The work of J.M.W. Turner, "The Fighting Temeraire Tugged to her Last Berth to be Broken Up" (1838), is considered a masterpiece. Sam Willis narrates the true story behind this remarkable painting. The warship Temeraire, equipped with 98 guns, sailed through the line of French and Spanish ships right behind Nelson's flagship, the Victory, during the Battle of Trafalgar (1805), saving Nelson at a critical moment of the battle. As John Ruskin said, the Temeraire fought until 'plenty of English blood' ran from her sides. It is a story that unites the art of war as practiced by Nelson with the art of war as depicted by Turner and covers an extensive period of Britain's cultural and military history. The result is a detailed picture of British naval power during the two most significant peaks of the Age of Sail: the peaks of the Seven Years' War (1756-63) and the Napoleonic Wars (1798-1815). It deals with every aspect of life in the naval service, with particular emphasis on amphibious warfare, diseases, provisioning, blockades, mutiny, and of course, naval battles, as it was at Trafalgar that the Temeraire truly earned her fame. A fascinating and elegant narrative history from a master storyteller.