Patrick Henry and the Frigate's Keel and Other Stories of a Young Nation

by Howard Fast

Twelve tales of the United States’ early days, capturing moments in the lives of great leaders and farmers alike, all dreaming of the nation to comeWritten mostly while the United States was engaged in World War II, these patriotic stories imagine the best of the American spirit during its formative years. From “The Day of Victory,” about a victorious George Washington meeting with his generals one last time to swap stories before they all return to civilian life, to “The Bookman,” about a tragic day during the Revolutionary War as experienced by a young boy, each story depicts common citizens standing against tyranny, and settlers searching for a better life. Passionate and beautifully written, Patrick Henry and the Frigate’s Keel is one of Howard Fast’s best story collections, and a moving tribute to the aspirations of a new nation. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Howard Fast including rare photos from the author’s estate.

Genres: Historical Fiction

244 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Howard Fast was one of the most prolific American writers of the twentieth century. He was a bestselling author of more than eighty works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and screenplays. The son of immigrants, Fast grew up in New York City and published his first novel upon finishing high school in 1933. In 1950, his refusal to provide the United States Congress with a list of possible Communist associates earned him a three-month prison sentence. During his incarceration, Fast wrote one of his best-known novels, Spartacus (1951). Throughout his long career, Fast matched his commitment to championing social justice in his writing with a deft, lively storytelling style.

Pseudonyms: Walter Ericson, E.V. Cunningham

Reviews

[Ron · Rating 1 out of 5]

Gives historical fiction a bad name. (see quibbles) I understand that Fast wrote this to stir patriotism during World War Two, but that's all the more reason to be plausible, if not exactly accurate.

Quibbles: The keel of the USS Constitution is "good solid white oak," as directed by Joshua Humphrey in 1794 (not teak). Old Ironsides' wooden walls are and have been "the best white oak" (not pine), as specified by then Secretary of War Henry Knox. Patrick Henry rarely ventured as far from home as Richmond, Virginia before he died in 1799, let alone visiting Boston, where he mystically communed with the supposed teak keel of Old Ironsides under construction.

Passing off poetic invention as historical fiction, or history, undermines the author's intended purpose. Better to tell the truth, "warts and all".

[Martin Denton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book of 12 stories, written by Howard Fast from 1936 through 1945. Their common theme, as the subtitle tells us, is that they are all tales of the young United States of America; almost all are set during the Revolutionary War period and all present in poetical and sometimes fantastical terms the meaning of America's founding--something we all could use a lesson in these days.

Half of the stories relate historical events, and these are meant to be taken not literally but symbolically. For example, in the eponymous story, Fast invokes Patrick Henry and Paul Revere as he tells the story of the frigate Constitution, using that famed vessel as a stand-in for the sometimes fraying spirit of the Revolution. Another story, "The Pirate and the General," offers an imagined version of a meeting between Andrew Jackson and Jean Lafitte. And another shows us General Washington on his return to Mount Vernon, remembering all that he has experience and learned during the past eight years of the War for Independence.

These stories are all beautifully written and evocative; even better, though, are the others in the collection, that center on the common folk who really make up America. My favorite is probably "The Bookman," about a boy who finds himself caught up in the Revolution when part of General Washington's army decamps on his family's farm. The visit of an itinerant book seller sets off a chain of events that lead the boy to a courageous decision; even if you see it coming (I did), the twist near the end of this piece is pretty wrenching.

Another tale, "Rachel," tells the story of a young woman who is bought by a widowed frontiersman to be his new wife and mother to his young son. Fast shows how a woman could come into such a situation, and the bravery and fortitude that she develops as she survives and thrives in the dangerous environment in which she now finds herself.

All of the stories moved me, conjuring the independent, self-reliant spirit that built our country--sure, a mythologized spirit, but it's real just the same. This is an important, beautiful collection that reminds us of what America is supposed to stand for. Read it with an open heart and let Fast's stunning idealism wash over you.