After two centuries of biographies and analyses of the man who shaped the course of history from the decks of his ships, Admiral Lord Nelson speaks for himself in this collection of compelling excerpts from his private letters and dispatches. Through Nelson's own words readers come to fully appreciate the admiral's piercing insights and provocative opinions. With chapters devoted to such subjects as duty, com-bat, politics, sea power, life and death, and Nelson's views of himself and his wife, Frances Nisbet, and paramour, Lady Hamilton, the book offers an array of memorable quotations. Each is placed in context to give contemporary dimension to the words. Rare engravings depicting events in Nelson's life accompany the text. While conventional biographies develop the figure from the outside, this presentation of Nelson's innermost thoughts, assembled by an astute re-searcher, creates a candid self-portrait. For those already familiar with the admiral's accomplishments, the book offers an opportunity to explore his personality more deeply. For those only vaguely familiar with him, the book provides an opportunity to get to know one of Britain's most inspiring and complex personalities. Important lessons still are to be learned from the victor of the battles of the Nile, Copenhagen, and Trafalgar, and, as this book ably demonstrates, Nelson's words could be more instructive today than they were at the onset of Britain's maritime dominance.