Tom Holland asserts that Nelson possessed a Homeric, Achilles-like quality in his willingness to risk death to secure immortal glory.

“And I think there is something of Achilles in his determination to risk death because it will provide him with the opportunity for incredible glory, which isn't to say that he wants to die. He does not want to die.”

Dominic Sandbrook claims that Horatio Nelson is a more appealing hero than the Duke of Wellington due to his human flaws and his dedication to institutional service rather than personal ambition.

“It's the fact that he is he's a human being, you know, and it's not just the the sometimes ludicrous vanity and the love life and stuff, but it's the sheer physical courage in putting himself at the front. It's the the leadership, you know, the camaraderie, the warmth with which he related to his me”