That Hamilton Woman (Hardback)
Emma and Nelson
5 STAR RATING
"No one in her time could resist Emma Hamilton, and nor will you"
★★★★★ The Guardian
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Emma Hamilton, much maligned by her contemporaries and later by historians and commentators, rose from the most humble beginnings to play a startling role in Britain’s naval victory over France and Spain in 1805. In this new book Barry Gough, employing the letters between the protagonists, and the unpublished examination of her career by famed American historian of the Royal Navy Arthur Marder, strongly defends Emma. He shows how this most talented of women and the beauty of her age fell victim to innuendo, slander and cruel caricature. She was to die in poverty in Calais in 1815, just months before Napoleon’s final defeat.
England’s greatest sailor fell deeply in love with Emma in the years before Trafalgar. This, together with his quest for glory and victory entangled him in an inescapable web of circumstances and calumny. The author explores the evolving scandal, the high political stakes that were involved, and the love affair itself which so influenced the fortunes of England’s glory and the fate of her Wooden Walls. No novelist could have created such a tortuous scenario, charged as it was with high emotions, slurs, insults and slander.
Richly illustrated throughout, the book shows Emma, probably the most painted woman of her age, in all her glories; it also shows how heartlessly caricaturists treated her. ‘That Hamilton woman’ will long remain a controversial figure but here the author places her as one of the forces that gave the Royal Navy its will to fight and conquer. He depicts sympathetically a woman entrapped in circumstances of her own making, her saga reminding us of how frail is human fortune.
This attractive little book makes a handy companion to the current exhibition at the National Maritime Museum.
The Nelson Dispatch Autumn 2016
This book will appeal to people wanting an overview of Emma Hamilton’s life and her relationship with Nelson. It ought to serve well as a companion to the National Maritime Museum’s special exhibition, Emma Hamilton: Seduction and celebrity.
Mariner's Mirror - reviewed by Thomas Malcomson
An excellent little book and beautifully illustrated... There is a considerable body of literature about Emma, and That Hamilton Woman is set to join the best.
Warships IFR, January 2017 – reviewed by Peter Hore
I was personally drawn to this story because Nelson's great nephew, Major General Horatio Nelson Davies' wife's brother was one of my great great grandfathers, and Charles Greville is my 5 greats uncle. I also have a modern (and I think fairly crude) mezzotint of Romney's depiction of Emma Hamilton at her spinning wheel. However I would also recommend this book – romance, adventure story, political history - to any general reader with an interest in Lord Nelson. Even with Southey and Oman and other biographies of him on my shelves already it is still a case of semper aliquod novi ex Nelson.
ARRSE
Read the full review here.
Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson fell in love with Emma Hamilton in the years before Trafalgar. This romance, together with his quest for glory and victory, made him the talk of the age. The author explores the evolving scandal, the high political stakes that were involved, and the love affair itself – which influenced not just their lives, but England’s destiny. Gough draws on the letters between the protagonists and in particular the findings of the historian of the Royal Navy Arthur Marder.
Action-Adventure Historical Fiction, Julian Stockwin
As featured in
Antiques Diary, November-December 2016
This is a nicely balanced review with a sympathetic hand that the heroin deserves. A particular delight is provided by a fine selection of paintings and cartoons, mostly in full colour. These can be enjoyed as art, but they also directly support the author’s presentation of the story.
Firetrench
Read the full review here.
Richly illustrated throughout, the book shows Emma, probably the most painted woman of her age, in all her glories; it also shows how heartlessly caricaturists treated her. ‘That Hamilton woman’ will long remain a controversial figure but here the author places her as one of the forces that gave the Royal Navy its will to fight and conquer. He depicts sympathetically a woman entrapped in circumstances of her own making, her saga reminding us of how frail is human fortune.
The Emma Hamilton Society
About Barry Gough
BARRY GOUGH was professor of history at Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario until retirement in 2004. An expert on the maritime history of the Pacific Ocean, he has published widely on Anglo-Canadian naval subjects. His dual biography, Historical Dreadnoughts Marder and Roskill, was published by Seaforth in 2010.
Emma, Lady Hamilton, rose from poverty to become a media celebrity, and her relationship with Admiral Nelson, and her renowned beauty, made her the most instantly-recognisable woman of her era, with the press following her every move. She was a friend of Queen Maria Carolina of Naples, longed-after by the Prince of Wales, and was a high society fashion icon. Born in 1765, Emma was the daughter of the village blacksmith in Neston, Cheshire, who died just two months later, leaving the family in difficult circumstances. After failing to find a permanent position locally, Emma took the stagecoach…
By Hugh ToursClick here to buy both titles for £22.99
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