"A fluent, intelligent history...give[s] the reader a feel for the human quirks and harsh demands of life at sea."—New York Times Book Review

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?...

During WWII, onboard a ship in the U.S. Pacific Fleet, an event occurs unlike any that the United States Navy has ever experianced. A ship's captain is removed from his command by his executive officer in an apparent outright act of mutiny. As the trial of the mutineers unfold, it icomes to light that Captain Queeg was mentally unstable, perhaps even insane. The Navy must then decide if the Caine Mutiny a criminal act or an act of courage to save...

"During the American Revolution, the Eastern Shore was filled with both Patriots and Loyalists. Both sides attacked the other using privateers--pirates to their enemies. These enterprising locals plundered and pillaged, and motivated by profit, some even fought for both sides. The Chesapeake Bay was the site of one of the last and bloodiest naval battles of the Revolution, and privateers were instrumental in the eventual American victory in the war....

It is 1777, the Year of the Hangman, and Captain Isaac Biddlecomb is bound for Philidelphia with his wife and child in the Continental brig of the Charlemagne. His orders are to take command of the newly built 20-gun frigate Salmouth and get her out to sea before she is taken by General Richard Howe's invading army. Unbeknownst tp Biddlecomb, the entire British fleet stands between him and the new nation's capital. Forced to run his beloved Charelmagne...

"The United States has by far the most powerful naval fleet in the world. Other nations are not even trying to keep up. This has enabled America to stand sentinel over crucial waterways like the Strait of Malacca, ensuring safe passage of goods with little interruption. But we are entering a new era. What will happen if the US does not keep spending resources on improving trade between other nations? Will China's rising economic influence and regional...