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Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy Paperback – March 17, 2008

by Ian W. Toll (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 3,442 ratings
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"A fluent, intelligent history...give[s] the reader a feel for the human quirks and harsh demands of life at sea."―New York Times Book Review

Before the ink was dry on the U.S. Constitution, the establishment of a permanent military became the most divisive issue facing the new government. The founders―particularly Jefferson, Madison, and Adams―debated fiercely. Would a standing army be the thin end of dictatorship? Would a navy protect from pirates or drain the treasury and provoke hostility? Britain alone had hundreds of powerful warships.

From the decision to build six heavy frigates, through the cliff-hanger campaign against Tripoli, to the war that shook the world in 1812, Ian W. Toll tells this grand tale with the political insight of Founding Brothers and the narrative flair of Patrick O'Brian.

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  1. Print length
    592 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    W. W. Norton & Company
  4. Publication date
    March 17, 2008
  5. Dimensions
    6.1 x 1.6 x 9.2 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    039333032X
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0393330328
  8. See all details
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  1. “Perhaps it is a universal truth that the loss of liberty at home is to be charged to provisions against danger, real or pretended, from abroad.”
    Highlighted by 587 Kindle readers
  2. Good officers and bad ships would make a better navy than good ships and bad officers.
    Highlighted by 533 Kindle readers
  3. “Every difference of opinion is not a difference of principle. We have called by different names brethren of the same principle. We are all republicans, we are all federalists.”
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Sweeping in scope, full of vivid descriptions... solidly grounded in the diplomatic landscape... a masterly work."
― Chris Patsilelis, Houston Chronicle

"[A] wonderfully atmospheric account, brilliantly researched, full of stirring action and rich with the scent of the sea."
― Simon Winchester, author of The Professor and the Madman

"Gripping... a masterful narrative... Toll captures the ambivalence of the government, and its reluctance to pay for even a tiny navy, very well."
― Joe Mysak, Bloomberg News

"Toll has a light touch, much like noted historian David McCullough; well-researched facts are carefully balanced by smooth narrative flow.... The result is a thoroughly readable book that adds depth and significance to an important era of American history."
― Bruce Linder, San Diego Tribune

"Vibrant and comprehensive, Toll makes an impressive debut."
― Gilbert Taylor, Booklist

About the Author

Ian W. Toll is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The Conquering Tide, Pacific Crucible, and Six Frigates, winner of the Samuel Eliot Morison Award and the William E. Colby Award. He lives in New York.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company; Reprint edition (March 17, 2008)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 592 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 039333032X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0393330328
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.45 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.1 x 1.6 x 9.2 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 3,442 ratings

About the author

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Ian W. Toll

Ian W. Toll

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Ian W. Toll is an independent naval historian, the author of PACIFIC CRUCIBLE: War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942 and SIX FRIGATES: The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy. SIX FRIGATES won broad critical acclaim and was selected for the Samuel Eliot Morison Award, the William E. Colby Award, and New York Times “Editor’s Choice” list.

Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
3,442 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the book fascinating, well-written, and enjoyable to read. They also appreciate the insights into the founding fathers, organizational genius, and tactical versatility. Readers describe the book as an excellent historical account of the founding of the US Navy. They mention that the content is well researched, well organized, and delivers victory after victory.

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Literary meritReadabilityHistoryContentEngagementPacing
458 customers mention "Literary merit"458 positive0 negative

Customers find the book fascinating, well done, and accessible. They say it provides an engrossing story of the politics, personalities, and economics of authorizing. Readers also appreciate the author's meticulous capture of the order of events and precise timelines. They describe the book as an enjoyable read that scores well in both categories.

"...Either way, this is a great book to read, and it is available in various e-book formats that you can choose from if the bulk of the test might be a..." Read more

"...Toll provides excellent insights and paints vivid pictures of war during the age of sail...." Read more

"...the war of 1812, Six Frigates is a great choice, offering a thorough and entertaining narrative of the key events and people of the era with an..." Read more

"...While artistically pleasing and interesting, they are period sketches woefully inadequate to placing the reader into the action or to better..." Read more

316 customers mention "Readability"287 positive29 negative

Customers find the book very well written, understandable, and detailed. They also appreciate the annotations, bibliography, and insights into the founding fathers. Readers also mention that the book gives a very good Cliff Notes version of the Constitution. They appreciate the impressive sources, including diaries and letters of captains, officers, midshipmen, and organizational genius.

"...The text is absorbing and though provoking at times. I am glad I purchased this book...." Read more

"...Toll provides excellent insights and paints vivid pictures of war during the age of sail...." Read more

"...Well researched, exquisitely written, Toll engages attention from the first and comfortably navigates the reader through the philosphical, political..." Read more

"...The use of this language was not gratuitous; it was not only elucidating, it added delightful flavor to Mr. Toll's thought that could have been..." Read more

235 customers mention "History"232 positive3 negative

Customers find the book an excellent historical account of the founding of the US Navy. They also say the author is one of the best historical authors around and that the book traces the development of the Navy as a whole, along with the political battles over it.

"Ian Toll crafted a masterpiece of historical writing in this book. At least I liked it!!!..." Read more

"...Not only is the book captivating and intense, it is sincere in it's historical accuracy..." Read more

"...By the end of the story, the US navy is well established, it’s leading officers the chief heroes of the young Republic rivalled only by Andrew..." Read more

"...One page after another in this fine history yields curious facts, thrilling scenes of battle, and grim depictions of battle's toll." Read more

210 customers mention "Content"206 positive4 negative

Customers find the book well researched, enlightening, and factual. They also appreciate the author's deft hand at dropping insights that get them thinking. Readers describe the book as a good general introduction to the famous Six Frigates. They say it's authoritative, exciting, and the pride of the US Navy.

"...of the Founding of the U.S. Navy by Ian W. Toll is an astoundingly thorough book...." Read more

"...Well researched, exquisitely written, Toll engages attention from the first and comfortably navigates the reader through the philosphical, political..." Read more

"...The use of this language was not gratuitous; it was not only elucidating, it added delightful flavor to Mr. Toll's thought that could have been..." Read more

"...While reading, you get the sense that this was extremely well researched...." Read more

49 customers mention "Engagement"49 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and entertaining, with a magnificent challenge for a great purpose. They also say the material is set in an important time in history, with drama, anticipation, depth, and interest. Readers say the book serves as an important background to the origins of our nation's naval service, and provides a full accounting of the reaction and skill of British and French naval forces. They mention the book is informative, but not dry or boring, and heavy on action.

"...The text is absorbing and though provoking at times. I am glad I purchased this book...." Read more

"...Not only is the book captivating and intense, it is sincere in it's historical accuracy..." Read more

"...and political speechwriter, but it is big, authoritative, and often exciting...." Read more

"...And the author writes in a tone that is both serious and entertaining...." Read more

28 customers mention "Pacing"19 positive9 negative

Customers are mixed about the pacing. Some mention that the book moves at a quick pace and covers a lot of ground, while others say it's slow to get into, tedious, and frustrating to wade through.

"...Not the heaviest but substantial and well designed to be fast...." Read more

"...a sloop, this midsize craft represented a unique combination of power, speed and tactical versatility...." Read more

"...I found the pace a bit slow, but it was well worth reading." Read more

"...details of events and people, The book is well structured and flows smoothly. It is a wonderful addition to the other books that Toll has written...." Read more

the descriptions make you feel like you're living the moment
5 out of 5 stars

the descriptions make you feel like you're living the moment

Why did I read this book? I'm in this mood where I'm not interested in fiction. I hadn't been able to finish any of the fiction books I was reading, so I started reading a history book called The Fourth Part of the World. A fascinating read on what could have been a very dry subject, a map. I blew threw it in a few days and wanted more. Next I read 1776. A very well known book, deservedly so. I was impressed. But I was done, and was hungry for more, particularly from that time period. I stumbled upon Six Frigates and started in.I couldn't put it down.Not only is the book captivating and intense, it is sincere in it's historical accuracy (unlike other history books I've read that try to make the work into a Hollywood thriller). While reading, you get the sense that this was extremely well researched. At the same time, the descriptions make you feel like you're living the moment. And the insights into our founding fathers are so well illustrated that you come away feeling as if you know the people, or better yet, as if Ian Toll knew them and is tell us about people with which he is well acquainted.Why is the book important? In Ian's own words, he "set out to write a book about the founding of the U.S. Navy, yet ended up writing a book about the founding of our country".The book is about how a government decides when to use force overseas, defend its rights against the world superpower, and enter the world stage. THis is an underdog story, sure. And a rousing adventure. But it also sheds light on how 13 colonies became one nation.
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Top reviews from the United States

Pachyderm
5.0 out of 5 stars A Well Writen, Highly Focused Naval History Tome
Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2015
Verified Purchase
Almost done with it. Excellent book with tons of details that you would not generally learn in a general history text. Well researched and written, there are two write-ups of battles that are riveting page turners. There are some dry and slow spots, but they are not the norma at all. The text is absorbing and though provoking at times. I am glad I purchased this book. Please note: I bought this in trade paperback form and it is huge. I did not enjoy holding it up or manipulating it. To get it comfortable I had to sort of manhandle it. I liked it enough that I did not want to damage it too much, so I came back and purchased it from iBooks. I have read about half of it in that format. The very nice trade paperback that I bought here was only like $14 and had Prime shipping, so that would be an EXCELLENT choice for a gift. The price as a Kindle file was a bit more than that on iBooks, and since I had already bought the more expensive "real" book I did not want to spend any more than I had to. However, if I had known the weight of this book I would have purchased the Kindle format initially as I like Kindle better than iBooks. Either way, this is a great book to read, and it is available in various e-book formats that you can choose from if the bulk of the test might be a problem for you. Note that my iBooks test contains typos that are not in the real book. I do not know how Kindle texts are prepared, but most of mine have misprints, too, so there is some human part to the process, regardless of the seller. This is frustrating, but it is getting much better. E-books seem to finally be getting edited at a level close to printed books. If you have a keen interest in the early US Navy and you buy this book you will be pleased, regardless of format. Enjoy!
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Alan Holyoak
5.0 out of 5 stars Six Frigates...an outstanding presentation of the political, economic, and military forces behind the founding of the US Navy
Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2008
Verified Purchase
Ian Toll crafted a masterpiece of historical writing in this book. At least I liked it!!! It sometimes reads like fiction, but consistently bears the weight of historical fact. "Six Frigates" presents an intruiging picture of the interplay between the economic, political, and military considerations that led to a critical decision-point during the vulnerable fledgling years of the USA between the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.

During the first part of the book we join the Founding Fathers as they engage in hot debates over whether to invest limited federal funds in an extrememly expensive ship-building program. Why build ships? And why only six? What good could six ships do? At the time the US merchant fleet, one of the largest in the world, was experiencing harassment and losses to pirates based along the north coast of Africa in the Mediterranean Sea...the Barbary pirates.

And so a decision was made to build 3 heavy frigates and 3 lighter frigates. Toll provides detail about the planning and building of the ships. The materials used and the manner of construction combined to make these six frigates some of the strongest ships afloat, and helps the reader to understand how the USS Constitution eventually earned the knickname "Old Ironsides."

Once the ships were built some of them were dispached to the Mediterranean Sea to project US military power during a little known period of US History...the Tripolitan War with the Barbary Coast pirates. These engagements provided the military action made famous in the US Marine Corps song with the refrain, "From the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli." (Just in case you were wondering.)

Not many years later another war loomed with England, the country with the mightiest and most efficient navy in the world...they had 300 ships of war, and the USA had only six dedicated warships. Yikes!

Nevertheless, war broke out and the frigates went to war to protect the merchant fleet from English warships and to protect American sailors from being forcibly pressed into British naval service. Toll provides excellent insights and paints vivid pictures of war during the age of sail. I knew life was rough aboard those ships, but until I read this book I had never developed a clear mental image of the combination of courage, terror, and extreme damage that resulted from naval engagements.

The British navy took great pride in being the ruler of the seas, and they had a long and glorious history of overpowering their adversaries with the combined skill of sailing prowess, gunnery efficiency and accuracy, and bold courage. Toll provides excellent narrative of single ship to single ship engagements between British and American vessels. Imagine the shock and awe that ensued when an American frigate bested and captured a British frigate! Both ships were a shambles, but the British ship was brought into port and the American captain and crew were natioal heroes...there were give parades, balls, feasts, and so on.

Another aspect of life under sail that I never before understood was the beating these ships took, not only during battle but also from the elements. I was amazed as Toll described the type and frequency of refitting that sailing warships needed. Read for yourself and find out for yourselves.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys military history or even sea tales like those told in the Horatio Hornblower saga or in books by Patrick O'Brien.

This is clearly a 5 star product. No question about it.
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Isaac Grey
4.0 out of 5 stars Highly informative, but lacks focus
Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2013
Verified Purchase
Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy by Ian W. Toll is an astoundingly thorough book. The fact that it pools together facts from almost 350 sources is both the source of its strength and its greatest weakness.

The story relayed by Toll tells how the United States started as a nation with a nonexistent fleet, dependent upon naval support from foreign powers. Due to war in Europe, the United States were able to claim neutrality and grow wealthy from naval trade. Yet when pirates threatened maritime security, after years of debate and politics, the American government finally commissioned a navy. The U.S. developed new and controversial designs which would give them a tactical advantage over European warships, if the need ever arose. The government could only afford creating six ships, so the alternative designs were necessary. In the end, the six American warships were built to be fast enough to outrun massive European gunships, yet strong enough to obliterate smaller ships fast enough to hold pace with them. Toll details the first naval conflicts in U.S. history, showing the effectiveness of the ships in action.

By the time readers finish Toll's account of the early years of the U.S. Navy, they should have very few, if any, questions left unanswered. Every major event, politician, sailor, tradesman, and shipwright who had a hand in forming the navy is discussed in great detail. Even the most minute details of shipbuilding are discussed, covering not only what sort of wood was used for which parts of the first naval ships, but where that would could be found and the small-scale economy that developed around procuring material. Naval tactics are discussed at length, as is the general lifestyle of seamen.

What is not needed is the great detail which Toll focuses on in regards to everything surrounding the naval construction. The book opens with an account of British naval might and the Battle of Trafalgar which was fought between the navies of Great Britain, Spain, and France. While he is establishing a sense of the challenges America had to face in order to be a world power, the level of detail goes too far. When reading strictly for American historical value, the funeral processions of Horatio Nelson do not contribute anything more than trivia. Toll delves into the mundane details of nearly everything surrounding or associated with the U.S. Navy including the economy a decade before the navy was commissioned, the personal correspondence of American politicians, the French Revolution, and many other unnecessary topics.

The subtitle claims the book is a history of the founding of the U.S. Navy but it talks about so much more. In some respects, this is a good thing since the book tells the history of America in a time period which is not commonly discussed, roughly from 1780 to 1815. There is a high educational value in the extra content, but it does not strictly support the story of the navy itself, but rather the story of America and its relations with Europe. By the end, the book turns into more of an account of the war of 1812 than anything else. There is even a chronological epilogue briefly relating major events in naval history from 1805 to 2005.

In general, a more focused narrative on the navy could have been beneficial for the book and its readers. For those who want a specific history of the U.S. Navy, there are likely more focused books which will tell more than just the first twenty years of naval history. For those who would like to learn about U.S. history from post-revolutionary war through the war of 1812, Six Frigates is a great choice, offering a thorough and entertaining narrative of the key events and people of the era with an emphasis on maritime economy, defense, and foreign relations.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Derrick Phillips
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 29, 2019
Verified Purchase
Fantastically researched and writte. Important to me for the info on the 'Constellation', on which my gr gr gr grandfather served in the late 1700s and early1800.
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Neil Milligan
5.0 out of 5 stars Another great book by a master historian
Reviewed in Australia on July 14, 2020
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Superbly written, covers important period of the birth of a nation and its struggle in the early years. An interesting contrast to today's administration
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William C. Mahaney
5.0 out of 5 stars Review of Ian Toll-‘Six Frigates: The Epic History of ...
Reviewed in Canada on September 1, 2016
Verified Purchase
Review of Ian Toll-‘Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy’

A masterful piece in the vein of McGrath’s ‘John Barry’ (2010) and ‘Give Me a Fast Ship’ (2014) provides a sweeping scope of war at sea in the era of sail. The book is well documented, fully researched and grounded in the economic and diplomatic history of the early decades of the new republic and its quarrels with France and England. From the end of the American Revolution through the Tripolitan War against the Barbary pirates, the Quasi War and events leading up to the War of 1812, the fledgling US Navy went through a tumultuous period, one of political and diplomatic tugs of war that saw the navy dismantled (1785) mainly because of costs. With American shipping preyed upon by the Algerian states, President Washington persuaded congress to authorize the building of a navy, originally 4 frigates of 44-guns and two of 28-guns. The Naval Act of 1794 saw the birth of the U.S. Navy and the final realization that 44-gun frigates posed tactical advantages over lesser armed British brigs/frigates of 28-guns and more heavily armed British battleships with 74-guns. Thus, this led to the building of a new class of warship which gave the new navy an unforeseen edge that had been missed by Britain and France. Hence, following the signing of a treaty with the Barbary States, the navy was mothballed until the Quasi War with France reenergized the refitting of ships to harry French shipping, and ultimately the construction of six frigates: President, Congress, United States, Constitution, Constellation and Chesapeake. Of all the early 19th century frigates built only the Constitution is a commissioned vessel of the US navy still afloat in Boston Harbor. As with Alfred Mahan’s ‘The Influence of Sea Power Upon History, 1660-1783,’ Ian Toll’s ‘Six Frigates’, the 2008 winner of the Samuel Eliot Morrison Award for Naval Literature, is an important addition to naval history and a book well worth reading.
W.C. Mahaney, author of ‘The Warmaker’ (2008), ‘The Golden Till’ (2010) and ‘Operation Black Eagle’ (2012).
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Leotrowski
5.0 out of 5 stars Six Frigates
Reviewed in Germany on August 7, 2013
Verified Purchase
Insgesamt sehr gute Darstellung der "Kinderjahre" der US Navy. Die geschichtlichen Ereignisse, die handelnden Personen und natuerlich der Werdegang der "Six frigates" werden ausfuehrlich im Detail beschrieben. Wer sich fuer die Anfaenge der US Navy interessiert, der sollte sich das Buch nicht entgehen lassen. Wer eine ausfuehrliche Darstellung des US-UK Krieges von 1812 sucht, dem wird hier ebenfalls geholfen.
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Roshan
5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent account
Reviewed in India on July 15, 2013
Verified Purchase
A very enjoyable and thorough account of the founding of the US navy.
In spite of its formidable size I blew through it in a week.
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