Naval Chronicles: Naval Chronicle: Vol.1 [Hardcover]

Nicholas Tracy (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 1998 | Series: Naval Chronicle (Book 1)

*50 illustrations
* 6 x 9

From 1799 to 1819 more than 1,000 pages of British naval news and views were published every year in The Naval Chronicle, including action reports, intelligence of foreign naval matters, and biographies of officers. In short, it was the most important original account of the naval part of the Napoleonic Wars. Outside the major libraries the 40 volumes of The Naval Chronicle are not generally available. This new consolidated edition, in five volumes, contains all the most significant material from the originals, including Admiral Nelson's only autobiographical record.

Nicholas Tracy, a member of the history department of the University of New Brunswick, is the editor of Naval Warfare in the Age of Sail and the author of the definitive Nelson's Battles.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 356 pages
• Publisher: Stackpole Books (December 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811711072
• ISBN-13: 978-0811711074
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,190,261 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Abridged accounts of Royal Navy activities, March 1, 2006

By 

Fred Camfield (Vicksburg, MS USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Naval Chronicles: Naval Chronicle: Vol.1 (Hardcover)

This review is for Volume I of the series (1793-1798). It should not be applied to other volumes which were published separately and have different content. It particular, it does not apply to Volume 2 where it has been posted by Amazon (I have no control over that posting).

The title of this book is, perhaps, a little misleading. The Naval Chronicle did not start publication until 1799. However, it did go back, retroactively, to document earlier actions. This book gives a summary of major actions such as the occupation/ withdrawal at Toulon in 1793, the Glorious First of June in 1794, the Battle of the Nile in 1798, etc. It also includes various particular actions of interest such as the battle between the British Frigate Nymph (Captain Edward Pellew) and the French National Frigate Cleopatra in 1793 which resulted in Pellew being knighted. It is interesting to note the high casualty rate among midshipmen. Of the 23 men killed aboard the Nymph, there were 3 midshipmen and a master's mate.

The book also covers the actions in the West Indies, the occupation of Dutch overseas territories (the Cape of Good Hope, etc.), and various other activities and treaties. Additional information is provided on topics such as naval appropriations, weight of ships stores, and organization of sea fencibles.

In some respects, the book may be covering too much in too few pages. With 365 pages, it covers some actions in detail, some more superficially, and some not at all. However, it is a good supplement for those readers with an interest in the period.