Reviews for Socially Responsible Investing, Vol. 1

The average rating for Socially Responsible Investing, Vol. 1 based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2016-10-30 00:00:00 Sherri Carter Magnificent! Reading this vivid, riveting 5 Star account of the US Navy’s birth was often like having a movie playing in my head. The battle scenes are just perfectly done. Even the 3 day escape of the Constitution from a squadron of British warships was tense and spellbinding, although no significant battle occurred. While the main focus is the US Navy, the performance of the British Navy is recounted in detail in the final third of the book, making this a very good reference for historians of Her Majesty’s Royal Navy. I can’t recommend this book enough. One mark of a great history book is the ability to teach and reveal the real truth, vs. what you thought was true. Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy succeeds here at every turn. The birth of the USN is not in the Revolutionary War but in the period after, when the weak nation faced its former ally, France, in the Quasi War. Against a background of political machinations between the Federalists and the Republicans, six frigates are authorized to be built-and what follows is a perfect example of early pork barrel politics as the Congress determines each ship will be built in a different city, spreading the “pork” to multiple shipbuilders. What also follows is a great example of technological innovation as the American ship designer comes up with a superior frigate design, which will pay great benefits in the future. The impetus for a permanent navy comes in 1793 when US merchant ships are taken in the Mediterranean and shipping insurance rises. The French revolution is taking a nasty turn and some see the need for a US naval force to protect our ships. The politics of the time are fascinating and the opponents of the Navy eventually become advocates and vice versa. The first test of the USN comes against France, ruled first by Jacobins, then the Directiore and finally, Napoleon. France was intent on treating the neutral US as aiding its’ enemy, Great Britain, and allowed privateers to take American ships. One of the first frigates is deployed to the Caribbean and meets up with the French frigate L’Insurgente. The battle follows with Constellation victorious: L’Insurgente’s decks were littered with dead and dying men, and her officers seemed to be losing control of the remaining crew. Many of them ran from their guns, some even rushing into the captain’s cabin. Barreaut, perhaps sensing that his vessel was outgunned, called for boarders and ordered the helmsman to run aboard the Constellation. But his ship was losing way, and the maneuver failed. It was a costly failure, for it allowed the Constellation to range ahead, cross the Frenchman’s bows, and fire a ferocious, double-shotted, raking broadside. The Constellation passed to windward of the traumatized L’Insurgente and wore round on a parallel course. The gun crews of both ships ran across their respective decks to serve the guns on the other side. Constellation’s larboard gunports swung open, the muzzles ran out, blazed, roared, and vanished behind a curtain of smoke. L’Insurgente’s starboard battery answered, and now the two frigates hauled close to the wind and fought a running battle, trading ball for ball. The next test of the US Navy comes when it is deployed to the Mediterranean in the early 1800’s to deal with the Barbary States. US shipping is being ravaged by the Barbary pirates and the new upstart nation is not inclined to pay tribute and ransom to the rulers of Tripoli and Algeria. Ordered to blockade the ports and protect the American traders, the fledgling Navy struggles to succeed. Out of this adventure will come some embarrassing defeats and missteps as well as some daring successes. A line: “to the shores of Tripoli” will be added to the Marine hymn. In the end reality takes over and we come to an understanding with the Barbary rulers will include our annual tribute. We will come back later and deal with them in 1815. The final third of the book and some of the most exciting action is the fighting in the War of 1812. The British Navy is the most powerful force ever seen on the seas, unmatched anywhere and winning massive victories in the Mediterranean and at Trafalgar. With 85 ships of the line against only 19 American ships, Britain expects to make short work of the “colonials”. After 5 straight victories by the Americans, capturing British frigates of equal power, and almost 500 British trading vessels captured by US privateers, the UK is in an uproar. The battles between the US Navy and the British Navy are just fascinating. The honorable challenges and surrenders, the bloody results, the tactics, the less than honorable reprisals, just great stories. While much of the book covers the US Navy in action, this is also a great history of the US and the world at the time. Napoleon’s France has a major impact at the start and at the end. The War of 1812 was definitely a war of choice, declared by the US against the major power in the world. The result of this conflict was respect for the US Navy and the nation. It almost resulted in the breakup of the United States.

Review # 2 was written on 2017-08-13 00:00:00 Enry Bianca I devoured Ian Toll’s first two books about the naval war in the Pacific during World War II, so I thought I’d try his earlier book about the earliest days of the United States Navy. I don’t know if you have any interest in early American history or in naval warfare, but if you do, this is a great read. Toll is one of those historians who can bring history to life like a good novel, and that is no easy task. He covers the era made famous by the musical Hamilton, but adds some layers to the story that the musical missed. (There are, for instance, zero cabinet rap battles). He also covers the early naval war against the Barbary pirates and several thrilling accounts of early naval battles against the French and the British. What I found most interesting and helpful was the early and vicious rancor between the political parties of the day, Federalists and Republicans (not related to today’s Republicans). We live in such a polarized time right now, we tend to think that surely it has never been this bad. Wrong! Party politics has been threatening to tear our country apart since its inception, and has done so on at least one occasion (the Civil War, obvs.) Adams, Jefferson and Madison faced every bit as much bitter in-fighting, partisan hyperbole, and talk of certain doom as we see today. Fist fists in Congress. Duels. Name-calling. Cries of fake news. They had it all. I guess that’s . . . reassuring? Either that, or it just makes me wonder how we ever made it this far as a nation. At any rate, this is a fascinating look at how the U.S. Navy started from very humble beginnings — just six frigates, one of which is docked right down the street from my house in Boston: the U.S.S. Constitution. And now I know all about her story!