The logs of the Serapis--Alliance--Ariel, under the command of John Paul Jones, 1779-1780

The volume brings together the original logbooks of three Continental vessels—Serapis, Alliance, and Ariel—kept while they sailed under the famed commander John Paul Jones in 1779‑80. Carefully edited with extracts from public documents, unpublished letters, and rare contemporary prints, the material reads like a sailor’s diary stitched together with official reports. Listeners will hear the terse, ink‑stained entries that mark every convoy, weather change, and encounter on the Atlantic’s restless seas.

Beyond the bare numbers, the collection offers vivid snapshots of life aboard a Revolutionary navy ship: crew muster rolls, disciplinary notes, and the occasional personal remark that reveal the hardships and humor of eighteenth‑century seafarers. Illustrated passages reproduce scarce engravings of the vessels and their fierce engagements, giving a visual complement to the spoken words. As the narrative unfolds, the logs trace the dramatic chase and battle that cemented Jones’s reputation, while preserving the ordinary rhythms of daily watch, repair, and prize‑taking.