George Washington's Secret Navy

If you're a fan of the Revolutionary War, and/of George Washington, this book confirms so many things we've come to accept but from a very different angle. Correspondence is the chief medium of telling this story, flavored by all the non-standard spellings of with writers, but the great asset is Nelson's analysis which reads between the lines, points out the contradictions, and the motivations of the authors of the letters. Nelson supplies insights concerning weather conditions, knowledge of ships of the day, the tactical situation on land as well as off shore, to explain the course of events. The ingenuity of Washington in this endeavor is remarkable, the frustrations are palpable, and the limitations of the day are clearly expressed.One problem of this book is that it is not easy to organize in a chronological manner, with the actions of so many ships occurring at once. Nelson chooses to backtrack several times over the same months or days following a different line of action which is sometimes leads to frustration, but, I know of no other way to cover a story like this.

I have to admit, while I'm a huge fan of James L. Nelson's fiction novels (and I can't wait for another one), it's a real pleasure to read serious non-fiction written by someone with his talent who can, pardon the cliche, make history come alive. From Washington's ride to review his troops to the British finally leaving Boston, the book equally delights and educates. For serious history buffs (which I'm not), the book gives insight to an indispensable but little known sliver of the American Revolution. For those who just want a great read, with drama, action, and a fair amount of comedy (the U.S. Navy's origins were filled with blunders and mishaps), George Washington's Secret Navy is the perfect nighttime read.

I chose to read this book for a book review in a college American Revolution class. And can I just say I couldn't have been happier with my choice. It helped having some prior background on the subject matter, but I was so into this book I just couldn't put it down! I enjoyed it so much I didn't even take notes for my review, I just kept reading through it because I didn't want to stop. Good writing and an even better story. Plus and A on the final paper for it! All because I truly enjoyed reading the book!

George Washington credited as Father of this Country . This book shows that not Only was he the Father of the U.S.Army but of the U.S. Navy , just a couple of more reasons for that title. He saw a need then quickly saw the value of a Navel force as a way to strike at the enemy while his Army locked in a siege His navy could and did help raise morale of New England . It was a secret because he started equipping vessels of War without specific authority of Congress . By the time his cruisers were ready for sea Congress ordered him to acquire a couple for a mission His cutting of red tape often paid dividends for our freedom. It is amazing what motivated Americans can and did accomplish with little but a desire to be free of oppressive government .

Visiting Marblehead, Massachusetts, I noticed a plaque that mentioned the exploits of Washington's unofficial navy when he was the Continental Congress' Army commander in Cambridge, MA, while the British were blocaded in Boston. That led me to this book, which explains in detail these origins of the Continental Congress' navy and, subsequently, the US Navy. I had grown up in Massachusetts; but had never heard this story. A good read for any student of our early history.

Nelson's well-researched and clearly written popular history book is of great value in the on-going research for my own nautical historical fiction series, as well as enlightening and enjoyable reading. An important edition to my growing library of Colonial American literature.

I wish all of Nelson's books were available on Kindle. The little known events from 1774-1775 which led to the creation of what would become the United States Navy are truly amazing. While we often think of Philadelphia and Lexington/Concord as cradles of the American Revolution, Nelson reminds us that such honors ought rightly to include Narragansett Bay, Gloucester, Beverly, Marblehead, and Plymouth, as well.

An important story that should be in textbooks. Potentially dry facts come alive with clarity and drama, again and again.