Nelson’s Favourite, by A Deane

Nelson’s Favourite. HMS Agamemnon at War 1781–1809
by Anthony Deane
First edition, Signed copy

In this book the author recounts the 28-year career of HMS Agamemnon, a 64-gun ship of the line which became one of the most famous vessels of the Royal Navy commanded between 1793 and 1796 by Nelson, who always referred to her as his favourite ship. For three decade the most crucial decades of British naval history, Agamemnon was at the centre of events, fighting at the Battle of the Saintes, the Battle of Copenhagen and, of course, Trafalgar. Later she served in the West Indies, participating in the Battle of Santa Domingo and then in South American waters until she was wrecked in Maldonado Bay off the coast of present-day Uruguay, in 1809. By extensive use of contemporary documents and officers’ logs, including a full Admiralty Sailing Qualities report for the ship and a transcript of the court-martial of her captain following her loss, the author tells the story of this famous ship in unparalleled detail providing all the information on all aspects of the operation of Britain’s ‘Wooden Walls’, accounts of the conditions of life at sea for officers and men during the Napoleonic Wars and detailed histories of the campaigns in which Agamemnon was involved.

Hardback with protective cellophane cover. Excellent condition.
There is a yellow mark on the front endpaper and very slight yellowing to the edges of the inside pages, but otherwise in excellent condition.

Anthony Deane is a descendant of the Deane family (Charles and John Deane who invented the helmet which gave rise to the copper helmets which established the diving industry).
After some correspondence following the publication of John Bevan’s book, The Infernal Diver, Anthony Deane presented this book to John Bevan and dedicated it on the title page: “To John Bevan, this token of my esteem from one author to another”

320 pages. 8 pages of black and white photographs and some black and white illustrations
155 mm x 220 mm (approx. 6 in x 8.75 in)
First Edition, 1996, Chatham Publishing, London