into [he history of "fl ag rank, " including shorr descrip[ions of such phenomena as tombstone promo[ions an d [he esrablishment of [he five-s[ar flee[ admiral rank. In addi[ion [here are eleven appendices [ha[ range from derails abour rhe Deparrment of [he Navy to basic fac[s abour rhe Confederare Srates Navy. And, by the way, this is also an essential reference wo rk for students and wri ters of naval history. RADMJOSEPH F. CALLO, USNR(RET.) New York, New York
The Autobiography of a Yankee Mariner: Christopher Prince and the American Revolution, edited by Michael J . Crawford (Brassey's, Washington D C, 2002 , 263pp, illus, notes, appen, biblio , glossary, index, ISBN 1-5 7 488-440-9; $26.95 hc) Michael Crawfo rd, the noted naval historian, has skillfully edited a rare autobiography of a Massachusetts mariner who participated in the American Revolution as a seaman and ship's captain. C rawford adds hi sto rical contex[ and apropos and erudite footnotes to C hrisLOpher Prince's narrative. Prince was a witness to many milirary and naval actions of the War of Independence. His reminiscences corroborate and, in so me cases, add depth ro exis[ing historical data. Some recollections of detailed co nversations are perhaps literary license, but Prince's explanation of [h e choices that he made, his feelings and those of hi s contemporaries, plus the moral dil emm as he faced are a uniqu e social co mmentary of the times . DR. LOUIS A. NORTON Jack Nastyface: Memoirs of an English Seaman, by William Robinson (Naval In stitute Press, Annapolis MD, 2002, l 60pp, illus, ISBN 1-5575 0-011 -8; $ 16.95pb) Like a voice from th e past, this brief book is a republication of a sto ry that was originally primed in 1836. Jack N astyface, a stirring name for a sailor in the Royal Navy in the early 1800s, is actually William Robinson , an in[elli gem and reaso nable naval seaman. In sketchy but authentic fas hion Robinson portrays [he life of a seaman in the British navy during the Napoleonic Wars. Among other topics he addresses, our seaman decries [he punishments meted o ut indiscriminately to the sai lors and objec[s suongly to [he practice
SEA HISTORY 103, WINTER 2002- 03
of impressing citizens into the Royal Navy. The story is worth looking a[ for [he historical informa[ion it provides, but Richard H enry Dana was a much more eloquent spokesman for [he sailor and his oppressed life in [he 1800s. ARTHUR KELLNER Roseland, New Jersey
Deadly Winter: The Life of Sir John Franklin, by Marryn Beardsley (Naval Institute Press, Annapolis MD , 2002, 296pp, illus, biblio, no[es, index, ISBN 1-5575 0179-3; $34.95 hc) Sir John Franklin (1786- 1847), officer of the Royal Navy, explorer, diplom a[, and folk hero, was, to his admirers, [he epitome ofBri[ish single-mindedness and a "presson-regardless-a[titude." To his deuacto rs, he was a misguided, hesitant, and as often as no[ inep[ leader. To Mr. Beardsley, he was not only a hero, bur "a good man" who accomplished 'far [aurhor'semphasis] more than, for example, better-remembered figures such as Scott and Shackleton." Unfortunately, the author gives us li[tle opportuniLy [O co me to our own mind regarding Franklin due to his almos[ reverent [rea[ment of [he man's life, a superfi cial and ofren denigrating look at wha[ migh[ have mo[iva[ed his hero's de[ractors, and an uncompromising Bricish parochialism. Prior [O [he publica[ion of [his wellresearched bi ograph y, Beardsley had been a wri[er of children's fi c[ion. his appare m from [he inclusion of unnecessa ry charac[ers, a ple[hora ofi nsignifi cant fac[s, and an abundance of Lady Jan e Franklin's poetry [ha[ he wall(s his readers to share in his emhusias rn and know as much as he does abou[ his subj ect. This reader found such an excess of riches to be dis[raC[ing. fr adds li[tl e to [he [ale and no[hing to [he perso na of John Franklin. Howeve r, by [he fin al tl1ird of [he book, Beardsley finds hi s vo ice: [he prose becomes more cogent and fewer extraneous details inrrude on the story. While Sir John's exploi[s, no[ [he leas[ of which was his effo rt on three separa[e occas ions to search ou[ [he Nonhwest Passage (an effon which finally took his life) , were ill(eres ting, the book does no[ do justice to the author's feeling [hat his subject was a real hero who histo ry overlooked. WI LUAM H. WHITE Author: 1812 Trilogy Rumson, N ew Jersey
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