Sir Sidney Smith was a kind of nemesis for Napoleon Bonaparte, one who in his own words ‘made me miss my destiny’. The book’s title comes from a saying which says of heroes: ‘The more you come to know them, the less you will think of them.’
Renowned for his bravery in battle, he was a key figure of the turn of the nineteenth century who gave Britain leadership against the French dictator.
In spite of this, in subsequent years his reputation was tarnished by contemporary historians due to a brief consort with the Princess of Wales and allegedly disobeying Admiral Nelson’s order. These continue to have a negative effect on his reputation to the present day.
Peter Shankland tells the story of Sir Sidney’s brilliant career and attempts to invalidate the claims of historians before him. Of his subject he writes that ‘poems were written in his honour, and ladies shed tears over his suffering and his gallantry.’
He received honorary degrees from Oxford and Cambridge, and eminent noblemen such as the Grand Vizier treated him with the utmost respect, and Turks, Egyptians and Greeks spoke of his legend thanks to his efforts as a sailor and ingenious thinker.
Against Napoleon Bonaparte, Sir Sidney Smith’s sturdy defence of Acre in 1799-1800, in which he used his ingenuity to defeat the French enemy, came when he was a relatively junior captain.
This defeat prevented Napoleon from moving into Asia; in the battle, fought at sea, Napoleon was routed and compelled to abandon his course towards Constantinople after he had declared war on Turkey.
Away from war, he used his contacts around Europe to found an organization to liberate African slaves and combat piracy.
He also escaped from Paris’s famous Temple Prison and burned a fleet of French ships while on his own vessel The Tigre. After the Battle of Trafalgar, Sir Sidney was a key captain under Admiral Nelson, who sought to liberate Italy.
Sir Sidney also excelled in protecting the Christian community in Cyprus from Turkish attacks, then anticipated Napoleon’s capture of Portugal’s ships in an attempt to cut off supplies from reaching Britain.
Peter Shankland’s portrait shows that Sir Sidney Smith was the one man, above all others and in an age of great men including Nelson and Lord Wellington, who could second-guess Napoleon and warn the British government what their foe would do next.
Peter Shankland was a military historian whose books include Byron of the Wager, The Phantom Flotilla and Dardanelles Patrol, a story of the submarine operation against Turkey in World War I.
Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent digital publisher. For more information on our titles please sign up to our newsletter at www.endeavourpress.com. Each week you will receive updates on free and discounted ebooks. Follow us on Twitter: @EndeavourPress and on Facebook via http://on.fb.me/1HweQV7. We are always interested in hearing from our readers. Endeavour Press believes that the future is now.
Renowned for his bravery in battle, he was a key figure of the turn of the nineteenth century who gave Britain leadership against the French dictator.
In spite of this, in subsequent years his reputation was tarnished by contemporary historians due to a brief consort with the Princess of Wales and allegedly disobeying Admiral Nelson’s order. These continue to have a negative effect on his reputation to the present day.
Peter Shankland tells the story of Sir Sidney’s brilliant career and attempts to invalidate the claims of historians before him. Of his subject he writes that ‘poems were written in his honour, and ladies shed tears over his suffering and his gallantry.’
He received honorary degrees from Oxford and Cambridge, and eminent noblemen such as the Grand Vizier treated him with the utmost respect, and Turks, Egyptians and Greeks spoke of his legend thanks to his efforts as a sailor and ingenious thinker.
Against Napoleon Bonaparte, Sir Sidney Smith’s sturdy defence of Acre in 1799-1800, in which he used his ingenuity to defeat the French enemy, came when he was a relatively junior captain.
This defeat prevented Napoleon from moving into Asia; in the battle, fought at sea, Napoleon was routed and compelled to abandon his course towards Constantinople after he had declared war on Turkey.
Away from war, he used his contacts around Europe to found an organization to liberate African slaves and combat piracy.
He also escaped from Paris’s famous Temple Prison and burned a fleet of French ships while on his own vessel The Tigre. After the Battle of Trafalgar, Sir Sidney was a key captain under Admiral Nelson, who sought to liberate Italy.
Sir Sidney also excelled in protecting the Christian community in Cyprus from Turkish attacks, then anticipated Napoleon’s capture of Portugal’s ships in an attempt to cut off supplies from reaching Britain.
Peter Shankland’s portrait shows that Sir Sidney Smith was the one man, above all others and in an age of great men including Nelson and Lord Wellington, who could second-guess Napoleon and warn the British government what their foe would do next.
Peter Shankland was a military historian whose books include Byron of the Wager, The Phantom Flotilla and Dardanelles Patrol, a story of the submarine operation against Turkey in World War I.
Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent digital publisher. For more information on our titles please sign up to our newsletter at www.endeavourpress.com. Each week you will receive updates on free and discounted ebooks. Follow us on Twitter: @EndeavourPress and on Facebook via http://on.fb.me/1HweQV7. We are always interested in hearing from our readers. Endeavour Press believes that the future is now.
