With the utmost possible despatch : poems of Nelson's navy

Twenty three modern epic poems of Nelson's Navy, written in a robust, traditional style with a rhythm and pace that captures the atmosphere of that dramatic century when Britannia truly ruled the waves.

The poems: - reflect both Nelson's genius as an Admiral and his complex private life, particularly his relationship with Emma Hamilton - celebrate his extraordinary seamanship in the great battles of the Nile, Copenhagen, Santa Cruz and Trafalgar. - recall the harsh conditions under which ordinary British sailors served their country at sea. - paint a stark and bloody picture of the ferocious fighting at close quarters between British sailors and their enemies at sea. - depict Nelson's maverick approach to established naval tactics and his extraordinary risk-taking at the Battle of Trafalgar.

Harry Turner is the author of Against All Hazards - Poems of the Peninsular War also published by Spellmount.