by Evan Thomas
First published 2004
Evan Thomas chronicles the life of John Paul Jones, the naval commander who became known as the father of the American Navy. Thomas draws from Jones's personal letters exchanged with John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson to reveal how this ambitious captain helped secure American independence. The biography centers on Jones's philosophy of sailing "in harm's way" and his reputation for being ruthless, clever, and unstoppable at sea. Thomas reconstructs Jones's most famous engagement, the brutal nighttime battle between his ship Bonhomme Richard and the British warship Serapis off England's coast in autumn 1779. The author argues that the American Revolution required not only intellectual leaders but also glory-seeking fighters willing to break from tradition. Jones embodied the classic American spirit that combined personal ambition with revolutionary ideals.
Genres: biography, historical-fiction, 20th-century, military-history, 19th-century, american-history
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, underdog
Setting: England
Period: 1779
400 pages · Paperback · Simon & Schuster