Give Me a Fast Ship

Product Description

America in 1775 was on the verge of revolution - or, more likely, disastrous defeat. After England's King George sent hundreds of ships to bottle up American harbors and prey on American shipping, John Adams of Massachusetts proposed a bold solution: The Continental Congress should raise a navy.

The idea was mad. The Royal Navy was the mightiest floating arsenal in history, and the British were confident that His Majesty's warships would quickly bring the rebellious Colonials to their knees. But they were wrong. America's sailors became formidable warriors, matching their wits, skills, and courage against the best of the British fleet. Victories led by captains such as John Barry, Nicholas Biddle, and James Nicholson gave the patriots hope, while, along the British coastline, daring raids by John Paul Jones and the 'Dunkirk Pirate,' Gustavus Conyngham, sent fear throughout England. In the end, the adventures of men on both sides of the struggle contributed greatly to American independence.

Meticulously researched and masterfully told, Give Me a Fast Ship is a rousing, epic tale of war on the high seas - and the definitive history of the American Navy during the Revolutionary War.

A meticulous, adrenaline-filled account of the earliest days of the Continental Navy.' New York TimesBestselling Author Laurence Bergreen

'An exhaustively researched and fluently rendered account of the first incarnation of the American navy . . . A thoroughly readable history of an integral aspect of the campaign for American independence.' Ian W. Toll, author of Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy

'I've seldom enjoyed a work of historical nonfiction as much as Give Me a Fast Ship . . . After you read it, McGrath will be one of your favorite historians, as he now is of mine.' Jeff Guinn, New York Timesbestselling author of Manson: The Life and Times of Charles Manson

' McGrath's gripping descriptions of pursuit and combat at sea are the equal of any fiction, with the added virtue of being entirely true . . . solidly researched and presented with verve and gusto.' Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

'McGrath enhances his position among American Revolution naval war historians with this comprehensive, fast-paced account of the collection of armed merchantmen (non naval vessel) manned by amateurs that took on the world's greatest naval power.' Publishers Weekly