In October 1805 Lord Horatio Nelson, the most brilliant sea commander who ever lived, led the British Royal Navy to a devastating victory over the Franco-Spanish fleets at the great battle of Trafalgar. It was the foundation of Britain's nineteenth-century world-dominating empire. Adam Nicolson's Seize the Fire is not only a close and revealing portrait of a legendary hero in his final action but also a vivid account of the brutal realities of battle; it asks the questions: Why did the winners win? What was it about the British, their commanders and their men, their beliefs and their ambitions, that took them to such overwhelming victory?
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“Nicolson’s eye for detail creates a compelling readability.” (The Spectator )
“So ripping I faced the classic ocean-voyage quandary. Halfway through, my supply of pages dwindling, I started to ration.” (David Lipsky, New York Times Book Review )
“The reader will find nothing dull about this sparkling work...majestic, poetic and, at base, authentic.” (Literary Review )
“Vibrant and welcome addition to the admittedly already large library of Nelsonia.” (Jonathan Bouquet, The Observer )
“Bold and provocative...Nicolson’s book stands out from amongst its rivals.” (Sunday Telegraph )
“A well-reasoned transoceanic rejoinder to Freeman’s Affairs of Honor, and a pleasure for fans of Aubrey and Hornblower.” (Kirkus Reviews )
“full of suspense and vivid, raw descriptions of the butchery...sublime writing” (The Scotsman )
“A thrilling book.” (Bloomberg News )
“Elegant and imaginative.” (Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post )
“strikingly original...Mr. Nicolson brings to life superbly the horror, devastation and gore of Trafalgar.” (The Economist )
“Seize the Fire...is so ripping I faced the classic ocean-voyage quandary. Halfway through, my supply of pages dwindling, I started to ration...stirring, vividly written book.” (Independent on Sunday )
“A masterly reconstruction of this event.” (Christopher Hitchens, Atlantic Monthly )
“Nicolson brilliantly characterises each navy - British, French, Spanish - as an expression of the countries to which they belonged...vivid” (Country Life )
“argued with vigour and written with grace, it is an illuminating piece of interpretive cultural history.” (Sunday Times (London) )
“Of the books marking the bicentenary of...Trafalgar, Adam Nicolson’s can claim to be one of the most original” (The Week )
“So ripping I faced the classic ocean-voyage quandary. Halfway through, my supply of pages dwindling, I started to ration.” (David Lipsky, New York Times Book Review )
“The reader will find nothing dull about this sparkling work...majestic, poetic and, at base, authentic.” (Literary Review )
“Vibrant and welcome addition to the admittedly already large library of Nelsonia.” (Jonathan Bouquet, The Observer )
“Bold and provocative...Nicolson’s book stands out from amongst its rivals.” (Sunday Telegraph )
“A well-reasoned transoceanic rejoinder to Freeman’s Affairs of Honor, and a pleasure for fans of Aubrey and Hornblower.” (Kirkus Reviews )
“full of suspense and vivid, raw descriptions of the butchery...sublime writing” (The Scotsman )
“A thrilling book.” (Bloomberg News )
“Elegant and imaginative.” (Jonathan Yardley, Washington Post )
“strikingly original...Mr. Nicolson brings to life superbly the horror, devastation and gore of Trafalgar.” (The Economist )
“Seize the Fire...is so ripping I faced the classic ocean-voyage quandary. Halfway through, my supply of pages dwindling, I started to ration...stirring, vividly written book.” (Independent on Sunday )
“A masterly reconstruction of this event.” (Christopher Hitchens, Atlantic Monthly )
“Nicolson brilliantly characterises each navy - British, French, Spanish - as an expression of the countries to which they belonged...vivid” (Country Life )
“argued with vigour and written with grace, it is an illuminating piece of interpretive cultural history.” (Sunday Times (London) )
“Of the books marking the bicentenary of...Trafalgar, Adam Nicolson’s can claim to be one of the most original” (The Week )
About the Author
Adam Nicols on is the author of Seamanship, God's Secretaries, and Seize the Fire. He has won both the Somerset Maugham and William Heinemann awards, and he lives with his family at Sissinghurst Castle in England.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Seize the Fire,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Seize the Fire: Heroism, Duty, and Nelson's Battle of Trafalgar (Paperback)
Seize this book! It is fascinating and so well written. It is not just a description of the battle. The reader learns so much about the history and culture of England, France and Spain and also about the psychology of men who go to battle. Nicolson is an excellent writer!
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb,
By Alex Beecroft "Alex Beecroft" (Cambridge, UK) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Seize the Fire: Heroism, Duty, and Nelson's Battle of Trafalgar (Paperback)
For anyone who loves 'Master and Commander' or 'Hornblower' with their tales of heroism on the high seas, this is a must buy. Unlike other naval history books, this one delves into the psychological makeup of the men who became heroes at Trafalgar. Revealing the strange, heady mixture of millennial, end of the world violence, love, humanity and duty, this book is full of the authentic voices of the time and reads like an adventure. If only all history was this enticing!Review by Alex Beecroft, author of Captain's Surrender
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Non-Fiction Page-Turner!,
This review is from: Seize the Fire: Heroism, Duty, and Nelson's Battle of Trafalgar (Paperback)
Real human history is not only stranger than fiction. It can also be made to read better than fiction. Writers of real history surround their readers with a sense of how people thought and acted in the era they write about, and how different that can be from modern ways of thinking. Real historians make history exciting. Adam Nicolson is a real historian. "Seize the Fire" is exciting and genuine history.
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