Every Man Will Do His Duty: An Anthology of Firsthand Accounts from the Age of Nelson

The story of Great Britain was written in seawater, and no period was more important than the two decades under scrutiny in Dean King's Every Man Will Do His Duty. This collection of memoirs, diaries, and accounts written by Royal Navy personnel (both English and American) during the Napoleonic period will be a sure hit with any reader who has devoured the Aubrey-Maturin novels of Patrick O'Brian. Every Man Will Do His Duty the title is, of course, Admiral Lord Nelson's famous admonition to his sailors at Trafalgar pulses with the vividness, immediacy, and honesty that only primary sources can supply. The book is filled with intriguing details of war as it was practiced on the high seas from 1793 to 1815. Editor King has done an excellent job selecting his sources; in addition to views from the captain's quarters, Every Man Will Do His Duty boasts plenty of material penned by mariners of a much humbler station; their accounts provide the bulk of the book's humor. Fans of the nautical novel will find this book a worthy addition to their library, and so will students of English history.