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The Perfect Wreck - Old Ironsides and HMS Java: A Story of 1812
"Naval historian Steven Maffeo has used the fiction format to give us what will probably be the finest, truest account ever of the 1812 sea battle between "Constitution" and "Java" -- in which the young American Navy demonstrated the confidence, pride, and professionalism that have served it well for over two centuries.
A highly recommended must-read for every naval enthusiast-indeed, for every American!"
-- Stephen Coonts, 17-times NY Times best-selling author
December 29, 1812 - The date of one of the most dramatic sea battles in naval history. HMS "Java" and the USS "Constitution" (the famous "Old Ironsides") face off in the War of 1812's most spectacular blue-water frigate action. Their separate stories begin in August 1812 -- one in England and the other in New England. Then, the tension and suspense rise, week-by-week, as the ships cruise the Atlantic, slowly and inevitably coming together for the final life-and-death climax.
"The Perfect Wreck" is not only the first full-length book ever written about the battle between the "Constitution" and the "Java," it's a gem of "creative nonfiction." It has the exhaustive research of a scholarly history book; but it's also beautifully presented in the form of a novel.
A highly recommended must-read for every naval enthusiast-indeed, for every American!"
-- Stephen Coonts, 17-times NY Times best-selling author
December 29, 1812 - The date of one of the most dramatic sea battles in naval history. HMS "Java" and the USS "Constitution" (the famous "Old Ironsides") face off in the War of 1812's most spectacular blue-water frigate action. Their separate stories begin in August 1812 -- one in England and the other in New England. Then, the tension and suspense rise, week-by-week, as the ships cruise the Atlantic, slowly and inevitably coming together for the final life-and-death climax.
"The Perfect Wreck" is not only the first full-length book ever written about the battle between the "Constitution" and the "Java," it's a gem of "creative nonfiction." It has the exhaustive research of a scholarly history book; but it's also beautifully presented in the form of a novel.
- GenresHistory
382 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2011
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13 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 20, 2011
Steven Maffeo writes with the authority that comes from years of research and familiarity with naval life. Maintaining historical integrity Maffeo chronicles the events leading up to a fateful sea battle off the coast of Brazil in 1812. He links facts with probabilites without indulging in too much fictional intrusion into the private thoughts of real historical figures, beyond what evidence they provided in logs and letters. I loved the telling details: The commands given by the officers, the lists of provisions, the weather and sea state, the casualties and damage to the ships are all authentic and brought to life on the page. As Steve says in his afterword, "I've tried extremely hard to deliver to you solid historical truth, but at the same time bring the era to life and pull you into its time and place."
Aye, Capt. Maffeo, you have!
For those who like naval history, the War of 1812, and for all age-of-sail enthusiasts. The trade paperback version has illustrations and diagrams not included in the electronic version, though these are available on the author's website stevenmaffeo.com
Aye, Capt. Maffeo, you have!
For those who like naval history, the War of 1812, and for all age-of-sail enthusiasts. The trade paperback version has illustrations and diagrams not included in the electronic version, though these are available on the author's website stevenmaffeo.com
May 11, 2021
The Perfect Wreck is an excellent book and a great look into the "age of fighting sail" at its peak. Maffeo's methodology in creating the different aspects in telling the story of each ship and crew fitting out--to the actual voyages leading to their ultimate destiny and climactic battle--was perfect. The reader couldn't ask for a better story.
There were many aspects of preparation for sea that I was not aware of, especially the painstaking work in getting the masts and rigging seaworthy for each ship. Sailing and engaging another ship in battle was very complex, much more so than in the modern navy, and Maffeo brings out that complexity very well.
I've read many accounts of sea battles, but not to the point where I felt I was on board both ships as an observer. The reader gets to see the perspective of both sides as well as the attitudes and philosophies of both ships' captains.
We all feel that we would like to go back in time to witness a particular event, and Maffeo's book does that for me. Many accounts of 19th-century sea battles are just that, accounts. He has taken the genre and placed the reader on deck--making them an actual eyewitness! Bravo-Zulu!
There were many aspects of preparation for sea that I was not aware of, especially the painstaking work in getting the masts and rigging seaworthy for each ship. Sailing and engaging another ship in battle was very complex, much more so than in the modern navy, and Maffeo brings out that complexity very well.
I've read many accounts of sea battles, but not to the point where I felt I was on board both ships as an observer. The reader gets to see the perspective of both sides as well as the attitudes and philosophies of both ships' captains.
We all feel that we would like to go back in time to witness a particular event, and Maffeo's book does that for me. Many accounts of 19th-century sea battles are just that, accounts. He has taken the genre and placed the reader on deck--making them an actual eyewitness! Bravo-Zulu!
April 6, 2012
Thorough research mixed with superior writing is the mark of Steve Maffeo. He has followed his non-fiction works, Most Secret and Confidential: Intelligence in the Age of Nelson and Seize, Burn, or Sink: The Thoughts and Words of Admiral Lord Horatio Nelson with an informative and entertaining age-of-sail novel. The Perfect Wreck is an account of USS Constitution and HMS Java during the War of 1812. Maffeo used a considerable number of historical documents to ensure incredible accuracy, and includes a glossary that will respond to most anticipated queries. Most important is that The Perfect Wreck is a great read.
Maffeo's style is reminiscent of both C.S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower 1 - 11. series, and Michael Shaara's The Killer Angels. Like Forester, Maffeo's discussion of the ships' design, details of their outfitting, dramatization of the daily routine, and descriptions of their sailing techniques is educational, without becoming too dry. In a manner similar to Shaara, he takes the reader from officers and crew on Constitution to Java and back again, humanizing them, solidifying the reader's understanding of the age, and effectively building tension as the battle approaches. To be sure, the conflict between Java and "Old Ironsides" is not the book's only engagement: like any good age of sail novel, the guns are run out numerous times. Here Maffeo really excels, providing a taste of battle with a perspective from the topgallants to the surgeon's cabin.
Any fan of the age of sail or historical fiction should add The Perfect Wreck to their collection. It should be mandatory reading for any bluejacket.
Maffeo's style is reminiscent of both C.S. Forester's Horatio Hornblower 1 - 11. series, and Michael Shaara's The Killer Angels. Like Forester, Maffeo's discussion of the ships' design, details of their outfitting, dramatization of the daily routine, and descriptions of their sailing techniques is educational, without becoming too dry. In a manner similar to Shaara, he takes the reader from officers and crew on Constitution to Java and back again, humanizing them, solidifying the reader's understanding of the age, and effectively building tension as the battle approaches. To be sure, the conflict between Java and "Old Ironsides" is not the book's only engagement: like any good age of sail novel, the guns are run out numerous times. Here Maffeo really excels, providing a taste of battle with a perspective from the topgallants to the surgeon's cabin.
Any fan of the age of sail or historical fiction should add The Perfect Wreck to their collection. It should be mandatory reading for any bluejacket.
June 26, 2016
5.0 out of 5 starsThe Perfect Wreck.
By tfinnegan on July 27, 2011
Format: Paperback
The Perfect Wreck by Steven Maffeo serves an invaluable purpose for the student of the Age of Sail in seeing merit in a fictional account of a non-fiction event. The considerable inter-character dialogue connects a myriad of factual data that provides the reader with a definitive understanding of one of the most important naval battles that took place in 1812. The absence of footnotes might suggest the author has taken license in rewriting history to suite his tastes; however, it appears that strict adherence to the historical record has been maintained. Moreover, this work gives a naval enthusiast an ability to fully immerse into the story and better understand the reason for naval warfare's transcendence as the predominant force of the era. I highly recommend this book - especially as we get ready for the upcoming bicentennial honoring one of the greatest ships in history - the U.S.S. Constitution.
By tfinnegan on July 27, 2011
Format: Paperback
The Perfect Wreck by Steven Maffeo serves an invaluable purpose for the student of the Age of Sail in seeing merit in a fictional account of a non-fiction event. The considerable inter-character dialogue connects a myriad of factual data that provides the reader with a definitive understanding of one of the most important naval battles that took place in 1812. The absence of footnotes might suggest the author has taken license in rewriting history to suite his tastes; however, it appears that strict adherence to the historical record has been maintained. Moreover, this work gives a naval enthusiast an ability to fully immerse into the story and better understand the reason for naval warfare's transcendence as the predominant force of the era. I highly recommend this book - especially as we get ready for the upcoming bicentennial honoring one of the greatest ships in history - the U.S.S. Constitution.
January 5, 2012
The outcome of the meeting between Constitution and Java is well known, and there is a danger with any story which has a forgone conclusion that tension or excitement can be either missing, or contrived. This is definitely not the case with A Perfect Wreck; from the start, with Constitution active and potent at sea, and Java working up at Portsmouth after her capture from the French, the story pulls the reader forward with a pace that is quite compelling. Maffeo adds poignance by fleshing out the historical characters, making them real, three dimensional, and totally believable while the wealth of detail that is present throughout the book, gives a fascinating background to the story, without slowing the plot or becoming in any way instructional.
In short we have a well researched and excellently written book; one that reads as easily as any novel, and yet carries the accuracy and credibility of a good reference work. A difficult trick, but one that Maffeo has pulled off perfectly.
In short we have a well researched and excellently written book; one that reads as easily as any novel, and yet carries the accuracy and credibility of a good reference work. A difficult trick, but one that Maffeo has pulled off perfectly.
September 1, 2012
Riveting. Not my usual "read" but - once started - couldn't put it down.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews