Ian W. Toll is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The Conquering Tide, Pacific Crucible, and Six Frigates, winner of the Samuel Eliot Morison Award and the William E. Colby Award. He lives in New York.
"Sweeping in scope, full of vivid descriptions... solidly grounded in the diplomatic landscape... a masterly work." -- Chris Patsilelis - Houston Chronicle "[A] wonderfully atmospheric account, brilliantly researched, full of stirring action and rich with the scent of the sea." -- Simon Winchester, author of The Professor and the Madman "[Ian Toll] succeeds splendidly. His factual story is as exciting as any of Patrick O'Brian's fictional seafaring tales." -- The Economist "Gripping... a masterful narrative... Toll captures the ambivalence of the government, and its reluctance to pay for even a tiny navy, very well." -- Joe Mysak - Bloomberg News "Toll has a light touch, much like noted historian David McCullough; well-researched facts are carefully balanced by smooth narrative flow... The result is a thoroughly readable book that adds depth and significance to an important era of American history." -- Bruce Linder - San Diego Tribune "Ian W. Toll writes with such an arresting energy. He evokes the world of Patrick O'Brian, the salt-stained ruthlessness of naval commanders, the carnage of the broadside and the surgeon's saw, but also conjures a lost American landscape." -- Tim Gardam - The Guardian "Vibrant and comprehensive, Toll makes an impressive debut." -- Gilbert Taylor - Booklist
This history will be a delight to fans of naval literature, fact or fiction. Toll, a former Wall Street analyst, vividly recounts the first two decades of the U.S. Navy, beginning with Congress's decision to build six heavy frigates in 1794 and continuing to the end of the War of 1812 (the navy itself takes its founding from the start of the Continental Navy in 1775). The decision to create a maritime force was made in reaction to the seizure of U.S. merchant ships and sailors by the Barbary pirates, and it sparked much heated debate among the Founding Fathers over the issue of a permanent military establishment. But, clearly, the country could not continue with only a standing army. The six frigates, one of which the USS Constitution is still afloat, were all of innovative design, more heavily armed yet faster than anything else on the seas. Their service through battles with Barbary pirates, the quasiwar with France, and the War of 1812 are vividly narrated here with firm historical detail and a strong cast of characters ably handled by Toll, ranging from the country's Presidents to the colorful officers and sailors on these frigates. Strongly recommended for all collections. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/1/06.] David Lee Poremba, Davenport, FL Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.
"Sweeping in scope, full of vivid descriptions... solidly grounded in the diplomatic landscape... a masterly work." -- Chris Patsilelis - Houston Chronicle "[A] wonderfully atmospheric account, brilliantly researched, full of stirring action and rich with the scent of the sea." -- Simon Winchester, author of The Professor and the Madman "[Ian Toll] succeeds splendidly. His factual story is as exciting as any of Patrick O'Brian's fictional seafaring tales." -- The Economist "Gripping... a masterful narrative... Toll captures the ambivalence of the government, and its reluctance to pay for even a tiny navy, very well." -- Joe Mysak - Bloomberg News "Toll has a light touch, much like noted historian David McCullough; well-researched facts are carefully balanced by smooth narrative flow... The result is a thoroughly readable book that adds depth and significance to an important era of American history." -- Bruce Linder - San Diego Tribune "Ian W. Toll writes with such an arresting energy. He evokes the world of Patrick O'Brian, the salt-stained ruthlessness of naval commanders, the carnage of the broadside and the surgeon's saw, but also conjures a lost American landscape." -- Tim Gardam - The Guardian "Vibrant and comprehensive, Toll makes an impressive debut." -- Gilbert Taylor - Booklist
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