Admiral Lord Nelson is one of the most celebrated of military commanders, pursuing victories often against impossible odds and courageously putting himself in terrible danger. His exploits at Cadiz, the Battle of the Nile, Copenhagen and, of course, at Trafalgar are well documented, but sometimes the man himself is eclipsed by the events he did so much to shape. In Christopher Hibbert's "Nelson: A Personal History" we are given a full and intimate portrait of Horatio Nelson from his checkered youth, through his first commission and his rapid advance to Commander of the Fleet. But we also learn of his private life - of his thoughts on his fellows, war, his long affair with Lady Hamilton - and discover why history has found him such a compelling figure.