'Sh*t' is used once - granted, it is in its proper context. During the war with Tripoli while American ships are harbored at Sicily, many of the seaman would take leave of the frigates and go into town, often to spend the night it is said that many of the native women, married and unmarried, 'preferred the Americans.' Nakedness is mentioned, but not in a sexual context. Toll talks about Admiral Nelson a little bit at the beginning and his adulterous love for Emma Hamilton, taking a few extracts from greetings from Nelson to Emma, but never goes into detail. Alcoholic drinks were popular, especially wine on shore and grog and beer aboard ships. Toll shows very clearly that war, especially on the sea, is no lovely and gallant thing.Ī few characters are referred to as drunkards, and it is not intended as a compliment.

There is a good deal of description when it comes to battles wounds and deaths are frequently mentioned. Naval warfare has probably always been bloodier than battles on shore, and Toll illustrates that. Several of the characters at the beginning are Quakers, including the man who designed the frigates, but their beliefs do not really show up. The USS 'Chesapeake' was considered an unlucky ship because of her reputation. Seamen of the time were notoriously superstitious and had a dozen or more ideas of how to bring a wind, keep away bad luck, and so on. Some captains use underhanded methods to try to win naval battles 'war by pillaging' is employed political intrigue factors in and matters like the impressment (or seizing men and forcing them into the Navy) of Americans onto British ships and the desertion of British sailors to American ships plays a part in the rise of the War of 1812. He also takes a very fair and unbiased look at the War of 1812 from the British perspective, which was nice. Many of the characters are selfish, egotistical, and fond of picking fights with each other, but Toll recounts the facts as they are and, though he never actively condemns them, does not support these traits. The harassment of American merchant ships on the high seas calls for the founding of a military navy, and from their building to the War of 1812, Toll follows the famed six frigates - the USS Constitution, President, United States, Constellation, Congress, and Chesapeake.Īs this is a history, morality is never addressed point-blank.

Starting in 1805 with Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson's victory at the Battle of Trafalgar and showing the might of the British Royal Navy at this time soon after the American War of Independence, author Ian Toll then moves his focus to the young colonies. An engaging and smooth history of the founding of the U.S.

Six frigates ian w toll