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Blue Water Patriots The American Revolution Afloat
James M. Volo
Book Code: C8907
ISBN: 0-275-98907-0
ISBN-13: 978-0-275-98907-1
312 pages, figures, photos
Praeger Publishers
Publication: 11/30/2006
List Price: $49.95 (UK Sterling Price: £27.95)
Availability: In Stock
Media Type: Hardcover
Also Available: Ebook
Trim Size: 6 1/8 x 9 1/4
Subjects: Reviews:
  • It is the rare book that aims at giving a comprehensive view of any historical event and actually delivers what it promises, but Volo's Blue Water Patriots does just that. In this single volume, readers will find every element that they could ever want of the Revolutionary War at sea. The author summarizes the problems of creating a national navy, discusses the men who served on the ships, and describes the outcomes of their battles. Like most general histories, this book covers the famous ships and captains that most readers are familiar with, such as John Paul Jones, but includes other elements not found in general histories of the Revolutionary War. Volo covers the various state navies, privateers, and coastal raiders that make the war's naval history so interesting. There are also discussions of technical developments, weaponry, and recruiting. The author does an especially good job of tying the causes of the war to the naval and maritime development of the Colonies, thus demonstrating that naval elements of the war were central to the conflict, not just a peripheral concern. Highly recommended. All levels/libraries.
    —Choice     July 2007
  • Volo's focus is on the period between 1775 and 1779 when most of the combat was between Britain and her rebellious colonies and conducted in the North Atlantic. The strength of his volume is the highly readable style.
    —The Northern Mariner     August 2008
  • The author describes the naval aspects of the American Revolution, concentrating on the period prior to 1779, when the French entered the war. In addition to describing the most significant engagements between Britain's Royal Navy and opposing colonial forces, the author also offers chapters that provide detail on the characteristics of naval officers, naval administration, types of warships, and armaments.
    —Reference & Research Book News     November 2007
Description: In 1775, it was inconceivable that the American colonists could have overcome the overwhelming military superiority of Great Britain. Yet the belligerent colonists seemed certain that they could defeat the British army they so despised. On the other hand, the one great fear shared by all colonists was that they would not be able to overcome the presence of the Royal Navy. Yet, somehow, the colonists were able to resist the British at sea, attract capable allies to aid them, and successfully conclude their quest for independence. The American Revolution can safely be viewed as part of a prolonged worldwide naval conflict between France and Britain beginning with the Glorious Revolution in 1688 and ending with the British victory at Trafalgar in 1805 during the Napoleonic Wars. This was a period in which the armed merchantmen of the age of trade were replaced by genuine warships whose task was to control the sea lanes. The American Revolution was a watershed in this regard with improved warship designs, new technologies, improved gunpowder and communications, and innovative tactics. Although French participation in the war for independence was crucial, the primary focus of this work is the period before 1779, when the colonists confronted the Royal Navy alone with only their ingenuity and courage to defend them. Every school child knows that the American Revolution began on Lexington Green in April, 1775, but how many are aware that in 1764 a Royal Navy cutter, St. John, engaged in the suppression of smuggling, was fired upon by Rhode Islanders; that in 1769, the revenue sloop Liberty was seized and burned by the people of Newport; or that in 1772, the navy cutter Gaspee was burned in the night by armed patriots attacking from small boats. These Blue Water Patriots fought the first battles on the road to American independence. This is their story.
LC Card Number: 2006026031
LCC Class: E271
Dewey Class: 973
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