Reviews for John Paul Jones: A Sailor's Biography

The average rating for John Paul Jones: A Sailor's Biography based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2019-03-09 00:00:00 Andrew Whillans Samuel Eliot Morison was one of the great historians of the 20th century, and the finest to write about the United States Navy. His won two Pulitzer Prizes, one for a biography of Christopher Columbus, and another for this one of John Paul Jones. He also wrote the standard history of the U.S. Navy in World War II, fifteen volumes long and still cited today. He was known for his extensive research and ability to clearly describe complicated situations. His biography of Jones is interesting, insightful, and well worth reading. John Paul started from humble beginnings ('Jones' was added apparently in an attempt to conceal his identity after he killed a member of one of his crews - probably in self defense, but he did not stick around to see if he would be exonerated). His father was a gardener for the local minor lord, and Jones went to sea as a young man, quickly proving his abilities and rising to command merchant vessels. He settled in the colonies just as the ferment for revolution came to a boil, and offered his services to the fledgling government. His talents could not be denied, but he was regularly passed over for command of ships by men with less ability but better social and political connections. It did not help that he was a hard man to get along with, endlessly offering good but unwanted advice, and forever complaining about slights, real or imagined. He demanded perfection from his crew, which is not unreasonable in time of war, but often failed to give them credit for their efforts. Part of the problem was that his crews, when he could find sailors at all, were accustomed to the more relaxed discipline of merchant ships. Good sailors could always find work on privateers, which paid better wages than the Continental Congress could offer, as well as larger shares of the proceeds from captured ships. They were also paid as soon as the prizes were sold, but sailors in the Continental Navy might have to wait months or years to get their money. The American crews constantly complained about their discipline and living conditions under Jones, and he regularly had to deal with mutinous sailors. He had much better luck with foreign born crews. He was an excellent strategic thinker, and came up with plans that might have made a big impact on the war effort if they had been adopted. He realized that privateers could never be more than an annoyance, and the Continental Navy was too small to make much of a difference against the Royal Navy. His plan was to attack Britain not only in her home waters, but to land troops ashore for raids and destruction of ships and waterfront infrastructure. His attack on Whitehaven resulted in little damage (mutinous crewman tried to abandon him ashore but were stopped by a French officer who was guarding their boat), but caused a sensation in Britain, with cities throughout the islands demanding that the government provide soldiers and Royal Navy ships to defend them. His daring also caught the public's attention and he became what would be known today as a media sensation, the subject of ballads and poetry from fans, and angry letters and editorials in British newspapers. Following the attack on Whitehaven, he landed a raiding party near where he had grown up, intending to kidnap the local lord to ransom him for captured American sailors. The lord was not there, but his crew demanded loot so he allowed them to steal the silverware. They did not do any other looting, and were polite to the lady of the house. Later Jones bought back the silver with his own money and returned it. More than anything Jones wanted a fast, well armed ship, but what he got was a runaround. The Continentals were broke, so they were largely dependent on the good graces of the French, who had other priorities. Ben Franklin was the American diplomatic liaison in Paris, and he recognized Jones's abilities and helped him as much as possible, but there were endless delays and petty backstabbing by American rivals. Jones himself spent much of his time away from his crew courting ladies in Paris, sometimes to the detriment of his mission to get back to sea and fight. He finally got the Bon Homme Richard and put to sea with a small force of ships, including one captained by a Frenchman named Landais who was apparently a genuine madman. The battle with HMS Serapis was the highlight of Jones's career, an amazing piece of tactical maneuvering fought at night under an almost full moon. Serapis was faster and much more heavily armed than Bon Homme Richard, so Jones knew his only chance was to grapple alongside and fight hand to hand. His French marines up in the rigging used muskets and grenades to clear the British off the main deck, but down below their heavy cannons continued to pour broadsides in his ship, reducing it to a wreck. They were so close together the British gunners had to reach inside the American ship to swab down their guns. A lesser man would have struck his colors but Jones, of course, had not yet begun to fight, and held on till Serapis surrendered. During this time Captain Landais had taken no part in the action other than to sail around the fighting, occasionally firing his guns, mostly at Bon Homme Richard. After that Jones was a hero in France and America, honored and feted wherever he went. His fame did not help him get a better ship and back to sea, and he again spent months in port trying to get back into the fight. He returned to the United States and was given command of the largest ship in the Continental Navy, then still under construction, but after the Battle of Yorktown it was taken from him and given to the French Navy as a show of gratitude for their help in the war (it was so poorly built the French scrapped it after only three years). Jones went back to Europe and eventually found brief employment as an admiral in the Russian Navy of Catherine the Great fighting the Turks, but it was another case of under utilization of his talents. Surrounded by scheming incompetents, he accomplished little and soon lost Catherine's support. His final years were in Paris, a has-been hero living in rented rooms. He was only forty-five when he died, and it was not until decades later that the United States brought his body home to be enshrined in honor in Annapolis. Jones was a hard man to get along with, egotistical, thin skinned and easily offended, often critical even of the friends who were trying to help him. However, it has long been observed that the kind of men who win wars are not necessarily the kind who function well in peacetime society. Jones was a warrior, and one of the best ever. He accomplished great things, and could have done much more if he had been given the support that his talents and drive clearly warranted.

Review # 2 was written on 2014-02-17 00:00:00 Bente Fajardo For anyone looking for a thorough, detailed and unvarnished biography of the man known today as the father of the U.S. Navy this must be the quintessential volume. Born in poverty to a Scottish estate gardener in 1747 and christened John Paul, he later added Jones as a surname to facilitate his legal entry into America after an unfortunate adventure in the Caribbean. An avid patriot and supporter of the American revolution he became a mythical figure as a naval strategist. He was hated by the British for his arrogant raids on British soil and his embarrassing defeat of the much larger and better armed HMS Seripas at the battle of Flamborough Head, near the English coast. A proud and egotistical man he made as many enemies in Congress as patrons and therefore seldom achieved the recognition or appreciation that he felt he was due. Congress never granted him flag rank in the continental navy and as the war drew to a close he sought what he thought would be appropriate respect from France and then ultimately was made a rear admiral in an ill fated exploit with the Russian navy under Catherine the Great. He referred to himself as a "citizen of the world" and his reputation in the court of Louis XVI as a lover and courageous naval hero only angered his enemies more. Although famous for his quote: "I have not yet begun to fight" his battle ended in France at age forty five; deserted by his friends, forgotten by his country and basically penniless, John Paul died alone and broken. A sad end for an American hero but a fascinating story.