The disputed letter was openly known rather than deliberately suppressed. It became obscure because neither the letter nor Nelson's contradictory conduct fitted the simple heroic account favored by Victorian writers and many successors. Selection and repetition can push available evidence out of a familiar historical narrative. Restoring Nelson's intelligence, mistakes, and humanity produces a more instructive biography.
Notable Point · 4:15-5:20
How a simple Nelson narrative hid inconvenient evidence
The letter was long known, but it received little attention because it sat awkwardly beside the simplified Nelson inherited from Victorian history.