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On August 1, 1798, Admiral Horatio Nelson and the British navy sailed into Abukir Bay, Egypt. After months of searching the Mediterranean Sea, Nelson finally had the French fleet cornered. Disregarding naval convention, Nelson readied his fleet for battle even though it was nearing evening. By the end of the next day, the French fleet was in tatters and Napoleon's flagship, the enormous Orient, had exploded with such fury that fewer than 100 of the 1,000 or so men aboard her survived. Nelson and his "Band of Brothers" had achieved a spectacular victory in what Patrick O'Brian called "the best naval battle of the millennium."
Napoleon's Lost Fleet recounts the story of the Battle of the Nile and the underwater archaeological expedition to the remains of the Orient in Abukir Bay. Lavishly illustrated, full of informative sidebars, the book careens around from topic to topic like Nelson chasing the French fleet around the Mediterranean--highlighting Napoleon, Josephine, Egyptian art, naval life, Nelson, and even Emma Hamilton. Short shrift is given to the valiant Comte de Brueys, the French admiral, who dreaded meeting the English fleet but was stranded waiting for orders from Napoleon--100 miles away in Cairo. Those caveats aside, Napoleon's Lost Fleet is a remarkably handsome volume, and the history--though haphazardly presented--is sound and accessible. Naval historians will find little new here, but armchair sea dogs and Aubrey-Maturin fans will enjoy the anecdotes, maps, and salty narrative. Anglophiles may wish to adopt an alternate title: Nelson Trounces the French, Act 1. --Sunny Delaney
From Library Journal
Lavishly illustrated and crisply written, this polished history succeeds on several levels as it depicts one of history's greatest naval battles and the two military men whose names will be forever linked. The Battle of the Nile, fought in 1798 in Egypt's Abukir Bay between the British fleet commanded by Lord Horatio Nelson and the French fleet of Napoleon Bonaparte, prevented the Mediterranean Sea from becoming a French lake and ensured Britain's dominance as the only global naval power in the Napoleonic era. Nelson's astonishingly bold nighttime victory over the French made Nelson a hero and forced Napoleon to abandon his army in Egypt and flee back to France. In addition to the naval battle, the authors (both journalists) provide dramatic background to the lives of both Nelson the sailor and Napoleon the emperor. The spirited narrative also includes a photo essay of the 1996 underwater archaeological discovery of the French fleet at the bottom of Abukir Bay. A superb companion to the Discovery Channel's television program of the same name; recommended for all public libraries.AWilliam D. Bushnell, USMC (ret.), Brunswick, ME Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Reflecting its television tie-in to a Discovery Channel series, this visually rich vessel transports readers back to the age of sail. In 1798, the French Directory, stymied in its desire to invade England, launched its fabled invasion of Egypt, placing Napoleon Bonaparte at its head and pitting him against Britain's Horatio Nelson. The authors, following summary biographies of each principal, recount the preliminary maneuvering of the fleets and then offer a stirring rendition of the battle itself, including Nelson's signature attack, which engendered his legend: despite inferior numbers, he sallied in immediately, split his enemy's line, surrounded its fragments, and defeated them in detail. Supporting the main narrative are sidebars on the technology of wooden warships and the discomforts of serving on them, as well as a rich representation of the paintings inspired by the battle, including three of the explosion of L'Orient. Gilbert Taylor
From Kirkus Reviews
Companion piece to a Discovery Channel documentary of the same title, this generalist overview of the Napoleonic wars offers little except a few pictures of ``treasures'' from the destroyed French fleet. The Battle of the Nile in 1798 was one of the pivotal events in the Napleonic wars, which pitted almost all of Europe against the threatening French army. Won by the British fleet (led by Horatio Nelson), the battle stopped Napoleons attempted conquest of Eygpt, then controlled by the Ottomans. Employing a main narrative heavily supplemented by sidebars, journalist Foreman and former Time-Life books editor Phillips attempt to portray Nelson and Napoleon as equals pitted against each other when a more historically accurate match-up would be Nelson and Admiral Franois Paul de Brueys, who commanded the French fleet. The book lacks any coherent structure and only gets to the battle in the last 50 pages. Before that, the authors engage in a clichd retelling of such well-worn topics as Napleon and Josephine, Nelsons early career, and the French Revolution. Though mostly written in the form of sidebars, these asides serve little purpose except to muddy all sense of historical context and lose track of the books subject. Foreman and Phillips are competent enough, but their work lacks any imagination or new scholarship. Those really interested in the Battle of the Nile would be far better served reading any of the recent biographies of Nelson. Underwater pictures (none of them very thrilling) with a little bit of narrative around them. -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
USA Today, Sept. 16, 1999
"Napoleon's Lost Fleet, the companion volume to a Discovery Channel program is a lucid, concise account that puts that seminal naval battle in context."
Book Description
ugust 1, 1798: Thirteen French ships sit anchored in Aboukir Bay off the coast of Alexandria, Egypt, in support of Napoleon, now ashore with the bulk of his troops. Nighttime approaches--and so do the British.
Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson has for months been hunting Napoleon at sea; now, upon his command, the English fleet opens fire on the surprised and trapped enemy. By battle's end, nearly all of the French ships are sunk or captured, and the 120-gun flagship Orient--the pride of the French navy--has exploded. With 1,700 of his men dead, Bonaparte's ability to dominate the region is crushed. Nelson becomes a hero throughout all of Britain.
Discovery Books presents Napoleon's Lost Fleet: Bonaparte, Nelson, and the Battle of the Nile, a spirited chronicle of Lord Nelson's pursuit of Napoleon as the French general set out to capture Egypt. Gifted storytellers Laura Foreman and Ellen Blue Phillips bring this great age of naval warfare to life as they recount the greed, audacity, bravery, and bloodshed that made up this, the Battle of the Nile.
With equal parts bold narrative and historical accuracy, the authors show Bonaparte and Nelson as complex and brilliant militarists destined to lead their countries to glory. That Nelson prevailed in Egypt was testament to his impudence, his highly maneuverable ships--and considerable good fortune. Despite an ill-equipped, undermanned, and financially strapped navy, Napoleon had assembled a formidable armada of 13 battleships, 300 transport vessels, and 38,000 men. His plan to conquer Egypt--which started off with a treasure-raiding stop at Malta along the way--might well have succeeded if the pursuing Nelson had not followed a hunch about Bonaparte's destination.
Following this riveting account of the chase, the battle, and the aftermath, the book takes readers far beneath Aboukir Bay with French underwater explorer Franck Goddio and his team as they dive at the site of the Orient and two other sunken French ships, the Serieuse and the Artemise. There they uncover and salvage exotic coins, artillery, personal artifacts, and other finds that speak eloquently of life at sea and at war in the late eighteenth century.
Lavishly illustrated with more than 200 extraordinary full-color photographs, expedition images, portraits, scenic paintings, and battle maps, Napoleon's Lost Fleet joins military history with cutting-edge marine archaeology to captivate all lovers of discovery.
From the Publisher
Quote from Ben Weider, President of the International Napoleonic Society, and author of The Murder of Napoleon and Assassination at St. Helena Revisited:
Napoleon's Lost Fleet is a book that would interest not only Naploeonic fans but the public in general. It is fascinating that over 200 years after the event, discoverying Napoleon's Lost Fleet was a most exciting and interesting experience. The book is exciting, interesting, and highly educational, and I strongly recommend it.
Inside Flap Copy
August 1, 1798: Thirteen French ships sit anchored in Aboukir Bay off the coast of Alexandria, Egypt, in support of Napoleon, now ashore with the bulk of his troops. Nighttime approaches--and so do the British.
Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson has for months been hunting Napoleon at sea; now, upon his command, the English fleet opens fire on the surprised and trapped enemy. By battle's end, nearly all of the French ships are sunk or captured, and the 120-gun flagship Orient--the pride of the French navy--has exploded. With 1,700 of his men dead, Bonaparte's ability to dominate the region is crushed. Nelson becomes a hero throughout all of Britain.
Discovery Books presents Napoleon's Lost Fleet: Bonaparte, Nelson, and the Battle of the Nile, a spirited chronicle of Lord Nelson's pursuit of Napoleon as the French general set out to capture Egypt. Gifted storytellers Laura Foreman and Ellen Blue Phillips bring this great age of naval warfare to life as they recount the greed, audacity, bravery, and bloodshed that made up this, the Battle of the Nile.
With equal parts bold narrative and historical accuracy, the authors show Bonaparte and Nelson as complex and brilliant militarists destined to lead their countries to glory. That Nelson prevailed in Egypt was testament to his impudence, his highly maneuverable ships--and considerable good fortune. Despite an ill-equipped, undermanned, and financially strapped navy, Napoleon had assembled a formidable armada of 13 battleships, 300 transport vessels, and 38,000 men. His plan to conquer Egypt--which started off with a treasure-raiding stop at Malta along the way--might well have succeeded if the pursuing Nelson had not followed a hunch about Bonaparte's destination.
Following this riveting account of the chase, the battle, and the aftermath, the book takes readers far beneath Aboukir Bay with French underwater explorer Franck Goddio and his team as they dive at the site of the Orient and two other sunken French ships, the Serieuse and the Artemise. There they uncover and salvage exotic coins, artillery, personal artifacts, and other finds that speak eloquently of life at sea and at war in the late eighteenth century.
Lavishly illustrated with more than 200 extraordinary full-color photographs, expedition images, portraits, scenic paintings, and battle maps, Napoleon's Lost Fleet joins military history with cutting-edge marine archaeology to captivate all lovers of discovery.
About the Author
About the Authors:
Laura Foreman is the author of Cleopatra's Palace: In Search of a Legend. An accomplished journalist, she has worked for the Associated Press, UPI, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and The New York Times. She lives in New Orleans.
Ellen Blue Phillips, based in Washington, D.C., is an editor and author of numerous books and articles. She is also the former executive editor of Time-Life Books.
About the Consultants:
Colin White is deputy director and head of museum services at the Royal Naval Museum in Portsmouth, England; author of the acclaimed book 1797: Nelson's Year of Destiny; and editor of the bestseller The Nelson Companion.
William S. Cormackis the author of Revolution and Political Conflict in the French Navy, 1789-1794. A leading scholar on the life and times of Napoleon, he is an assistant professor of history at the University of Guelph in Ontario, Canada.
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