Other editions of book John Paul Jones: A Sailor's Biography

Few figures have entered the ranks of America's national heroes with a more mixed bag of credentials than the Scottish seaman variously known as John Paul, John Jones, Captain Paul, Captain John Paul Jones and Kontradmiral Pavel Ivanovich Jones. As the youthful master of a merchant ship in the West Indies, this short Scot with the towering temper was wanted for murder. As an officer in the Continental Navy, he became the new country's greatest naval hero. Yet he was a notorious complainer, impatient with superiors, haughty toward his peers and a tyrant among his crews (with considerable justification, it must be added). He described himself as "a free Citizen of the World" bent on defending "the violated rights of Mankind," but after the American Revolution he went on to battle Turks in the service of a Russian despot. Son of an unlettered gardener, he wrote letters which became a standard of style and deportment for generations of Annapolis middies. He was a man of powerful physical drives who, in the shrewd judgment of Abigail Adams, understood "all the etiquette of a lady's toilette as perfectly as he does the mast and sails and rigging of his ship." Yet he never married. He was, in brief, one of the most paradoxical and fascinating figures in all American history.

This fresh look at America's first sea warrior avoids both the hero worship of past biographies and the inaccurate and denigrating views of more recent accounts. Writing from the perspective of a naval officer with more than thirty years of experience and a seaman with a lifetime of sailing know-how, Callo examines Jones' extraordinary accomplishments by going beyond a narrow naval context to establish him as a key player in the American Revolution. He also analyzes his relationships with such civilian leaders as Benjamin Franklin. How Jones handled those often difficult dealings contributed to the nation's concept of civilian control of the military. The author also focuses on the fact that Jones was the first serving American naval officer who emphasized the role the Navy could play in the rise of the United States as a global power.

Written by the renowned naval historian Samuel Eliot Morison, this Pulitzer prize-winning book is widely recognized as the only authoritative, modern biography of the naval officer frequently referred to as the father of the U.S. Navy. It vividly portrays the illustrious career of John Paul Jones, from his early training at sea in the British West Indian merchant trade to his exploits in the newly independent American navy and his appointment as an admiral in the Russian navy and command of a squadron in the Black Sea. With compelling detail and remarkable insight, the dramatic narrative captures Jones's tenacity and fierce dedication and loyalty to his men and country, despite ill treatment and only begrudged recognition from his superiors. Jones's incredible victories at sea form an important part of the book. Morison's description of the battle between Jones's Bonhomme Richard and HMS Serapis is considered one of the most vivid accounts of a naval battle in the English language.

Written by the naval historian Samuel Eliot Morison, this Pulitzer prize-winning book is widely recognized as the only authoritative, modern biography of the naval officer frequently referred to as the father of the U.S. Navy. It vividly portrays the illustrious career of John Paul Jones, from his early training at sea in the British West Indian merchant trade, to his exploits in the newly independent American navy, to his appointment as an admiral in the Russian navy and command of a squadron in the Black Sea. With compelling detail and remarkable insight, the dramatic narrative captures Jones's tenacity and fierce dedication and loyalty to his men and country, despite ill treatment and only begrudged recognition from his superiors. Jones's incredible victories at sea form an important part of the book. Morison's description of the battle between Jones's Bonhomme Richard and HMS Serapis is considered one of the most vivid accounts of a naval battle in the English language.