Give Me a Fast Ship: The Continental Navy and America's

Give Me a Fast Ship: The Continental Navy and America's Revolution at Sea
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Five ships against hundredsâ€”the fledgling American Navy versus the greatest naval force the world had ever seen.
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America in 1775 was on the verge of revolutionâ€”or, more likely, disastrous defeat. After the bloodshed at Lexington and Concord, Englandâ€™s King George sent hundreds of ships westward to bottle up American harbors and prey on American shipping. Colonists had no force to defend their coastline and waterways until John Adams of Massachusetts proposed a bold solution: The Continental Congress should raise a navy.
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The idea was mad. The Royal Navy was the mightiest floating arsenal in history, with a seemingly endless supply of vessels. More than a hundred of these were massive â€œships of the line,â€ bristling with up to a hundred high-powered cannon that could level a city. The British were confident that His Majestyâ€™s warships would quickly bring the rebellious colonials to their knees.
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They were wrong. Beginning with five converted merchantmen, Americaâ€™s sailors became formidable warriors, matching their wits, skills, and courage against the best of the British fleet. Victories off American shores gave the patriots hopeâ€”victories led by captains such as John Barry, the fiery Irish-born giant; fearless Nicholas Biddle, who stared down an armed mutineer; and James Nicholson, the underachiever who finally redeemed himself with an inspiring display of coolness and bravery. Meanwhile, along the British coastline, daring raids by handsome, cocksure John Paul Jones and the â€œDunkirk Pirate,â€ Gustavus Conynghamâ€”who was captured and sentenced to hang but tunneled under his cell and escaped to fight againâ€”sent fear throughout England. The adventures of these men and others on both sides of the struggle rival anything from Horatio Hornblower or Lucky Jack Aubrey. In the end, these rebel sailors, from the quarterdeck to the forecastle, contributed greatly to American independence.
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Meticulously researched and masterfully told, Give Me a Fast Ship is a rousing, epic tale of war on the high seasâ€”and the definitive history of the American Navy during the Revolutionary War.

INCLUDES NINE MAPS AND SIXTEEN PAGES OF FULL COLOR ILLUSTRATIONS
Country USA
Brand New American Library
Manufacturer Caliber
Binding Hardcover
ReleaseDate 2014-07-01
Format Deckle Edge
EANs 9780451416100

Country	USA
Brand	New American Library
Manufacturer	Caliber
Binding	Hardcover
ReleaseDate	2014-07-01
Format	Deckle Edge
EANs	9780451416100

Give Me a Fast Ship: The Continental Navy and America's Revolution at Sea

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