The Embodiment of the Sea Power of Great Britain. Originally written in two volumes.

Alfred Thayer Mahan was a highly regarded naval historian and naval theorist who, concentrating on Nelson's professional life, provided a balanced analysis of his naval career. Avoiding the pitfalls of previous biographies colored by hero worship, Mahan provides a balanced view that even won over an initially skeptical British audience. Written after Nelson's death it is not based on the hero worship of earlier works and uses information that had subsequently become available.