نلسون و عصر کشتی‌های جنگی

This is a well illustrated biography of Nelson with a decent introduction to naval tactics in the age of sail and Nelson's innovation. The big bad is Napoleon and there's a whiff of the kind of history that could easily end with something like "and if it wasn't for Nelson, God and this delicious rum we would all be speaking French today." On the other hand, for those who believe military discipline is all about humiliating people in order to break them and build them into something else it's worth noting that Nelson is presented here as someone who didn't have to force anyone to serve on his ship and that he was loved by his officers and crew. Also, the book doesn't shy away from Nelson's affair with Lady Hamilton and his wife's choice to leave him and presents her choice to do so as an act of courage on her part.[review William Razavi @goodreads]