Southey is a magnificent writer, and Nelson a magnificent subject. Southey's prose is crisp and measured. He writes with such restraint, that his rare moments of high emotion are especially powerful. His sense of narrative is strong, and he makes Nelson's exploits dramatic and exciting. 

Nelson led a glorious life of military exploit and high romance. It is a gripping story, which takes the reader from rural Norfolk where he was born, to the Americas, the Caribbean, the Baltic and all over the Mediterranean, where Nelson achieved his greatest feats and committed his direst misdeeds. The story of his love for Emma Hamilton is moving—even if Southey tries to reduce this aspect of his life as much as possible. The story of his actions in Naples is shocking—and Southey does well to address it.

This book has long been remembered as a masterpiece of biography, concise, shapely and inspiring.