Trafalgar Dispatches

This gives the work an enduring value to all but those with access to French and Spanish naval archives.

Edward Fraser, an experienced writer on naval subjects, compiled and tran In the century since this book was first published much has been written about the greatest sea battle of the age of sail, but very little of it in English is from the perspective of the defeated. Edward Fraser, an experienced writer on naval subjects, compiled and translated a collection of official dispatches and personal accounts by the participants, weaving his first-hand material into a vivid and eminently readable continuous narrative.

This takes the story from Napoleon's strategic intentions for the Combined Fleets, through the events while it was blockaded at Cadiz, to the details of the battle itself, the storm which followed, and the terrible aftermath for victors and vanquished alike. Largely drawn from French and Spanish sources, the unusual illustrations range from contemporary portraits and seascapes to detailed maps of the action as seen from the Franco-Spanish side.

Originally published to celebrate the centenary of the Battle of Trafalgar, this book is now fittingly reissued on the approach of the bicentenary. Hardcover , pages. Published February 20th by Greenhill Books first published To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.

To ask other readers questions about The Enemy at Trafalgar , please sign up. Be the first to ask a question about The Enemy at Trafalgar. Lists with This Book. This book is not yet featured on Listopia. Since this book was first published in the early 20th century, it has a different feel about it, partly because there are long untranslated passages of French when it was more common to do so. On the whole it does a good job in looking at the heroic efforts on the Combined Fleets of France and Spain at Trafalgar.

Fraser obviously admired Villeneuve who was put in a difficult spot by Napoleon. Their ships and men were not ready to take on the more experienced British fleet, however, he had little Since this book was first published in the early 20th century, it has a different feel about it, partly because there are long untranslated passages of French when it was more common to do so. Their ships and men were not ready to take on the more experienced British fleet, however, he had little choice.

Fraser looks at the fight put up by each ship of the Combined Fleet and their leadership in some detail.

There are also some interesting stories about the lesser known individuals who participated in the great battle, which are entertaining. I also learned more about the Spanish effort than I had known before. The fate of many of the French prisoners is rather sad since Napoleon would not exchange them so they were forced to wait until for freedom.

Georges rated it it was amazing May 01, Great Except the Language Barrier I've wanted to read this book for years and glad I finally got the chance! The research and the many voices heard were amazing. The telling of the battle and aftermath were excellent. My only issue was many of the most important speeches and reports were in French or Spanish without translations. From there it sailed on 4 November aboard the next routine packet vessel, the Lord Walsingham , which reached Falmouth on 13 November.

Considerable progress was also being made with the task of repatriating the Spanish prisoners to Spain.

He was now able to dispatch the Euryalus to England with his third dispatch, and she sailed from off Cape Trafalgar on 7 November with the captured French Commander in Chief, Admiral Pierre de Villeneuve , on board. On Sunday 24 November, it was reported from Falmouth that " The hon. Blackwood landed here this evening, from his majesty's ship Euryalus, which he left off the Lizard this morning, and came up in his 8-oared cutter; he went off express for London immediately".

The same dispatch also contained further casualty lists that now included first details from Victory , Britannia , Temeraire , Prince , Neptune , Agamemnon , Spartiate , Africa , Bellisle , Colossus , Achille , Polyphemus , and Swiftsure. The prize list reported that during the battle four French ships had "hauled to the Southward and escaped", and their whereabouts were still unknown to Collingwood as he wrote his third dispatch.

Battle of Trafalgar, October 1805

The Admiralty, however, was not concerned because it had already received very satisfactory reports of the whereabouts of the escaped French ships from another messenger who rode into London from the West Country. The captain of Aeolus , Lord Fitzroy, "set off with dispatches at 10 A.

The following day Captain Baker of the Phoenix arrived in Plymouth and took another chaise to London with further details of the Ortegal action, including the British casualty lists. The details carried by these officers were published in London on 11 and 12 November.

The final news from Trafalgar contained the casualty list from the Tonnant which was published in London on 4 December. It had not reached Collingwood until 9 November, when Queen anchored off Cape Spartel after the departure of Euryalus.

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The dispatch containing this report was sent to Lisbon and from there by the routine packet Townshend , arriving at Falmouth on Friday 29 November. The mails she carried were taken up the same well-worn route to the Admiralty. A series of commemorative plaques mark the route [1] [2] , giving details of his journey and commemorating local people who fought with Nelson at Trafalgar. Locations in bold are where he changed horses.

The Ordnance Survey produced a special commemorative map of the route with descriptive insets and a historical timeline. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Retrieved 14 August Retrieved from " https: