Hilary L. Rubinstein
The Battle of Trafalgar was the most decisive sea-battle ever fought. The victory in 1805 had checked Napoleonâ€™s lingering hopes for an invasion of Britain and smashed Spainâ€™s status as a first-class naval power. It brought Britain a mastery of the seas that would last for the next 100 years.Philip Durham was one of the 27 sea captains at Trafalgar. Captain of the ,Defiance,, a 74-gun warship, he narrowly avoided death during one of many furious actions at Trafalgar when a splintered shaft of wood nearly severed his leg. Despite his injuries, he fought on to capture a Spanish man-of-war and a French 74-gunwarship,., This is the story of how Durham forced Nelson to allow him to take part in Trafalgar, and his dramatic experiences of the most epic of naval victories.
Trafalgar Captain: Durham of the Defiance: The Man who Refused to Miss Trafalgar