Celebrating Nelson

To celebrate the 250th anniversary of Lord Horatio Nelson's birth, the Guardian published its latest top ten book list, Roy and Lesley Adkins's top 10 Nelson books. Their recommendation is that one read two or three of the many biographies, but their annotations will guide the reader who might be interested in reading only one--or in finding a place to begin studying Nelson and his world. If you're interested in the man, his navy, Portsmouth, or in touring Nelson memorials, you'll find a book here of interest.

Also on Monday, a new bust of Nelson was unveiled in Portsmouth. The article in the Telegraph has a nice photo, but the article on This is Bath covers the details of the painstaking research that the sculptor, Robert Hornyold-Strickland, conducted to construct the best likeness possible, including his study of a life mask produced in Austria in 1800 and only recently authenticated.