Seize the Fire: Heroism, Duty, and the Battle of Trafalgar

The Battle of Trafalgar was the pivotal battle that established the British Empire as the master of the sea. It was the battle that prevented Napoleon from overtaking Great Britain, while it simultaneously ended the dominance of the Spanish Armada. Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson led the British fleet to victory and established himself as its greatest naval hero. The British destroyed the combined fleet of thirty-three Spanish and French ships, without losing one of their twenty-seven ships. Adam Nicholson details the reason for such a decisive victory for the British in his book Seize the Fire: Heroism, Duty, and the Battle of Trafalgar.

I had read an article that took concepts from the battle and applied them to business, and I had read a brief account of the battle itself in Winston Churchill's History of the English Speaking Peoples, but it was not until my friend John Butterfield shared this book with me that I spent any real time learning about the battle and its significance.

Nicolson clearly did his homework. I have read several great history books that targeted a specific time or event, but never one like this. There are eight chapters that explore why Nelson so decisively won: "Zeal," "Order and Anxiety," "Honour," "Love," "Boldness," "Violence," "Humanity," and "Nobility." The book looks at these characteristics, expounding on the differences and similarities between the British, and French and Spanish navies. It examines their commanders and traditions, showing that Trafalgar was not decided due to the technology of the ships, but based on the "meeting of men."

The magical quality of the book lies in the way Nicolson presents Nelson as a collision of Judeo-Christian, Greek, and Roman influences. Nicolson further ties in the culture of "England" by examining the works of Jane Austen, William Blake, Shakespeare, the Bible, and Homer, to show why Nelson will remain Britain's greatest naval hero.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and recommend it to anyone who wants a difficult, but stimulating read that explores the motives of men in a historical context. At the onset of reading the book, I was allured and intrigued to naval warfare the same way Robinson Cruesoe was at an early age; however, by the end of the book, the horrific reality emerged and the romantic aspect disappeared.