Nelsons Purse

Much has been written about Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson, whose glorious naval career ended at the Battle of Trafalgar, where the half-blind, one-armed Nelson, wearing a blood-stained purse, gave his life to secure Britain's supremacy for another century. Yet Martyn Downer's surprise discovery of an unknown treasure trove of Nelson's letters and personal effects puts existing accounts of the hero into question. This find of a lifetime provides an intimate look at the personal life of the brilliant commander through the eyes of his closest friend, Alexander Davison--the confidant not only of Nelson but also of his mistress Lady Hamilton and estranged wife Fanny. As Downer reveals in this extraordinary tale, Davison's correspondence with Europe's most famous love triangle is the key to a new interpretation of Nelson. From their first meeting in 1782, Davison shared the triumphs and suffered the setbacks with Nelson, managing every aspect of his civilian and personal affairs. Downer's narrative releases long-forgotten voices from never before published correspondence as Lady Hamilton, Lady Nelson, and Nelson himself reveal previously unknown depths of their turbulent triangle.