At Cape St Vincent, Collingwood, Troubridge, and other officers also acted within the spirit of Jervis's instructions. The Victorian ideal removed Nelson's humanity, while the modern maverick label removes his intelligence. Nelson could be conventional or unconventional because he evaluated each situation and understood when to push. Professional judgment is the central lesson of his career.
Chapter · 18:18-21:21
Nelson as a thinking officer, not a reflexive maverick
The sanitized Victorian hero and the modern rule-breaking maverick both obscure an officer who judged when convention or initiative best served his orders.