Privateers of the Revolution: War on the New Jersey Coast, 1775-1783

by Donald Grady Shomette

A revelatory narrative of the 538 Pennsylvania and New Jersey privateers, privately owned ships of war some called pirates. Manned by over 18,000 men, these privateers influenced the fight for American independence. From the halls of Congress to the rough waterfronts of Delaware River and Bay to the remote privateering ports of the New Jersey coast and into the Atlantic, a stirring portrait emerges of seaborne raiders, battles, and derring-do, as well as incredible escapes from the great British prison ships “vulgarly called Hell,” where more than 11,000 men perished. A work 40 years in the making extracted from archives in both Europe and America, it is a tale unrivaled by any Hollywood fiction.

448 pages, Hardcover

Published July 28, 2016

Reviews

[Lora Milton · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the introduction: "The story of Jersey and the many thousands of prison ship martyrs who expired within her dark, pestilential bowels, was once an iconic piece of American history: it is little remembered today. So, too, was the often swashbuckling trade that the majority of her unfortunate inmates had practiced, namely privateering - that is, governmentally sanctioned commerce raiding for profit by private ships of war - during the many long years of the American revolution."

This is a historical book about legalized piracy. It's a part of history that isn't usually taught in schools, how supply lines to the American coast were interfered with by government sanctioned privateering and the horrendous conditions of prison ships that held those privateers who were captured, most notably the Jersey.

The book tells the history of how the fledgling American government debated and eventually deployed privateers because their need for naval protection along the Atlantic coast was essential, but they did not have the finances to build sufficient warships. Concern over the possibility of privateering turning to piracy did arise in discussions, but in the end necessity demanded and the inevitable infractions led to a culture of piracy that has formed famous legends over the years.

This book reads like a history book in school with a lot of facts and relation of detailed events, so is recommended for the serious history buff rather than casual reading. A lot of research obviously went into it and I found it interesting to say the least. Anyone interested in American history will find a lot of revelations in this book.

[Nicki Markus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Privateers of the Revolution is an intriguing and enlightening read. Many of the books I've read so far on the subject of the American Revolution have focused on the onshore action, and until now I had no idea how extensive and important the events out at sea proved to be. The book is clearly well researched and I enjoyed all the details of certain vessels' voyages. It is also a good general read, with straightforward prose that will appeal to scholars and the casual reader alike. Anyone interested in this period in history would find this book entertaining and insightful, and it will also be of interest to those concerned with Naval history.

I received this book as a free eBook ARC via NetGalley.

[Christopher A · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars

Really wanted to like this one but it was a bit of a slog. This book is deceptive in appearance. You really only get 300pgs of narrative, or short stories. There were 2 or 3 excitinf chapters, maybe 2 or 3 informative chapters then the rest seemed unimportant. Plenty of pages that just describe a vessel and captain then while you expect a payoff it ends with a ship being captured (although no or limited details of how it was captured) and a couple more paragraphs about its stores being auctioned off. Well researched but rather boring.

[John Howard-fusco · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read and meticulously researched.

[QOH · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the rare delight of a thorough naval history and an engaging read.

[Rick Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fantastic history book that delves into a little known facet of the American Revolution including the British prison ships