If by Sea ─ The Forging of the American Navy--From the American Revolution to the War of 1812

Most historians trace the origins of the Continental Navy to George Washington's official inauguration of the Federal Navy in 1793, but the story actually begins years earlier: in 1775, at the advent of the American Revolution. In If By Sea, historian George C. Daughan uses decades of primary research to brilliantly trace the navy's little-recognized origins, showing that the battles of Lexington and Concord?as well as many subsequent battles, including Bunker Hill, New York, and Philadelphia?cannot be fully understood without taking the role of naval power into account.

George C. Daughan holds a Ph.D. in American History and Government from Harvard University and is a member of the American Historical Association, the National Maritime Historical Society, the North American Society for Oceanic History, and the Maine Historical Society. He resides in Portland, Maine.