Despite his posthumous triumph at Trafalgar, the Battle of the Nile is often rated by historians as Nelson''s greatest and most complete victory. His daring decision to take his fleet into shallow and uncharted waters in Aboukir Bay in order to catch the anchored French fleet napping and rake them simultaneously with broadsides from both sides, paid off magnificently, resulting in the annihilation of the enemy, culminating with the spectacular explosion of the French flagship L''Orient - and stranding Napoleon''s army in Egypt. This book, written by the former Chaplain to Nelson''s mentor, the Earl of St Vincent, tells the story of the battle as seen by a witness. But the engagement is only the climax of a long voyage as Nelson followed, lost, searched for and finally found his quarry. Written and published in 1802, soon after the battle it describes, this, with maps and many engravings is a supremely interesting and rare account of Nelson''s navy in its finest hour.His drawings and journals of this expedition were '' the first, the most particular, and the most authentic account of the battle '' according to Dictionary of National Biography.
