Six Frigates, by Ian Toll

Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy by Ian W. Toll

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Toll tells this story thoroughly and well: America didn't want a navy, and remained dubious even when necessity forced her hand. For a while she acquiesced in the extortion demanded by the barbary states, but then stood up to them--resulting in the loss of a brand new frigate, lots and lots of money, and other humiliations. Other nations thought she was crazy.

And she was, to a great extent. Her new design of frigates had no precedent and freaked out everyone charged with building them. The building itself was an ordeal beyond imagining. The timber cutters got malaria and died in droves. Costs overran, the newspapers printed scandal, the politicians warred. Then the new president halted construction--for a while--and very nearly killed the young economy.

A bit later, an enterprising British force burned much of the capital and a great deal more, and marched overland in a sort of proto-blitzkrieg, sowing havoc and confusion through the states--basically just to show that they could.

Fierce, strutting American officers found their delicate honors incensed, and shot each other at a rate greater than any enemy. Newly minted American captains rolled off the line, some of them very good, others not. America achieved a few spectacular victories in single ship actions, but lost many others, and never had the slightest chance against the greatly superior Royal Navy, as everyone knew.

But something altogether unexpected arose from all this. That was the confirmation of the incredible good luck--some say the divine guidance--that America enjoyed during her formative years. Through all the bumbling and bluster the country somehow got through. And that, according to many, is what makes her exceptional. However, you can see this, as Toll clearly shows, only if you don't examine the details too closely.