Details: By: Lee Bienkowski; AOS Naval Non-Fiction - Biographical

The period of the French Wars (1793-1815), known as the golden age of fighting sail in Great Britain because of the extraordinary victories won by the Royal Navy, produced an impressive roster of brilliant flag officers. To date, however, these naval leaders have been overshadowed by the legendary status of their contemporary Admiral Lord Nelson. This book corrects the oversight by putting eleven other admirals in the limelight.

In this collection of short biographical essays Lee Bienkowski assesses each officer's career, describing the factors that influenced the subject's character and contributed to his success. While each biography calls attention to the specific traits of the admiral profiled, the essays together provide an interesting perspective of the Royal Navy, its leadership, and the wars between Britain and the rest of the world. Many of the men included have not been subjects of study since the nineteenth century. The author makes liberal use of primary source material and quotes for the first time from letters and journal entries previously unknown to the public. Among those profiled are admirals who achieved their fame during keynote battles: the noble-born Lord Howe at the Glorious First of June, Lord Duncan at Camperdown, Sir John Duckworth at San Domingo, and Lord de Saumarez at Algeciras. These relatively unknown but highly skilled leaders made an impact on history, and their fact-filled portraits not only hold the reader's attention, but also contribute significantly to the literature of the period.