I thoroughly enjoyed this book which I must admit surprised me somewhat. I expected to struggle with nautical terms and find a history of just on ship too specific but Cordingly does an incredible job bringing the plucky Bellerphon into context with the larger events of the time. The ship haunted Napoleon throughout his wars with Britain fighting at the glorious first of June, Trafalgar, the Nile and then playing the role of host to Napoleon when he surrendered.

An enthralling story, masterfully told.

A pleasant, easy read--the history of one of England's "Wooden Walls." Requires a bit of Napoleonic Naval background. Seemingly inconsistently, however, the book's flaw is that for large sections in the middle, it becomes a generalized history of the conflict. So, when Nelson's fleet first arrives in Alexandria, without spotting Napoleon, "We do not know how Captain Darby took the news." The book is far better when reporting on specific events, especially based on recollections of crewman or paintings of the famous ship. Bellerophon, of course, reaches the pinnacle of fame in its last days of active service: ferrying Napoleon from France to Torbay Harbor in England where the decision was made to exile the ex-Emperor in St Helena.

Worth a read for the Battle of the Nile and its most famous passenger.

An enjoyable bit of history telling the story of a ship of the line passing through many conflicts and being a key part of the Napoleonic Wars.

I'm not a sailor, so a lot of the details about ships and maneuvers are lost on me . . . but the battles are exciting, and its an intersting chronical of the development of the Napoleaonic Wars.

Enjoyed this book. Generally well written and it covers a particularly fascinating period of naval history. A very worthwhile read for any navy buff.

Another re-read, I first read this as a schoolboy. After Hornblower's adventures I had a keen interest in the navy under sail, and as far as I recall, this was my first scholarly book on the subject (and probably on any subject!)

It stands the test of time. A very readable account which tells the tale of a 'workhorse' 74-gun ship that happened to be in more significant actions than most. The book also gives a solid background on the navy and the sea-wars of the Revolutionary and Napoleonic periods. Well worth a read.