December 29, 1812 - The date of one of the most dramatic sea battles in naval history.
HMS Java and the USS Constitution (the famous ``Old Ironsides``) face off in the War of 1812's most spectacular blue-water frigate action.
Their separate stories begin in August 1812-one in England and the other in New England.
Then, the tension and suspense rise, week-by-week, as the ships cruise the Atlantic, slowly and inevitably coming together for the final life-and-death climax.
The Perfect Wreck is not only the first full-length book ever written about the battle between the USS Constitution and HMS Java, it is a gem of Creative Nonfiction.
It has the exhaustive research of a scholarly history book; but it is beautifully presented in the form of a novel.
``A highly recommended must-read for every naval enthusiast-indeed, for every American `` - Stephen Coonts - NY Times best-selling author.
Fireship Press The perfect wreck - old ironsides and hms java: a story of 1812, paperback/steven e. maffeo
