Six Frigates: The Epic History Of The Founding Of The American NavyW. W. Norton & Company, 17/10/2006 - 560 páginas How "a handful of bastards and outlaws fighting under a piece of striped bunting" humbled the omnipotent British Navy. Before the ink was dry on the U.S. Constitution, the establishment of a permanent military had become the most divisive issue facing the new government. Would a standing army be the thin end of dictatorship? Would a navy protect American commerce against the Mediterranean pirates, or drain the treasury and provoke hostilities with the great powers? The foundersparticularly Jefferson, Madison, and Adamsdebated these questions fiercely and switched sides more than once. How much of a navy would suffice? Britain alone had hundreds of powerful warships. From the decision to build six heavy frigates, through the cliffhanger campaign against Tripoli, to the war that shook the world in 1812, Ian W. Toll tells this grand tale with the political insight of Founding Brothers and a narrative flair worthy of Patrick O'Brian. According to Henry Adams, the 1812 encounter between USS Constitution and HMS Guerriere "raised the United States in one half hour to the rank of a first class power in the world." 16 pages of illustrations; 8 pages of color. |
Índice
Debts of Gratitude | ix |
Note on Language and Nautical Terminology | xv |
To Provide and Maintain | 1 |
To the Shores of Tripoli | 145 |
England Again | 255 |
Epilogue | 453 |
18152005 | 469 |
Notes | 483 |
Bibliography | 525 |
541 | |
Outras edições - Ver tudo
Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy Ian W. Toll Pré-visualização limitada - 2008 |
Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy Ian W. Toll Pré-visualização limitada - 2008 |
Palavras e frases frequentes
Admiral American ships anchor armed arrived attack August Barbary Barron blockade boats Boston British broadside Captain Edward Preble captured Chesapeake Chesapeake's coast command Commodore Congress Constellation Constitution Constitution's crew cruise deck duel Edward Preble enemy England English Federalists fight fire fleet force France French frigate Gallatin Guerrière gunboats guns Hamilton harbor honor House Hull Isaac Hull Island James Jefferson John Adams John Rodgers Jones Joshua Humphreys Josiah Fox July June later letter Lieutenant Madison March marine maritime masts Mediterranean merchant Midshipman nation Naval Chronicle Norfolk North officers ordered peace Philadelphia port President prisoners privateers Quasi War quoted in ibid Republican rigging river Royal Navy sail sailors seamen seaports Secretary shore shot Smith spars squadron Stephen Decatur Stoddert Thomas Thomas Truxtun tion told treaty Tripoli Tripolitan Truxtun U.S. Navy United vessels warships Washington William Bainbridge wind wounded wrote York