The Fighting Temeraire

The Battle of Trafalgar and the Ship that Inspired J. M. W. Turner's Most Beloved Painting

By: Sam Willis

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Paperback | 12 March 2012

At a Glance

Paperback
376 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
21.59 x 14.22 x 2.79

Paperback

$46.75

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The extraordinary story of the mighty Temeraire, the ship behind J. M. W. Turner's iconic painting.

The H.M.S. Temeraire, one of Britain s most illustrious fighting ships, is known to millions through J.M.W. Turner s masterpiece, The Fighting Temeraire (1839), which portrays the battle-scarred veteran of Britain s wars with Napoleonic France. In this evocative new volume, Sam Willis tells the extraordinary story of the vessel behind the painting and the making of the painting itself.

Turner's Temeraire was the second ship in the Royal Navy to carry the name. The first, a French warship captured and commandeered by the British in 1759, served with distinction during the Seven Years' War before being sold off in 1784. The second Temeraire, named in honor of her predecessor, was a prestigious three-decked, 98-gun warship that broke through the French and Spanish line directly astern of Nelson s flagship Victory at Trafalgar in 1805, saving the Vice-Admiral at a crucial moment in the battle. This tale of two ships spans the heyday of the age of sail: the climaxes of both the Seven Years War (1756-63) and the Napoleonic Wars (1798-1815).

Filled with richly evocative detail, and narrated with the pace and gusto of a master storyteller, The Fighting Temeraire is an enthralling and deeply satisfying work of narrative history.

Industry Reviews

Fascinating. Sam Willis 's The Fighting Temeraire is an elegant lament for the vanished warships of the world and an eloquent plea for the preservation of those still afloat. Anyone who has the smallest interest in naval history will treasure this book. Fascinating. Sam Willis s The Fighting Temeraire is an elegant lament for the vanished warships of the world and an eloquent plea for the preservation of those still afloat. Anyone who has the smallest interest in naval history will treasure this book. " Absorbing and enjoyable. Willis is a reliable and readable guide to the naval history embodied in the Temeraire. His book cleverly uses the microcosm of the life story of one ship to reflect the wider narrative of the decades-long struggle between Britain and France for mastery of the seas. "

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