From the decision to build six heavy frigates through the cliffhanger campaign against Tripoli to the war that shook the world in 1812, Toll tells the grand tal

"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 w

"In 1794, President Washington signed legislation authorizing the construction of six heavy frigates. (The frigate, smaller than a battleship and larger than a

The Battle of Trafalgar crowned the Royal Navy as undisputed sovereign of the world's oceans. Yet just seven years after Nelson's final victory, British ships w

In Perilous Fight, Stephen Budiansky tells the rousing story of the U.S. Navy during the War of 1812, when an upstart American fleet fought off the legendary Ro