Four stars is a bit much for a book that, in fairness, I probably skimmed about a third of. John Sugden picks up where he left off with A Dream of Glory, only now the Napoleonic Wars are in full swing, and Horatio Nelson has full opportunity to go from sometime action hero to all-out naval celebrity. Like its predecessor, Sword of Albion is so dense that rather than bother to rethink the entirety, I think I'll just annotate my progress notes. As can be seen from my comment only 6% of the way thr [...]

Oh Nelson I do so love you but you really could be an asshole. This second half of Sugden's epic two-part Nelson biography is thoroughly-researched, fast-paced, and brutally honest. This is the part of Nelson's life that can be painful to those who admire him. He was certainly a brilliant commander but he could be really quite awful - especially to the people who loved him best. This biography is truly magnificent and a wonderful read for anyone wanting to learn more about this great but flawed [...]

The 2nd of the 2-volume biography or Admiral Nelson. This book was extremely well researched and very thorough. At 860 pages, it sometimes seems too detailed. But, it does give an excellent description of what made Nelson great; both the good and the bad.

For the last thirty years I have been a fan of the fiction about the Age of Fighting Sail. Over the years I have read a substantial number of the novels of C.S. Forester, Dudley Pope and Patrick O’Brian. At one time, when I lived in northern Canada, I even spent my spare time building a few ship models. Years ago I read popular history about British sea power and the age of sail and a few biographies about Admiral Horatio Nelson. I read the first volume of Sugden’s biography, Nelson: A Dream [...]

I received the book for free through First Reads.I haven't finished this book, but I'm going to go ahead and review it because a.) it's a 900+ page book and it's going to take awhile to finish it and b.) it's not like this is a novel with a surprise ending--I don't see my opinion of the book changing because of a sudden weird plot twist.At 900+ pages, this is not a book for the faint of heart. And it's not just 900+ pages--it's 900+ pages of small text and no pictures (well, except for a handfu [...]

Volume 2 of Sugden's biography opens where 'A Dream of Glory' left off, with Nelson recovering from the loss of his arm after the failed attack on Tenerife in 1797. From there, the book follows Nelson through the last eight years of his life, to the Nile, Sicily, Copenhagen, the Mediterranean again and finally Trafalgar. Sugden's scholarship is unquestionable. He mines the wealth of primary sources, particularly Nelson's correspondence, for all they're worth. He captures every facet of Nelson's [...]

Nelson, the Sword of Albion by John Sugden, is the second volume in an exhaustive biography of the great admiral. It opens with Nelson's return to England after the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, where he lost his right arm, and was greeted by a cheering crowd, a harbinger of his later adulation by the English people. It continues with an exploratory view of Nelson in all his facets, his exceptional leadership at every level, his Band of Brothers, his exceptional care of not only his officers [...]

Do not be put off by the length of this book, if you want my honest opinion Sugden's account has to be one of the best accounts of the Norfolk Hero out there.Starting from his slow and painful recovery after he had to go through the process of amputation this book goes into depth of the battles, hardships and of course scandals that became prevalent in Nelson's life and career. Also containing accounts from the men that served their almost unstoppable admiral, this book can be very difficult to [...]

The Sword of Albion is the long awaited 2nd volume of Sugden's Nelson biography. In this 2-part biography, already hailed by many as the new 'standard', Sugden demonstrates the rare ability write an eminently scholarly book that is still a crackling good read. If you want to get to know Nelson, not just the battles (though those are treated exceptionally well) and the legend, and are willing to see him up close and personal (and he is hard to face at times) then you have to read Sugden's Nelson. [...]

The much-anticipated second volume of Sugden's magisterial biography of history's greatest naval hero is simply not to be missed. Carefully examining the life and character of Horatio Nelson from all angles, explaining the strategic and tactical environment in which he worked and helpfully extrapolating upon the values of the society in which he lived, this work will certainly be the gold standard for Nelson biographers for many years to come. Nelson was no cardboard hero, and I enjoyed explaini [...]

Thoroughly researched, comprehensive, and objective, but many of the details and particulars could have best been left to footnotes and appendices. Do we really need a day-by-day recounting of Nelson's visit to Wales? Or a discussion of the precise medical cause of his death? That said, this is a seminal work on Nelson's life and career, well-worth a read.

Excellent! Having read Nelson, A Dream Of Glory some years ago I've been waiting for this book for quite some time. It was worth the wait. Excellent research as ever, a balanced view of Nelson and well referenced for further reading. Brilliant book!

brilliant and compelling, but so full of the detail that a comprehensive life entails that some episodes dragged a bit.

detailed history into the latter part of nelson's life from battle of the nile to his death