HMS VICTORY POCKET MANUAL 1805: Admiral Nelson's Flagship

Admiral Nelson's fully preserved flagship HMS Victory was the most tangible symbol of the Royal Navy's greatest battle off Cape Trafalgar on 21st October 1805. It is now the only surviving 'line of battle' ship of the Napoleonic Wars. Peter Goodwin, the leading historian of the sailing man-of-war, explains the workings of Victory who was engaged in battle for only 2% of her active service, and also offers a glimpse into life and work at sea during the other 98% of the time. He explains the day-to-day running of a three-decker Georgian warship - victualling, organisation, discipline, domestic arrangements and medical care and answers such questions as What types of wood were used in its building, What was her longest voyage and How many shots were fired from her guns at Trafalgar? With black and white diagrams of the ship plus maps and tables for example the authorised gun drill to exercise the great guns. 160pp, prettily decorated with endpapers.