The latest in Osprey's 'Duel' series takes us back to the last of the big battles during the age of sail, and that is Trafalgar in 1805. This saw not only the greatest victory but also the death of Horatio Nelson. It was a battle of such ferocity that it made Nelson into an iconic figure and assured Great Britain of control of the seas and a century as the world's leading military power.

This series is designed to look at the major combatants and in this case, the development and design of the ship of the line, whose final glory came at Trafalgar.

There is a now-familiar sequence in these books whereupon the initial sections deal with the design and development of the ships, their technical specifications, and then look at the strategic situation at the time. In this case, for the first time, the British were outnumbered by the combined Allied fleets of France and Spain. While both had ships that were technically equal to or even superior to what the British were sailing, neither of the Allies had the experience and training of the British. The Spanish in particular, were not used to fighting in open seas, confining most of their previous actions to coastal waters. These and other facts are covered in the description of the combatants.  Then the book goes into the actual combat between the fleets. It shows how the British were more able to take advantage of the situation and had better tactics than the Allies. In fact, it was probably as much the British ability to adapt to the changing situation as anything that gave them an advantage. British gunnery was also better. There was no lack of bravery on Allied ships; they were simply outfought by the more experienced British.

Once the combat section is finished, there is a statistical analysis of the battle and a look at how the battle affected future history. All of this is superbly illustrated with period illustrations as well as excellent modern illustrations and painting. In all, another excellent Osprey book. One that you can buy knowing you will be getting the very best.

June 2008

For more on the complete line of Osprey books, visit www.ospreypublishing.com. In the US, it is Osprey Direct at 44-02 23rd St, Suite 219, Long Island City, NY 11101., where you can get a catalogue of available books.

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