The Age of Fighting Sail

by Julian Stockwin
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5 books
I am writing a series about a young man press-ganged into the navy during the Wars with the French 1793-1815. My hero will eventually rise to the great heights of flying his own flag as Admiral - as a tiny handful actually did! Many readers ask me what further books can they find to learn more about this fascinating period in history when man had to woo the sea by skill alone. There are hundreds I could recommend but here are my top five:-
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Nelson's Navy

The Ships, Men and Organisation, 1793 - 1815
Brian Lavery, 2020
This book holds a special place in my bookshelves. Reprinted many times it is a classic reference to the period. Lavery’s description of life at sea is unparalleled, depicting a world far removed from the hardships and cruelty that is often attributed to conditions on the lower deck.

Seamanship in the Age of Sail

An Account of Shiphandling of the Sailing Man-O-War, 1600-1860
John Harland, 2015
A useful companion to Lavery’s Nelson’s Navy – my personal copy is quite well-thumbed! The book offers a definitive guide to every aspect of the handling of a man-of-war, explaining just how the ships of Nelson’s navy were actually sailed. Superb line drawings by the maritime artist Mark Myers enhance the text.

Jack Tar

Life in Nelson's Navy
Lesley Adkins, Roy Adkins, 2011
The Adkins husband-and-wife writing team used their background in archaeology to dig deep into historical archives in search of letters, diaries, and manuscripts to shed light on the ordinary sailors who manned the ships of the Georgian Navy. In essence, it is Jack Tar at work and play - in his own words.

Nelson's Navy in 100 Objects

Gareth Glover, 2021
During the Napoleonic Wars, the Royal Navy was the largest employer in the world. It maintained a fleet of close on 1,000 ships, including over 100 line-of-battle ships, and was responsible for the entire organisation of maintaining them at sea. Through his evocative selection of 100 objects Glover takes you back in time to share his admiration for a golden age when Britain ruled the seas.

Broadsides

Caricatures and the Navy 1756-1815
James Davey, Richard Johns, 2012
I’m greatly drawn to the caricaturists and satirists of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. In the days before the internet they were often vehicles for witty, sometimes very pointed, commentary on all aspects of society. This book, with prints from the National Maritime Museum, focuses on the Royal Navy during the later eighteenth and early nineteenth century.