Pirates and Privateers

The first Victory is an Elizabethan merchant ship that is transformed into a race-built galleon. Over the years, a total of seven have borne the name, but it is the last that is most remembered and remains “the oldest warship still in commission in any navy.” (10) This stately lady participates in several notable sea battles, including Trafalgar, and witnesses the death of many, particularly that of Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson. Her keel is laid in July 1759; it takes the oak from 6,000 trees to build her (10-15% of which remains original to this day); and her hull costs £63,176 when completed in April 1765. She spends the next thirteen years in Ordinary, waiting for the day when the Royal Navy will need her. That day arrives in 1778, the same year in which she first fires on the enemy (the French) at Ushant in the English Channel.

Reminiscent of coffee-table books of yore, HMS Victory is a fascinating, “you-are-there” guide that explores this legendary warship deck by deck from bow to stern and keel to masthead. Your journey begins the moment you open the cover, inside of which is a labeled diagram of her different decks from poop to hold. A wealth of fabulous color photographs enrich your tour and illustrate every page from the front endpaper to the resource list.

The book is divided into two sections. The first is a narrative summary of her history, which opens with a fascinating comparison between Victory, the most technologically advanced warship of her day, and today’s HMS Daring, a destroyer that can attack an enemy from sixty miles away. The next twenty-two pages discuss:

The Line of Battle
With a Heart of Oak
Off to War
Trafalgar: The Battle and After
The Immortal Ship

Subsequent pages, 96 in all, are devoted to splendid color photographs of the ship, accompanied by explanatory captions and brief summaries of Victory. This portion of the book explores:

The Hull (including special segments on Ship’s Carving and Anchors)
The Lower Deck (including special segments on Capstans and Guns)
The Orlop Deck and Hold
The Middle Deck (including special segments on Feeding the Navy, In the Heat of Battle, and Gun Tackle & Equipment)
The Upper Deck (including a special segment on Gunports)
The Quarterdeck, Waist, Forecastle and Poop (including special segments on Ship’s Boats and Flags & Signals)
The Masts and Rigging
Legacy and Restoration

Throughout the book, the authors explain the nautical lingo whenever it appears, so readers easily understand what’s being discussed. Measurements are given in feet and inches as well as meters. Even though the text summarizes, rather than explaining in great detail, it contains a host of wonderful details and historic tidbits to please mariner and layperson alike. The bibliography lists published works, archival resources, and websites, but a number of the latter – including the one given in the picture credits – are no longer viable.

First published in 2011, this entry in Seaforth’s Historic Ships series remains a vital resource and a wonderful tour of HMS Victory. This reprinting allows new readers to explore, learn about, and understand how important she was and is to maritime and naval history.  Whether you’ve had the pleasure of visiting this grand lady and want reminders of what you saw, or just want to experience what she must have been like when her officers and crew walk her decks, HMS Victory: First Rate 1765 is a worthy treasure without a significant monetary sacrifice. It is a book you will savor and enjoy for years to come.

Meet Iain Ballantyne

Review Copyright ©2018 Cindy Vallar




Victory: From Fighting the Armada to Trafalgar and Beyond
by Iain Ballantyne and Jonathan Eastland
Pen & Sword, 2013, ISBN 978-1-7815963-9, US $29.95 / UK £14.95

In 1778, the British Royal Navy commissions a first-rate vessel, christened HMS Victory; today, she is the oldest warship in the fleet. While the principal portion of this book concerns the flagship of Admiral Horatio Nelson, the authors also discuss those who command her before him, the battles in which she fights, and the men who serve aboard her. They also examine what becomes of Victory after the Battle of Trafalgar and Nelson’s tragic death.

Nelson’s Victory is the seventh warship to bear that name, and this book is also about her predecessors. The first Victory helps to defend England against the Spanish Armada in the 16th century and serves as the flagship of Sir John Hawkins, but begins life as a merchant ship named Great Christopher. When she becomes part of the royal fleet, Queen Elizabeth chooses her new name. Among her duties is the protection of merchantmen from Spanish and Dunkirk pirates. The second Victory cruises against Barbary pirates and French privateers before becoming part of the Parliamentarian Navy during the English Civil War. Number three participates in the second Anglo-Dutch War, taking part in the Four-Days’ Fight in which Vice Admiral Sir Christopher Myngs dies in 1666. Nearly three decades later, Royal James is altered and twice renamed HMS Victory (numbers four and five). She assists in the defense of Britain in wars against France and Spain during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The sixth vessel disappears during a storm in 1744; all aboard are presumed dead and her loss is deemed “the very worst Naval catastrophe on record.” (35)

Resource notes appear at the end of each chapter. Black-&-white illustrations, diagrams, and maps populate the text, providing additional information relevant to information in the various chapters. The book includes a glossary of nautical terms, several appendices (including information about what becomes of the sixth Victory), a bibliography, a list of archival and Internet sources, and an index.

One element that makes this book stand out is that the authors don’t just relate stories about the commanders who serve aboard the seven warships; also told are tales from those who serve under the officers. Nor are the warts glossed over or ignored here. To round out her history, the authors include information about the “old men and other flag officers who put their personal fears (and ambitions) before the good of their country, or indeed the welfare of the men they commanded.” (xv) Rather than rehash material that has appeared in print before, Ballantyne and Eastland cull the archives to incorporate new or forgotten gems. Victory is a very readable and interesting introduction to the Navy’s evolution, those who serve aboard the various vessels, and the immortal ship that is now the Flagship of the Royal Navy’s First Sea Lord.

Meet Iain Ballantyne

Review Copyright ©2014 Cindy Vallar

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