Late in the morning on October 21, 1805, warships from the British and combined French and Spanish fleets clashed off Cape Trafalgar on the Spanish coast. After a six month game of cat and mouse across the Atlantic, 27 British ships of the line engaged the Allied force of 33 ships of the line. This was a duel of skill, tenacity and bravery as captains and crews battled for mastery of the seas. This book is an opportunity to relive the action at Trafalgar - read the accounts of sailors who were there, and who experienced the sound of scraping cutlasses and bombarding cannons at one of the most important naval engagements of history. Understand how the guns were operated, learn about the training of crews and study the design and development of the incredible ships which dominated naval warfare of the period, as Gregory Fremont-Barnes reveals the revolutionary tactics used by Nelson to secure a victory that saved Britain from the threat of invasion and ensured British naval dominance for over a century. “The volume contains not only a great deal of informative, well written text, but is also packed with full color illustrations throughout. The book reads very well, and keeps the readers attention by telling the battle story in an exciting manner, while also providing a wealth of documented information about the vessels, and the men who sailed them.” ― Mark R. Smith, Model Shipwrights “Once the combat section is finished, there is a statistical analysis of the battle and a look at how the battle affected future history. All of this is superbly illustrated with period illustrations as well as excellent modern illustrations and painting. In all, another excellent Osprey book. One that you can buy knowing you will be getting the very best.” ― Scott Van Aken, modelingmadness.com (June 2008). “Gregory Fremont-Barnes' Victory vs Redoutable: Ships of the Line at Trafalgar 1805 covers the combined British, French and Spanish fleets who clashed off Cape Trafalgar on the Spanish coast in a duel of bravery. The action at Trafalgar comes to life in a series of studies of ships, crews and naval warfare.” ― The Bookwatch (September 2008) Gregory Fremont-Barnes holds a doctorate in Modern History from the University of Oxford. As a Senior Lecturer in the Department of War Studies at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst, he has written extensively on a range of subjects covering military affairs since the 18th century. In addition to teaching cadets, he travels widely for the Ministry of Defence, running courses for foreign military and intelligence officers, and spent two years in Afghanistan on Operation Toral . Ian Palmer is a highly experienced digital artist with two decades of experience in the video games industry, both as a 3D artist and an Art Director. He has a passion for military history, gaming and riding his motorbike. He lives in Warwickshire with his wife, daughter and menagerie of pets. Giuseppe Rava was born in Faenza in 1963, and took an interest in all things military from an early age. Entirely self-taught, Giuseppe has established himself as a leading military history artist, and is inspired by the works of the great military artists, such as Detaille, Meissonier, Röchling, Lady Butler, Ottenfeld and Angus McBride. He lives and works in Italy. Tony Bryan is a freelance illustrator of many years' experience who lives and works in Dorset. He worked for a number of years in Military Research and Development, and has a keen interest in military hardware. Tony has produced many illustrations for partworks, magazines and books, including a number of titles in the New Vanguard series.