DEVON's role in the Naval war against Napoleon and America will be the feature of a talk at Okehampton Library on May 7. Historians Lesley and Roy Adkins will be making their second visit to a Devon library to talk about their latest book The War For All The Oceans. The book includes eyewitness accounts of the massacre of American prisoners at Dartmoor, and from the French prisoners of war held there. The parole towns of Okehampton, Ashburton, Moretonhampstead and Tavistock will be mentioned in the talk along with Napoleon coming into Torbay in 1815. Great Britain was at war with France from 1793 to 1815 — 22 years of hostilities that even involved the United States at the end. Despite his best efforts, Napoleon never managed to invade this country, and eventually the British had to invade the Continent and defeat him at Waterloo. During this prolonged war, the Royal Navy played a crucial role, as did the West Country, especially as so many of the seamen came from the area. The Adkins' forthcoming book, Jack Tar, will cover the life of an ordinary sailor during the period and will be published in October 2008. Writing both singly and together, Roy and Lesley are acclaimed authors of a number of books on history and archaeology. The couple, who met while working on an archaeological excavation, are both fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of London. Tickets cost £2 and are available from the library on 01837 52805.
