Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy (Abridged)

by Ian W. Toll Narrated by Stephen Lang

Overview

Before the ink was dry on the Constitution of the United States, the establishment of a permanent military had become the most divisive issue facing the young republic. Would a standing army be the thin end of dictatorship? Would a navy protect American commerce from the vicious depredations of the Barbary pirates, or would it drain the treasury and provoke hostilities with the great powers? How large a navy would suffice? The founders -- particularly Jefferson, Hamilton, Madison, and Adams -- debated these questions fiercely and switched sides more than once.

In 1794, President Washington signed legislation authorizing the construction of six heavy frigates. The unique combination of power, speed and tactical versatility -- smaller than a battleship and larger than a sloop -- that all navies sent on their most daring missions. It was the first great appropriation of federal money and the first demonstration of the power of the new central government, calling for the creation of entirely new domestic industries, and the extraction of natural resources from the backwoods of Maine to the uninhabited coastal islands of Georgia.

From the complicated politics of the initial decision, 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. In the words of 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."

Editorial Reviews

AUG/SEP 07 - AudioFile

The birth of the U.S. Navy and its coming-of-age in battle against the French, the Barabary/Tripolitan pirates, and the British are recounted in this work. In the 1790s, a new navy was built around six new frigates that incorporated numerous technological innovations. These ships, along with their leaders and crews, cemented many of the traditions of our naval service. Stephen Lang effortlessly displays the qualities that make him a popular narrator. Foremost is his consistency. As we hear of how USS Constitution earned her nickname of “Old Ironsides” and the audacity of the raiders led by Lt. Stephen Decatur to burn USS Philadelphia in Tripoli, we are treated to Lang’s smooth baritone, subtle expression, and seemingly effortless delivery. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine

AUG/ SEP 07 - AudioFile

The birth of the U.S. Navy and its coming-of-age in battle against the French, the Barabary/Tripolitan pirates, and the British are recounted in this work. In the 1790s, a new navy was built around six new frigates that incorporated numerous technological innovations. These ships, along with their leaders and crews, cemented many of the traditions of our naval service. Stephen Lang effortlessly displays the qualities that make him a popular narrator. Foremost is his consistency. As we hear of how USS Constitution earned her nickname of “Old Ironsides” and the audacity of the raiders led by Lt. Stephen Decatur to burn USS Philadelphia in Tripoli, we are treated to Lang’s smooth baritone, subtle expression, and seemingly effortless delivery. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170976690
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster
Publication date:	10/03/2006
Edition description:	Abridged
Sales rank:	521,590

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