Perilous Fight: America's Intrepid War with Britain on the High Seas, 1812-1815[Signed by Author]

Budiansky, Stephen

ISBN 10: 0307270696 / ISBN 13: 9780307270696

Published by Knopf, 2010

About this Item

Hardcover. Red and black paper over cloth with gold lettering to spine. Illustrated dust jacket with white lettering. Dated 2010 on copyright and title page. 422 pages. Very good condition. Binding is strong and corners are square. Pages bright and clean throughout. Dust jacket crisp and clean. Some very light rubbing at corners and spine. SIGNED by Stephen Budiansky on half-title page in blue marker-name only. Overall very good condition. Please email with questions or to see any photos.

Seller Inventory # 22-383

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Perilous Fight: America's Intrepid War with Britain on the High Seas, 1812-1815[Signed by Author]
• Publisher: Knopf
• Publication Date: 2010
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0307270696
• ISBN 13: 9780307270696
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Very Good
• Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good
• Signed: Signed by Author(s)
• Seller catalogs:
  • Signed

About this title

Synopsis

In Perilous Fight, Stephen Budiansky tells the rousing story of the underdog coterie of American seamen and their visionary secretary of the navy, who combined bravery and strategic innovation to hold off the legendary Royal Navy.

Budiansky vividly demonstrates that far from an indecisive and unnecessary conflict—as historians have long dismissed the War of 1812—this “forgotten war” had profound consequences that would change the course of naval warfare, America’s place in the world, and the rules of international conflict forever. Never again would the great powers challenge the young republic’s sovereignty in the aftermath of the stunning performance of America’s navy and privateersmen in sea battles that ranged across half the globe. Their brilliant hit-and-run tactics against a far mightier foe would pioneer concepts of “asymmetric warfare” that would characterize the insurgency warfare of later centuries.

Above all, the War of 1812 would be the making of the United States Navy. Even as the war began, the nation was bitterly divided over whether it should have a navy at all: Jeffersonian Republicans denounced the idea as a dangerous expansion of government power, while Federalists insisted that America could never protect its burgeoning seagoing commerce or command respect without a strong naval force. After the war, Americans would never again doubt that their might, respect, and very survival depended upon a permanent and professional navy.

Drawing extensively on diaries, letters, and personal accounts from both sides, Budiansky re-creates the riveting encounters at sea in bloody clashes of cannonfire and swordplay; the intimate hopes and fears of vainglorious captains and young seamen in search of adventure; and the behind-the-scenes political intrigue and maneuvering in Washington and London. Throughout, Perilous Fight proves itself a gripping and essential work of American naval history.

About the Author

Stephen Budiansky is a military historian and journalist. His writings have appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Men’s Journal, MHQ, Civil War Times, and many other publications. His previous books include The Bloody Shirt, Her Majesty’s Spymaster, Air Power, and Battle of Wits. He lives in Leesburg, Virginia.

www.budiansky.com