Robert Guillemard was one of those unusual people (a real life example of a character type now very popular in fiction) who found himself engaging with remarkable people during important historical events-not just once, but repeatedly As a young soldier he found himself in the top of a French battleship at Trafalgar as the Victory closed for action and it was him-he claims-who fired the fatal shot that killed Nelson. He was present at the murder of Villeneuve, the defeated French admiral, and in the company of Napoleon. He fought in Germany at Stralsund and at Wagram. He campaigned in the...

Robert Guillemard was one of those unusual people (a real life example of a character type now very popular in fiction) who found himself engaging with remarkable people during important historical events-not just once, but repeatedly As a young soldier he found himself in the top of a French battleship at Trafalgar as the Victory closed for action and it was him-he claims-who fired the fatal shot that killed Nelson. He was present at the murder of Villeneuve, the defeated French admiral, and in the company of Napoleon. He fought in Germany at Stralsund and at Wagram. He campaigned in the...