Trafalgar Chronicle (Paperback)

The Trafalgar Chronicle is the publication of choice for new research on the maritime world of the Georgian era, from 1714 to 1837. This journal is known for its rich illustrations consisting of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century art, and for the noteworthy credentials of the contributors, all of whom demonstrate a passion for naval history.

This 2025 issue honors the 220th anniversary of the battle of Trafalgar and the 250th anniversary of the founding of the US Navy, with the theme Naval Leadership in the Georgian Era. Here, readers will find essays about the unique and far-reaching ways in which naval officers and administrators of the age of sail made crucial decisions and took often-courageous actions affecting their futures, their men, their fleets, their enemies, combat tactics and strategies, policies and regulations, and naval doctrine itself. Historians from five countries have contributed biographical portraits of naval officers at sea as they planned the disposition of their forces, prepared for battle, and adjusted their tactics. Additional articles provide analyses of naval leadership at the administrative level, in terms of policy and international relations.

For general interest, this issue carries five articles on rarely-considered nuggets of Royal Navy history in the Georgian era: miniature ships, swords and dirks, naval magazines of the day, and war’s impact on a small seaside community, as well as how the Royal Navy faced the arduous task of establishing a garrison and gun battery on an island that was little more than a rock in the sea.

Historical research requires travel, correspondence, and hours pouring over relevant books, records, documents and newspapers, and searching for interconnected facts in archives, museums, churches, libraries, and websites. Contributors to the Trafalgar Chronicle perform these tasks in a manner that is commendable and much appreciated by all our readers.

‘Well written, well researched, well-illustrated, this is a publication that will both delight and inform. A most enjoyable read.’ D J Paul in Naval Review

‘The Chronicle is a wonderful collection of articles, and a delight to dip into.’ Warship World

EDITOR BIO

Before turning to research and writing, Captain John A Rodgaard served for 41 years with the US Navy, including 29 years as an intelligence officer. He co-authored A Call to the Sea, the biography of Captain Charles Stewart of the USS Constitution, and is now the Chairman of the 1805 Club and edits The Trafalgar Chronicle with Judith E Pearson who is an experienced editor