Reviews for What's left of Nelson

The average rating for What's left of Nelson based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2014-04-09 00:00:00 Lilli Gensler The War for All the Oceans was a good read, but it's not without its flaws. The Adkinses do a great job of narrating the history and use a copious amount of first hand accounts (probably too many). But at the same time, the anecdotal style limits the book's ability to illustrate and analyze tactics and strategy. This book is an adequate survey of the Royal Navy in the Napoleonic Wars, but it does not attempt to be a serious military analysis. Some aspects of the book that I particularly liked were the sections on the Walcheren Expedition, prisoners of war, and the war of 1812. I have read several accounts of the Walcheren Expedition, but this one was by far the most thorough and detailed (the map was of great help here). The sections about the prisoners of war, both in France and Britain were interesting and welcome since this aspect of the Napoleonic Wars isn't often covered. Similarly, I enjoyed the sections concerning the War of 1812, which it seems was mostly a naval war. However, it's surprising that the Battle of Lake Erie isn't talked about. Now for the negatives. As mentioned above, the narrative jumps around quite a bit, because the authors focus so much on first hand accounts and small actions. I found this to be a little jarring, though not a huge concern. What also bothered me was how the authors dealt with Trafalgar. As arguably the most important naval event of this time period it ought to occupy a good presence in this book, but instead it is relegated to a page-long summary with a footnote directing the reader to Roy Adkin's separate book on Trafalgar, Nelson's Trafalgar: The Battle That Changed the World. Fortunately I already read this book (and enjoyed it), but that doesn't excuse the fact that reader shouldn't have to read another book to learn more about Trafalgar. As far as maps go, there are quite a few and of varying quality. Most of them seem to be old maps, which are interesting, but unfortunately hard to read and unclear. Overall, I enjoyed this book, but I'm disappointed as well. I feel that if the authors had maintained a focus or theme throughout, then the this book would have been much better. Still, it's a decent summary of the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars.

Review # 2 was written on 2016-02-04 00:00:00 Charles Butler The War for All the Oceans covers all major, and some less well known, naval actions from the latter part of the revolutionary war, to the end of the Napoleonic. As is always the case with the Adkins's work, it is meticulously researched, well presented and very hard to put down. Although it is crammed full with information, and could certainly be used as one, I consider this more than just a reference book: the term conjurers up lists of details and dates that can make for dry, academic reading. The War for All the Oceans tells a story, and tells it well, with a blend of authoritative commentary and original reference material that almost involves the reader in the research. It is a style that the Adkins are masters of, and makes their work extremely readable. Extensive maps, illustrations (many of which were new to me), a comprehensive index and bibliography, and a selected reading list finish off the package perfectly. Fascinating and compelling reading: highly recommended.