The fame of Horatio Nelson, as Britain's greatest naval hero, has always been shadowed by the notoriety of his relations with women. His love affair with Lady Hamilton and the subsequent abandonment of his wife have tainted with scandal his achievement in giving his country global supremacy for a century. Yet these two - Emma and Fanny - were only the most prominent of a gallery of young women - family, friends and lovers - who were instrumental in shaping Nelson's life and character.
In this book. Tom Pocock examines the characters of the women whose lives were interwoven with the complex, yet charming, personality of Lord Nelson. He illuminates the character of Nelson's mother. who married her social inferior, and his sisters who were torn between their friendships with his wife and his mistress. Nelson's Women provides a fascinating insight into the character of Britain's best-loved naval hero through his relationships with women.