so it was hardly surprising that a hurt and offended Nelson nelgected him in favour of the woman he obviously loved with great passion (too much passion according to Coleman). Overall, this book is a rewarding biography that brings a fresh perspective to bear, though if you are new to the subject it might be better to read a more "old-fashioned" account first before tackling this, which views the foibles and failings of a hero very much through the filter of modern sensibilities.
18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Flawed Hero, a Great Book,
By Eliza Chicken (Cambridge) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Nelson: The Man and the Legend (Hardcover)
I bought this book on the recommendation of a lecturer, approaching it with dubious enthusiasm. My views were entirely changed however as I began to read, gripped from the very start by the mastery of Coleman in his simple yet comprehensive narrative. I found myself, like many others, totally ignorant of the extent to which myth dominates our ideas of this national hero. The detailed research is staggering, and i was surprised to find myself increasingly convinced of the validity of his argument. The real Nelson, however much of a hero he may be, is perhaps even more interesting in light of this book, particularly in considering his death as near suicide. A must for anyone who wishes to know the man as well as the legend.
8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
fact or fiction? nelsons' still a legend.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Nelson: The Man and the Legend (Hardcover)
Being an avid reader of all things Nelson, I looked forward with much relish the new offering from top journalist Terry Coleman. "Nelson, The Man and the Legend" is indeed a refreshing and much needed new look at a figure in history who has benefited and suffered more than most at the hands of countless biograhers.As Vice-Admiral Lord Collingwood said in a letter to Dr Alexander Carlyle, "Nelson is an incomparable man, a blessing to any country that is engaged in such a war. His successes in most of his undertakings are the best proofs of his genius and his talents.... An enemy that makes a false step in his view is ruined, and it comes on him with an impetuosity that allows him no time to recover". This was written by one of Nelsons peers not with hindsight, but at a period where both men stood equal, a most magnaminous opinion considering the competitive nature of the higher ranks prevelant in the Navy during the Napoleonic wars. I know who I trust. It's not that this isn't a really entertaining read, but I do feel at times Mr Coleman was looking down the wrong end of a telescope in trying to highlight Nelsons' faults never mind trying to prove he never held a telescope to his blind eye at Copenhagen. Big deal! A final point. If Nelson really did mean to commit suicide at Trafalgar by wearing all his stars, why did he purchase five sets of each when obviously he would have only needed one. Just an observation. Still, great reading.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews |
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Biography > Historical > Britain > Military
- Books > Biography > Political > Britain
- Books > History > Military History > Armed Forces > Naval Forces
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
