Old Ironsides: Eagle of the Sea - The Story of the USS Constitution

by David Fitz-Enz

This is the story of the oldest warship afloat in the world, the venerable frigate USS Constitution, the cornerstone of the nascent American navy created by act of Congress in 1794. Colonel David Fitz-Enz re-creates the world of sail, when seven knots an hour was considered blinding speed for a warship. In Old Ironsides, Fitz-Enz tells the story of the ship, from its construction to the ongoing restoration efforts that keep it active today.

Genres: History, Nautical, American History

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Sean Parsons]

Amazing book, I had bought this one visiting the USS Constitution in July 2025 and I’d put off reading it until this April 2026, thinking that it would be too boring. I was pleasantly surprised, and in the book, the author not only discusses the USS Constitution and her role in the war of 1812, but also a broader understanding of naval history and power dynamics at that time which I found very interesting. The use of primary sources was amazing and I thought the maps and pictures provided were very useful.

[Kimberly Lord]

Loved this book!