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When Napoleon eventually died in exile, the Lords of the Admiralty ordered the original dispatches from seven major fleet battles be gathered and presented to the nation. Letters written home during the war by admirals, captains, surgeons, boatswains, were bound in an immense volume. Naval historian Willis stumbled across this mostly forgotten collection in the British Library in 2010. Here he publishes selections of the material against a backdrop of political and naval history, character portraits, and thrilling details of life in battle at sea. WW Norton. 1st US Edition. 2014. Hb, Dj. List $35. NEW. $32.00