The Naval Campaign of 1805 - Trafalgar. Translated and Edited by Constance Eastwick.

Oxford: At the Clarendon Press,, 1933. Rare essential account of the Trafalgar campaign A superb set of the first and only English edition of a work which is without doubt the black pearl of Nelson collecting. Originally published in French in 1907, nothing comparable was ever done in English, Corbett depending heavily on this "monumental work" for his own important study of the battle published in 1910. Its importance has never been superseded, and strangely it has never been reprinted. "Published under the direction of the Section Historique de l'État-major de l'Armée it contains the first attempt to form a real Staff History of the campaign, and although it makes no pretence of dealing adequately with the unpublished English material, it places us for the first time in a position to see that campaign as it really was. My debt to Colonel Desbrière... is almost beyond recognition" (from Corbett's preface to The Campaign of Trafalgar). This English edition was handsomely produced by the Oxford University Press. Provenance: neatly inked ownership inscriptions on the front free endpapers, "Jo. Hamilton, Ardent 1934". Sir John, Hamilton (1910-1994), was educated Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, and joined the Royal Navy in 1924, second in command HMS Ardent, 1934. He qualified as a gunnery specialist in 1936 and subsequently held significant postings in the field, becoming training development officer at the gunnery school 1939-40, and Fleet Anti-Aircraft Gunnery Officer 1940-42. Promoted to commander of the gunnery division in 1943 he was instrumental in planning naval fire support for Normandy landings, and subsequently compiling the analysis of operations. Transferred to South East Asia as commander, Naval Bombardment, Force 'W', he undertook the planning and training for a projected invasion of Malaya. He retired in 1967 as Commander-in-Chief Allied Forces, Mediterranean. 2 vols, octavo. Photogravure facsimile frontispiece and 6 folding maps and plans in an end-pocket to vol. I, 13 folding maps and plans in end-pocket to vol. II. Original black cloth, spines lettered in gilt, single fillet panels in blind to the boards. The lightest of shelf-wear, mild discolouration and pale foxing at the endpapers particularly around the folding maps, similarly slight dog-earing of the rear free endpapers from the end-pocket, contemporary Foyle's ticket, inverted, to the front pastedown of volume I, but overall an exemplary set.