The legend of the American clipper ship endures not only as one of the most stirring portraits of adventure on the open sea but also as one of the most celebrated manifestations of a growing nation's spirit of entrepreneurship. Swift, handsome vessels of uniquely American design, these ships completely dominated the open seas in the mid-nineteenth century, delivering their cargos faster and more efficiently than any other wind-propelled ships afloat.

This monumental two-volume study recalls that golden age of American maritime supremacy in an illustrated encyclopedia of virtually every American clipper from the launched at Baltimore in 1833, to the (1858), one of the last and greatest before the advent of the steamers. Encompassing a total of 352 ships, including the and the highly readable text provides a wealth of nautical and historical detail from original logs and contemporary sources.

Read about the real-life exploits of the captains and crews who courageously battled the elements, pirates, and European competitors to win valuable U.S. markets around the world. Here each clipper's incredible history from its first launch to its ultimate, sometimes tragic, fate is carefully documented along with detailsof dimensions, tonnage, cargo capacity, builder and designer, speed and length of voyages, and more. Also included are the legends and tragedies associated with many of the vessels like the bizarre murder aboard the.