The Life of Nelson: Free Audiobook and Listening Guide

The Life of Nelson, credited to Robert Southey, is available as a LibriVox volunteer audiobook. This guide identifies the recording, its source summary and its audio tracks.

About the work

The LibriVox catalogue summary, preserved with the recording, reads:

LibriVox recording of The Life of Nelson by Robert Southey. Read in English by NoelBadrian. In 1813, the year that he was appointed Poet Laureate, Robert Southey published "The Life of Nelson". Horatio, Lord Viscount Nelson was Britain's greatest Naval hero who had been killed during the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 during which he had issued that famous message to the fleet; "England expects that every man will do his duty." In a preface to the first edition, Southey wrote: "Many Lives of Nelson have been written; one is yet wanting, clear and concise enough to become a manual for the young sailor, which he may carry about with him till he has treasured it up for example in his memory and in his heart. In attempting such a work I shall write the eulogy of our great national hero, for the best eulogy of NELSON is the faithful history of his actions, and the best history must be that which shall relate them most perspicuously." Nelson's example as a seaman was considered so exemplary and Southey's biography so laudable that the American Government gave a copy of the book to every officer and seaman in their fleet. (Summary by Noel Badrian)

Recording facts

• Recording title: The Life of Nelson
• Author credits: Robert Southey
• Language: English
• Original MP3 tracks: 23
• Listed recording duration: 11:07:22

Catalogue topics

• Napoleonic Wars
• British Navy
• horatio nelson
• battle of trafalgar

Track guide

1. 00 - Preface — 9:12
2. 01 - Chapter 1 part 1 — 30:04
3. 02 - Chapter 1 part 2 — 29:38
4. 03 - Chapter 2 part 1 — 21:24
5. 04 - Chapter 2 part 2 — 24:09
6. 05 - Chapter 3 part 1 — 29:37
7. 06 - Chapter 3 part 2 — 29:04
8. 07 - Chapter 3 part 3 — 24:54
9. 08 - Chapter 4 part 1 — 36:28
10. 09 - Chapter 4 part 2 — 28:55
11. 10 - Chapter 5 part 1 — 29:25
12. 11 - Chapter 5 part 2 — 38:04
13. 12 - Chapter 6 part 1 — 36:43
14. 13 - Chapter 6 part 2 — 38:05
15. 14 - Chapter 6 part 3 — 36:10
16. 15 - Chapter 7 part 1 — 28:05
17. 16 - Chapter 7 part 2 — 25:11
18. 17 - Chapter 7 part 3 — 25:05
19. 18 - Chapter 8 part 1 — 29:25
20. 19 - Chapter 8 part 2 — 27:30
21. 20 - Chapter 8 part 3 — 28:10
22. 21 - Chapter 9 part 1 — 32:44
23. 22 - Chapter 9 part 2 — 29:20

Listen to this recording

Open the complete recording and player on Internet Archive. The player includes the full track list and available download formats.

Source and rights

This is a record from LibriVox's official Internet Archive collection, with a public-domain licence recorded in its metadata. LibriVox's policy includes its catalogue summaries as well as its recordings. Its public-domain assessment follows United States law; copyright status can differ elsewhere. The summary and track facts are reproduced and reformatted from that record. Dates attached to the archive upload are not treated as original book publication dates.