USS Constellation Pride of the American Navy

Myers relates the illustrious history of our nation's last all-sail warship. He describes her original construction and launch in 1797 and early victories against the French frigate Insurgente and Barbary Coast pirates. He then details the mid-18th-century "repair" that transformed the ship into the "second" Constellation, a vessel that roamed the Atlantic to interdict the slave trade, saw Civil War action, and was finally used for training officers. The author also explains how the Constellation was operated and how its sailors were trained, and sums up the various rebuilding efforts that culminated in restoring her to her 1854 condition and her 1999 return to Baltimore Harbor. He includes many lengthy primary-source quotes, such as an account of the Constellation's 1860 encounter with a slave vessel and the specific instructions for sailors who handled gunpowder. There are numerous period illustrations and photos of the vessel and those who served on her as well as an extensive bibliography with primary and secondary sources and Web sites.