Winner of the Fraunces Tavern Museum Book Award and a Massachusetts Center for the Book "Must-Read," this bestselling work by Eric Jay Dolin reclaims the privateers who proved essential to American victory in the Revolutionary War.

While the founding of the U.S. Navy has been told many times, the critical role of nearly 2,000 privately owned vessels—mostly refitted merchant ships — has been largely overlooked. These privateers captured some 1,800 British ships and diverted crucial British resources, playing a key role in bringing France into the war and bolstering American confidence against the world's most powerful military force. Dolin restores forgotten heroes like Captain Jonathan Haraden and Offin Boardman to their rightful place in history, revealing how patriotic privateersmen — despite facing hellish conditions if captured — were as committed to the cause as any Continental Navy sailor. Abounding in tales of daring maneuvers and deadly encounters, this work presents the Revolutionary War as rarely seen before. Features 105 illustrations and 8 pages of full-color images.