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Six Frigates: The Epic History of the…
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Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy (original 2006; edition 2008)

by Ian W. Toll (Author)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingConversations / Mentions
1,0302419,778 (4.33)1 / 14
The US Constitution was known to me. I have walked her decks as a museum ship in Boston. It was illuminating to hear the early history of the American navy. The story of the war of 1812 was better told than any other account I have read. It hasn’t been long since I read Chernows book on Hamilton. The immersion in early US history has been fun..I find Toll to be my favorite writer about our wars. I wonder if we are begging to become as fascinated with the revolutionary way era as with the Civil war. ( )
  waldhaus1 | Apr 11, 2020 |
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This book reminded me why I love history so much. ( )
  AnthonyBuono | Mar 20, 2023 |
On google books, the first book that I used lots of 'notes' on (highlighted interesting sections of text).

A really great read that strikes a fine balance between the political milieu of the founding fathers (particularly Adams, Jefferson, and Madison), bloody frigate fights, and even some of the War of 1812 that took place off the water (the burning of D.C, Battle of New Orleans, etc.) The Barbary pirates (Tripoli, Algiers) is an interesting section. Blackmail from half way around the world. Toll is good at zooming in for details and then zooming out for narrative, keeping things moving, interesting and relevant. A lot of his 'zoom-ins' (like the Battle of New Orleans and the Battle of Lake Erie) spark interest in further reading on those subjects. Also VERY interesting (having read Aubrey / Maturin) in the analysis of British sailing, gunnery, and naval architecture as compared to the upstart Americans. A real David vs. Goliath story. Balls of steel, those early sea captains. ( )
1 vote jsmick | Oct 5, 2022 |
A must read for any Navy buff. It details wonderfully how our fledgling Navy forged out onto the high seas without getting so deep into the weeds that the reader runs aground. Well researched, well written, highly educational, and most enjoyable. I will likely read this again sometime in the future. ( )
  282Mikado | Apr 13, 2022 |
Finished Ian Toll’s Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy.

An interesting work on the foundation of the United States Navy originally during the American Revolution just to have all the ships scrapped after the war. The true founding occurred during John Adams Administration to aid U.S. merchants during the Barbary Wars and later during the Quasi War with France.

Later the original six frigates laid down were used by the Jefferson Presidency in the Tripolitania Wars and by the Madison administration during the War of 1812 and it is these conflicts that the bulk of the book addresses and goes into a fair amount of detail.

The epic fights between the Federalists who supported the development of the navy versus the Republicans who were against it. The Republicans who after every conflict decommissioned all or most of the fleet or invested in largely useless gunboats.

A worthy read on the forging of a fledgling navy. ( )
  dsha67 | Nov 17, 2021 |
Well written story of the trials, tribulations and growing pains overcome of the young Navy of the nascent Republic. ( )
  4bonasa | May 20, 2021 |
"Six Frigates: The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy" by Ian W. Toll goes far beyond the U.S. Navy's Founding. It is a comprehensive history of the political, cultural, technological development of the navy from the revolution through the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt. The book is extremely well written and is filled with interesting vignettes.
1 vote RonWelton | Oct 30, 2020 |
The US Constitution was known to me. I have walked her decks as a museum ship in Boston. It was illuminating to hear the early history of the American navy. The story of the war of 1812 was better told than any other account I have read. It hasn’t been long since I read Chernows book on Hamilton. The immersion in early US history has been fun..I find Toll to be my favorite writer about our wars. I wonder if we are begging to become as fascinated with the revolutionary way era as with the Civil war. ( )
  waldhaus1 | Apr 11, 2020 |
Six Frigates is Ian Toll's first book, published in 2006. It recounts the history of the first US Navy war ships, commissioned to fight Barbary Coast pirates and then to be dismantled once the job was done. Events intervened like the War of 1812 and of course the US Navy was never decommissioned. The ship design was innovative and controversial but turned out be effective and vindicated. This is a long book and contains a lot of scene setting and anecdotal details. If you know nothing about the Barbary or 1812 war you will learn a lot, however it's not a good book for understanding the war. Thus it is a popular account that really shines in the battle descriptions. In a way the book is hobbled by its focus on the six frigates, instead of the war, and the length of time and events covered. ( )
1 vote Stbalbach | Jul 1, 2019 |
An interesting take on the War of 1812. The author, Ian Toll, is a financial analyst and focuses on the economic and political aspects of the founding of the US Navy. Toll starts with the debates over the correct approach to the Barbary Pirates (“Millions for defense but not one cent for tribute!”) and detailed accounts of the construction of the Humphreys heavy frigates. The U.S. eventually spent a lot more maintaining a naval force in the Mediterranean than the tribute demanded, and ended up having to ransom captives of the captured frigate Philadelphia (but got the “…to the shores of Tripoli” verse for the Marines in return).


After the “Quasi-War” with France and some unlucky encounters with the English (HMS Leopard vs. USS Chesapeake and HMS Little Belt vs. USS Constitution, things got underway in 1812 (at one point, it was suggested that the US declare war on both France and England, since both had been impressing US seamen and confiscating ships; this would have made for some interesting sea battles, but a vestige of sanity remained and the US only took on the world’s largest navy rather than the largest army, too). The initial stages of the war were the reverse of what everyone expected; it had been predicted that conquering Canada would be “only a matter of marching” but the Canadians turned out to be somewhat tougher than expected and soon Michigan and Maine were occupied. One the other hand, both British and Americans had predicted that the Royal Navy would quickly sweep the US off the seas; much to everyone’s astonishment, the US Navy quickly and decisively beat the Guerriérre, Macedonian, and Java in single ship actions. It’s been the conventional wisdom that these victories didn’t really mean very much; the Royal Navy outnumbered the US Navy something like 14:1 on just the North American station. However, Toll makes the interesting economic point that the Royal Navy became so obsessed with redeeming its honor that it concentrated its blockade on the ports where the American frigates were holed up, allowing American privateers a free hand. Insurance rates on cargoes to Canada and the Caribbean went up by a factor of 10 and Wellington became concerned about supplies for the Peninsula Campaign. Eventually things got sorted out; the Royal Navy captured Chesapeake, President and Essex and burned Washington, and a peace was signed based on status quo ante bellum.


Toll makes the interesting case that the war had a profound effect on the 20th century US Navy through the medium of Theodore Roosevelt. The young Teddy couldn’t find a good history of the war, so he decided to write one himself. This lead to a lifelong interest in the Navy, the Panama Canal, and the Great White Fleet.


This is not the book to get if you want an operational history of the naval war. Toll gives only cursory mention to ships other than the six big frigates, and to the naval battles on the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain (which, from a strictly military standpoint, were much more decisive than anything that happened on the high seas). He also isn’t very good with maps. But there’s an excellent bibliography. Four and a half stars. ( )
1 vote setnahkt | Dec 19, 2017 |
A thoroughly enjoyable and educational book, Ian Toll easily mixes historical narrative of facts relating to the early days of the true US Navy with thrilling accounts of significant engagements from the Tripolitan and 1812 Wars. Calling on a tremendous wealth of resources from the Navy's chronicling of Quasi War with France, the Barbary Wars and of course, the War 1812, Toll paints the first Captains of "The Constitution" and its five sisters and the legendary battles that established a fledgling nation and it's Navy as a sea power not only to be taken seriously, but one who competed on equal, if bloody "ground" and upset the supremacy of the mighty British empire.

As noted by others, this reads more like a story than a historical text. Fine reading at that.

Most highly recommended! ( )
  Razinha | May 23, 2017 |
This book covers the early days of our nation while it built a fleet that could protect our shores. Using political and diplomatic history to provide context, Toll writes a great history.
  mcmlsbookbutler | Sep 22, 2016 |
The early history of the US Navy. It is nice to be reminded that at its inception the United States was paying tribute to a bunch of North African pirate kingdoms. ( )
  themulhern | Jul 9, 2016 |
After the Revolutionary War the small Continental Navy was disbanded in an effort by the fragile republic to remain free from standing armies. However, with the predations of pirates and privateers upon the merchant vessels and shipping interests, it soon became clear that a navy was essential. At the urging of John Adams, President George Washington authorized the building of six frigates - United States, President, Congress, Constitution, Constellation, and Chesapeake (Washington simply chose the first names on the list he was given, pg 61) - in a time when the British Royal Navy was the undisputed ruler of the seas.

Shipbuilder Joshua Humphreys was chosen to design the frigates and came up with a plan that accommodated many of the advantages of ships that were both larger and smaller than frigates typical of the time. And although the ships were all built in different shipyards, what resulted were strong ships which performed surprisingly well in the Quasi-War with France, the conflicts with the Barbary pirates of Africa, and against Britain in the War of 1812. The captains and admirals involved are discussed, such as Truxton, Bainbridge, Decatur, Hull and Rodgers, and they and their exploits and accomplishments come alive in wonderful detail, and many nations - especially Britain - were forced to come to terms with the idea of another nation with a strong sea presence.

I was thoroughly surprised by how engaging and readable this book is - I honestly had not expected much from a "history of the founding of the U. S. Navy." But full credit goes to Ian Toll (a financial analyst and political aide, of all things!) for an outstanding and well-researched book that makes an otherwise little-known part of history come alive. I found the content and style every bit as compelling as David McCullough's books. From the brutality and violence of sea battles to the political rivalries and economic challenges, the history is placed into proper context to allow the reader to understand the forces behind the decisions and the historical impact. I was almost sad to see this book end and hope Mr. Toll can repeat his magic with more books. ( )
  J.Green | Aug 26, 2014 |
After the Revolutionary War the small Continental Navy was disbanded in an effort by the fragile republic to remain free from standing armies. However, with the predations of pirates and privateers upon the merchant vessels and shipping interests, it soon became clear that a navy was essential. At the urging of John Adams, President George Washington authorized the building of six frigates - United States, President, Congress, Constitution, Constellation, and Chesapeake (Washington simply chose the first names on the list he was given, pg 61) - in a time when the British Royal Navy was the undisputed ruler of the seas.

Shipbuilder Joshua Humphreys was chosen to design the frigates and came up with a plan that accommodated many of the advantages of ships that were both larger and smaller than frigates typical of the time. And although the ships were all built in different shipyards, what resulted were strong ships which performed surprisingly well in the Quasi-War with France, the conflicts with the Barbary pirates of Africa, and against Britain in the War of 1812. The captains and admirals involved are discussed, such as Truxton, Bainbridge, Decatur, Hull and Rodgers, and they and their exploits and accomplishments come alive in wonderful detail, and many nations - especially Britain - were forced to come to terms with the idea of another nation with a strong sea presence.

I was thoroughly surprised by how engaging and readable this book is - I honestly had not expected much from a "history of the founding of the U. S. Navy." But full credit goes to Ian Toll (a financial analyst and political aide, of all things!) for an outstanding and well-researched book that makes an otherwise little-known part of history come alive. I found the content and style every bit as compelling as David McCullough's books. From the brutality and violence of sea battles to the political rivalries and economic challenges, the history is placed into proper context to allow the reader to understand the forces behind the decisions and the historical impact. I was almost sad to see this book end and hope Mr. Toll can repeat his magic with more books. ( )
  J.Green | Aug 26, 2014 |
After the Revolutionary War the small Continental Navy was disbanded in an effort by the fragile republic to remain free from standing armies. However, with the predations of pirates and privateers upon the merchant vessels and shipping interests, it soon became clear that a navy was essential. At the urging of John Adams, President George Washington authorized the building of six frigates - United States, President, Congress, Constitution, Constellation, and Chesapeake (Washington simply chose the first names on the list he was given, pg 61) - in a time when the British Royal Navy was the undisputed ruler of the seas.

Shipbuilder Joshua Humphreys was chosen to design the frigates and came up with a plan that accommodated many of the advantages of ships that were both larger and smaller than frigates typical of the time. And although the ships were all built in different shipyards, what resulted were strong ships which performed surprisingly well in the Quasi-War with France, the conflicts with the Barbary pirates of Africa, and against Britain in the War of 1812. The captains and admirals involved are discussed, such as Truxton, Bainbridge, Decatur, Hull and Rodgers, and they and their exploits and accomplishments come alive in wonderful detail, and many nations - especially Britain - were forced to come to terms with the idea of another nation with a strong sea presence.

I was thoroughly surprised by how engaging and readable this book is - I honestly had not expected much from a "history of the founding of the U. S. Navy." But full credit goes to Ian Toll (a financial analyst and political aide, of all things!) for an outstanding and well-researched book that makes an otherwise little-known part of history come alive. I found the content and style every bit as compelling as David McCullough's books. From the brutality and violence of sea battles to the political rivalries and economic challenges, the history is placed into proper context to allow the reader to understand the forces behind the decisions and the historical impact. I was almost sad to see this book end and hope Mr. Toll can repeat his magic with more books. ( )
  J.Green | Aug 26, 2014 |
The subtitle, "The Epic History of the Founding of the U.S. Navy" is a misnomer. The Continental Navy established during the American Revolution gets short shrift. Toll in a few lines disposes of sad tale of 13 frigates, 11 of which were destroyed or captured by the British in the course of the Revolutionary War. American Revolutionary naval hero John Paul Jones ("I have not yet begun to fight!") gets 19 lines--British Napoleonic War admiral Horatio Nelson and the Battle of Trafalgar gets much more space. Rather, the "six frigates" of the title refer to the ships authorized by a 1794 bill to fight the Barbary pirates that would form the nucleus of the infant navy. The United States, the "Old Wagon," was the first--Herman Melville of Moby Dick fame would serve on it. The Constellation won distinction in the "Quasi-War" against France. The Constitution, the celebrated "Old Ironsides," is the oldest commissioned ship in the U.S. Navy today. The "unlucky" Chesapeake, the "runt of the litter," would have its own storied history. The President was the speediest, and the Congress would serve as a teaching ship--in essence the first American naval academy.

It was in focusing closely on the stories of these ships and their men that Toll was at his best. Judging from his biography Toll can't boast a military or maritime background, nor can he sport credentials as a historian. He had worked as a financial analyst on Wall Street and as a political operative. He is good at detailing some of the economic and political forces that form the context for the story of the United States Navy, but those parts of his tale come across as rather superficial. Many people split contemporary histories into the "popular" versus the "scholarly" but I don't think Toll embodies the strengths of either side of the divide. He doesn't have the kind of evocative prose nor narrative drive of the popular David McCullough or Stephen Ambrose. Nor is there the kind of close analysis or sweeping themes of academic historians David Hackett Fischer or Bernard Bailyn. His acknowledgements,"Debt of Gratitude" implies Toll relied heavily on secondary sources; (he mentions McCullough's John Adams in particular) and Six Frigates reads that way. It doesn't have the depth of something written by someone who has immersed himself in primary material and has thought through and argued the issues. Much of the framing material struck me as dull, because I'd read so much of that story before.

But ah, it was a different case when he focused on the ships, men and battles of the young United States Navy from 1794 to 1815 from "the shores of Tripoli" to the "perilous fight" of the War of 1812. Maybe it's been told better somewhere else. I don't know. I picked up this book because it was recommended in The Ultimate Reading List. But those parts did sparkle. How could I, Star Trek fan that I am, not be entertained reading of dashing naval hero Stephen Decauter, commander of the USS Enterprise, who would cause women to swoon by entering a room? How could I not be enthralled by the story of his fellow officers who when not killing each other in duels would indulge in "single-ship" duels between them and the British in the War of 1812? Toll's accounts of naval battles read like something out of CS Forester or Patrick O'Brien and indeed at one point he quotes from Fortune of War O'Brien's fictionalized account of a battle between a British ship and the USS Constitution. Really, if I hadn't been spoiled by some outstanding works of history these past months by the likes of Bernard Bailyn, David Hackett Fisher, David McCullough and Nathaniel Philbrick, I would have rated this higher. Because yes, I was very much entertained while getting an eduction about naval warfare, American style, in the Age of Sail. ( )
  LisaMaria_C | Jan 20, 2013 |
If ever a reader wanted to be thrown into the depths of history, Six Frigates is the book that will do it. This is a wonderful, in-depth look at the founding of the American Navy as well as the historical tale of the various adversaries that first crossed the path of the original ships, their Captains, and their crews.

Readers should ignore the book's size and dive right in because there is no worry for being lost in drab facts and recitations here. It is all too easy to be pulled in to the various battles, experience what life in America was like under the first Presidents, or imagine the sights of these first ships being cheered and celebrated on their return to their home ports. The text is engaging and the storytelling is in a factual style, but with emotion and some humor thrown in for excellent balance with fact and quote.

This is a book that will make many want to run out and experience life on these ships first hand, and is a must-read for anyone wishing to visit one of the remaining historical ships. The words within will make certain the experience on board is truly appreciated and that the ship itself is properly absorbed as as the important monument that it is.. ( )
  mirrani | Jul 16, 2012 |
A good popular account of the United States Navy in the early republic, with almost as much emphasis on the political context that the force was embedded in as on the naval action. If there was one particular section that interested me above the others it was the combat actions of the Quasi-War with France, mostly due to my relative ignorance. ( )
  Shrike58 | May 5, 2011 |
Excellent book, very readable but also very informative. It describes the history of the United States Navy from just after the War For Independence through the War of 1812, with an epilogue taking the story up through Teddy Roosevelt. Covers not just naval actions but also the politics and national controversies over the creation and maintaining of a naval force. ( )
  jztemple | Nov 24, 2010 |
Read after visiting Old Ironsides USS Constitution in Boston on Thanksgiving. Enjoyed history of Navy at beginning of 19th century and also hearing about growing US trade and 1812 war with England ( )
  mk885 | Apr 15, 2010 |
The US Ambassador to the Central Africa Republic excitedly posted on the Fender Discussion Page, www.fenderforum.com , about this book, which had been given to him by a retired Royal Navy officer. Thanks, DiploStrat, for turning me on to this one.

There are lessons that we should learn from this narrative, as there are in every era of history. For one thing, Britain was a superpower – Britania Rules the waves and all that – and was quite arrogant in regard to it’s treatment of the ships and sailors of other nations, particularly the United States, “pressing” sailors into the Royal Navy, i.e. kidnapping them, whenever it suited. What’s the use of being a superpower if you can’t throw your weight around, right? Well It turns out that a smallish country at the edge of the known universe can become a royal PIA to a superpower without having to come anywhere near matching that superpower’s military might. The US managed to annoy Britain to exhaustion, for a second time, in the war of 1812.


Then there is the opposition of the Republicans (Democrats) in the US to wasting money on such a superfluous thing as a navy. American commercial shipping was growing by leaps and bounds and had no protection against pirates, privateers or arrogant naval officers. Congress finally agreed to build six frigates in 1794 after the Tripoli reneged on the protection agreement that the US had bought from them, pillaged an American ship and held it’s crew for ransom. Colonel Khaddaffi’s predecessor in Tripoli didn’t get his comeuppance until 1805, though, what with cost overruns, schedule delays, change orders, budget cuts and a small undeclared war with France.

Considerable attention is given, in the book, to the Presidential election of 1800, which made Harry and Louise and even the Willie Horton ads look pretty tame. It was the first time we actually had to chose between candidates in 1800 and there were no rules yet. It showed.

“Six Frigates” ranges over a lot of topics, Nelson’s victories at the Nile and Trafalger, Napoleon Bonepart and his wars in Europe, the Louisiana Purchase, Theodore Roosevelt’s study habits, (Teddy wrote a book on the war of 1812, standing up, while attending law school) and Winston Churchill, who said “History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.” It is well written, as readable as a novel and (don’t tell) educational. It isn’t just ships and cannons and whatnot, although buckles are swashed aplenty.

I'll Never Forget The Day I Read A Book!
  cbjorke | Sep 10, 2009 |
Take the seven weeks your basic U.S. History class spends on the period from the ratification of the Constitution through the War of 1812. Mash it up with any of Patrick O'Brian's novels. Append a little bit about how this particular cocktail affected Teddy Roosevelt (and subsequently the U.S. as global political and military power).

What you wind up with is Ian Toll's Six Frigates, a wonderfully detailed examination of the evolution of the young United States.

Really, imagine the U.S. History class you took in high school as it would have been taught by a naval historian. That's what Toll has created here. Also imagine that he brought in Patrick O'Brian to teach the parts about the conflicts with the Barbary States and individual engagements with the Royal Navy. Toll's accounts, both of political machinations and sea battles, are vividly rendered with exhaustive use of first-hand accounts and details. A long book, Six Frigates reads quickly in large part because of the rich evocations of pre-Industrial sailing, war and politics.

The one thing that holds this book back is the generally undefined use of nautical and ship's terms (larboard, mizzenmast, royal yards, top sails, etc.) Toll points out in a brief foreword that the book might have been half-again as long had he paused to define all these terms, and he is likely correct. But a short glossary or a diagram of Constitution with her various sail apparatus would have made many of the details in the book more meaningful. ( )
2 vote johnleague | Feb 4, 2008 |
A fascinating history of the US Navy's earliest days. I truly enjoyed all of the historical detail surrounding the construction of the US Navy's first frigates and their subsequent battles. The book does much to establish the early US Navy as a successful organization that managed to produce important victories (if only for moral support) against the much larger British Navy. Equally interesting is all the biographical information of the sea captains who piloted these great ships - what a different era. ( )
  rcsj | Dec 30, 2007 |
This book can be non-exciting at times, particularly when recounting the events of the war with the Barbary pirates, but the latter part of the book, telling of the naval events of the War of 1812 is very well done and holds one's interest well. 42 pages of notes and a 25-page bibliography attest to the careful research done by the author. When I finished this book I had a very good feeling about it and the account that it tells, even tho in the early part of the book I thought it was overly detailed in regard to some minor things. ( )
  Schmerguls | Sep 12, 2007 |
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