Description

With the approach of the 200th anniversary of the Royal Navy's greatest battle off Cape Trafalgar on 21 October 1805, much attention is being given to the most tangible symbol of that epic engagement-Nelson's fully preserved flagship HMS Victory. Noted historian Peter Goodwin, Keeper and Curator of Victory, offers a fresh approach to the subject in this book by delving into the workings of the famed ship with a lively question-and-answer format based on thousands of inquiries submitted by visitors and historians alike. Selecting 101 of the most intriguing questions, Goodwin provides full and detailed responses on the types of wood used in building Victory, why she was named Victory, her longest voyage, the amount of shot fired from her guns at Trafalgar, and when her career as a fighting ship ended. This new volume will be enjoyed by age-of-sail buffs and researchers seeking a new reference work on the only surviving line-of-battle ship of the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.