A Thirst for Glory - The Life of Admiral Sir Sidney Smith

Admiral Sir Sidney Smith liked to think of himself as a second Nelson, and there were remarkable parallels between the two. Smith and Nelson shared the credit for changing the course of history by ending Napoleon Bonaparte's dream of eastern conquest - Nelson at the Battle of the Nile and Smith by his defence of Acre. While Nelson has become the unrivalled national hero, Smith has been almost forgotten. yet had his advice been followed, campaigns in the Middle East would have been unnecessary and thousands of lives saved. 'Tom Pocock is one of the leading naval historians, and writes with learning and great narrative elan. This is a sympathetic and hugely entertaining portrait of a figure Napoleon both admired and considered 'half mad'.