Oliver Greeves

As many people use the New Year to reflect on the past to shape resolutions for the future, I found myself reflecting on history from an alternative historical fiction perspective. I attended a lively debate at the Australasian Pioneers Club on the actual contribution of Governor Arthur Phillip to Australia which has fuelled my reflections including on the death of Vice Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson.

At a recent talk to Mosman Rotary Club in Sydney, I shared about how my novels not only explore the great battles and worlds which are both familiar and foreign to us, but also the personal struggles of those in British naval hero Lord Horatio Nelson’s shadow. My second novel focuses on his stepson Josiah, my ancestor Fanny Nelson’s son from her first marriage; a young man who carried both privilege and rejection in his blood.

Canada – almost the 51st State? As I complete the final novel in my Nelson and Son trilogy, I reflect on The War of 1812 so often overlooked, yet it shaped nations and echoed across generations. I consider some of the personalities and ambitions of that era — and the unsettling ways history could be repeating. If you’re drawn to forgotten wars and the lives caught within them, take a look.

Historical author Oliver Greeves dives into the remarkable tale of HMS Lady Nelson, the vessel named after his ancestor, Lady Fanny Nelson, which played a pivotal role in shaping early Australia.