This volume in 'Conway's Compass Series' integrates an original narrative with quotations from documents and eyewitnesses, and reproductions of contemporary illustrations or photographs to provide an authoritative account of the campaign, battle and denouement. This eclectic approach offers both the perspective of hindsight, placing actions in context, and the immediacy of being present as the events unfold. These are not only described, but also explained, in the words of historians and participants. In addition to the narrative and the documentary excerpts, sidebars and boxed-out sections deal with specific themes, such as the biographies of important naval commanders like Nelson, Collingwood, Villeneuve and Gravina, comparisons between the rival fleets and nations, and similar events in history. The list of subjects planned for inclusion in this series range across the whole spectrum of maritime history. They include nautical tragedies, voyages of exploration, single actions or whole naval campaigns, and themes of naval science.