author
John Codman
1814–1900
Drawn from a life at sea, his books mix travel writing, maritime storytelling, and sharp observations of the places he visited. He wrote with the authority of a working captain and the curiosity of a seasoned traveler.
1 Audiobook
Free Ships: The Restoration of the American Carrying Trade
by John Codman
About the author
Born in Dorchester, Massachusetts, in 1814, John Codman became a sea captain and later an author whose writing grew directly out of his years in the merchant service. Archival and reference records describe him as the son of Rev. John Codman and identify him with both seafaring and literary work.
Codman is best remembered for books such as Ten Months in Brazil and other works about sailors' lives, voyages, and travel. His writing combines firsthand experience, practical knowledge of ships and trade, and a readable interest in scenery, commerce, and everyday character.
He died in 1900. Today, he stands out as one of those 19th-century writers whose books preserve the voice of someone who knew the sea from the inside and turned that experience into vivid nonfiction.