Nelson's Pathfinders: A Forgotten Story in the Triumph of British Sea Power

The remarkable story of how a handful of intrepid scientific navigators underpinned British naval dominance in the conflict with Napoleon

During the Napoleonic Wars, more than twice as many British warships were lost to shipwreck than in battle. The Royal Navy’s fleets had to operate in unfamiliar seas and dangerous coastal waters, where navigational ignorance was as great a threat as enemy guns. If Britain was to win the war, improved intelligence was vital.

In this landmark account, Mic...