Six Frigates The Epic History of the Founding of the U S Navy

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 founders — particularly Jefferson, Madison, and Adams — debated 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.

"[A] fluent, intelligent history of American military policy from the early 1790s....But the book's real value...lies in Toll's grasp of the human dimension of his subject, often obscured in the dry tomes of naval historians." New York Times

"Toll details the process of designing, building, launching, manning and sailing these wooden-hulled ships....He gives life to such figures as commanders Stephen Decatur, Isaac Hull and ship designer Joshua Humphreys." Los Angeles Times

"Sweeping in scope, full of vivid descriptions of naval battles...a masterly work." Houston Chronicle

"[W]ell-paced and smart. [Toll's] use of accurate and interesting nautical lexicon is particularly effective, and adds a nice hint of salty air to the dialogue." San Diego Union-Tribune

"[A] masterful, well-written and easily read addition to the history of the important early years of U.S. naval history." Philadelphia Inquirer

Before the ink was dry on the U.S. Constitution, the establishment of a permanent military became the most divisive issue facing the new government. The founders--particularly Jefferson, Madison, and Adams--debated fiercely. Would a standing army be the thin end of dictatorship? Would a navy protect from pirates or drain the treasury and provoke hostility? Britain alone had hundreds of powerful warships.

Before the ink was dry on the U.S. Constitution, the establishment of a permanent military became the most divisive issue facing the new government. The founders'"particularly Jefferson, Madison, and Adams'"debated fiercely. Would a standing army be the thin end of dictatorship? Would a navy protect from pirates or drain the treasury and provoke hostility? Britain alone had hundreds of powerful warships.

From the decision to build six heavy frigates, through the cliff-hanger 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 Brothersand the narrative flair of Patrick O'Brian.

"A fluent, intelligent history...give[s] the reader a feel for the human quirks and harsh demands of life at sea."--

Ian W. Toll is an independent naval historian, the author the Pacific War Trilogy (Pacific Crucible, The Conquering Tide) and Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy. Six Frigates won broad critical acclaim and was selected for the Samuel Eliot Morison Award, the William E. Colby Award, and New York Times "Editor's Choice" list. He lives in San Francisco and New York.