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

A meticulous, adrenaline-filled account of the earliest days of the Continental Navy.”New York Times Bestselling Author Laurence Bergreen

America in 1775 was on the verge of revolutionor, 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 seasand the definitive history of the American Navy during the Revolutionary War.

Tim McGrath is the author of the critically acclaimed biography John Barry: An American Hero in the Age of Sail. An avid sailor, McGrath has published articles inNaval History magazine. He lives outside Philadelphia.