Letter to the Editor (Portland Press Herald)

The letter I sent to the editor of the Press Herald was published in today’s edition, along with a letter written by the executive director of the Maine Maritime Museum (please go to this link, if you’d like to read these letters):  http://www.pressherald.com/opinion/letters/cannon-played-role-in-maine-history_2012-05-04.html

Portland Press Herald article

Yesterday, I was unexpectedly interviewed over the phone by a reporter from the Portland Press Herald for an article he was writing about one of the Boxer’s guns. You can read the article at the link below. I wanted to take a moment to point out that Mr. Murphy misunderstood a couple of things I explained to him. First, that the wind off Pemaquid Point turned and came out of the southwest, not the southeast, the afternoon of September 5th, 1813. Also, that Samuel Blyth was killed during a broadside delivered from the Enterprise’s larboard (or, port) side guns. Later, the Enterprise got ahead of the Boxer, came about, and delivered a broadside from its starboard guns which turned out to be the coup de grace.

Additionally, Mr. Murphy wrote that the Enterprise’s victory reasserted American naval preeminence in the war after a series of setbacks earlier that summer. In fact, it was one particular reverse – that of the Royal Navy’s Shannon over the U.S. frigate Chesapeake. Lastly, it is absolutely untrue that Portland residents could have heard the battle. There is, however, some debate as to whether the proprietor of the Portland Observatory would have been able to see the smoke from the vessels’ guns with his powerful telescope. Perhaps not, but in his anxiousness, it is entirely plausible he at least thought he saw something.

http://www.pressherald.com/news/historic-battle-cannon-heads-to-bath-_2012-04-27.html

History in Review

http://www.historyinreview.org/dh_knights.html

Morris County Authors Day

I’ll be signing and selling copies of my book, Knights of the Sea, this coming Saturday (April 28th) at the Morris County Library located at 30 East Hanover Avenue in Whippany, New Jersey. The library will be hosting its annual “Morris County Authors Day” between 10 am. and 2 p.m. Hope to see you there, if you can make it.

WABC Radio, John Batchelor Show

If you’d like to listen to my interview broadcast on WABC Radio, please see this link:  http://wabcradio.com/sectional.asp?id=33447

Then scroll down to:  Saturday, 4/7/12 – Batchelor 10pm. In this segment author Thomas Borstelmann is interviewed first, while my interview is in the second part.

Washington Post

My book was mentioned in yesterday’s Washington Post, please see the link if you’d like to see it:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/3-books-on-the-war-of-1812/2012/01/25/gIQAhj5dWS_story.html

Independence Seaport Museum. Philadelphia

This Saturday, March 17th, I’ll be speaking at the Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia. My talk is part of the opening weekend of the museum’s “Home of the Brave:  War of 1812 in Art, Story & Song.” For details please scroll down the newsletter below.

It’s a wonderful venue, and a great place to learn more about our country’s maritime history. Hope to see you there.

Independence Seaport Museum March 2012  In This Issue From the          CEO’s Office Whitehall          Award Home of the          Brave Learn about          the War of 1812 Join the          Lenfest Challenge Stars on the          River Gala Seaport          Summer Camp Tin Boats From the          Archives Guide by the          Stars Host an          Unforgettable Event Become           a Seaport           Member Join Today! Follow the           Seaport on Facebook Twitter Support the Seaport   News from our CEO When I was          14 and he was 50 my father and I had a problem with physics. The          family sailboat had an auxiliary engine that only ran intermittently.          The decision was made to take it out of the boat to convert the boat          to a pure sailing machine. Most people would          have paid the yard to send over a piece of equipment to lift the          engine out and that would be that. The cost of that piece of lifting          equipment was well beyond the reach of the rather shallow family          coffers and to my 14 year old eye the engine weighed about as much as          one of those stone heads on Easter Island.          The physics problem was how to get that engine out of the boat and          into our garage at home. It was late          fall, the yard was pretty much done with their winter storage          routines which meant the mechanic had time to stand around and kibitz          with my Dad for a while. The two of them devised a system involving a          4 x 4 lever, a piece of wood and a great many small blocks of wood. The 4 x 4          end rested on the edge of the cabin just forward of the engine. There          was a rope sling through a lifting eye on the engine and around the 4          x 4. Dad provided the force necessary to lift the engine 6 inches at          a time. I blocked the engine up with each lift. It was a classic use          of a second class lever. Once the engine was out of the bilge we          skidded it down a pair of beams and into the back of a van. Prior to          that day I had no knowledge of levers or inclined planes, by the end          of it I had the basic knowledge needed to move pretty much anything. That is the          kind of experience we would like to pass onto to the teenagers in our          boat shop, Workshop on the Water. A practical sense of math and          physics, a knowledge of how things work, coupled with the drive to          take on any task, and the ability to plan ahead, avoiding pitfalls.          We also want them to hear the stories, to have their lives enriched          by the experiences of older people. We want to pass on the best parts          of our own education. The best parts of mine revolved around boats.          There is no better vehicle to provide the problem solving skills          needed for a successful life. John Brady CEO The Seaport Museum’s CEO to Receive Whitehall          Award The Seaport Museum          is honored that our own John Brady will receive the Whitehall Award          at a reception at the New York Yacht Club on Tuesday, March 27. The          Whitehall Award is given annually by the Bronx-based non-profit          Rocking the Boat to “exemplary community leaders and prominent          individuals and organizations with a demonstrated commitment to          experiential education, the environment, and youth development.”                      The award          is named for the elegant and practical wooden boat design that forms          the majority of Rocking the Boat’s hand-built fleet. The Whitehall          represents a “golden period” of maritime design and          craftsmanship, its reliable and beautiful form remaining largely          consistent since 1690. Celebrating          its 10th anniversary in April of this year, Rocking the Boat runs          dynamic programs that get high school kids from the South Bronx          building, repairing, rowing, and sailing wooden boats, and then using          them to restore the Bronx           River. Home of the Brave: The War of 1812 in Art, Story &          Song Opens to the Public Friday,  March 16 This year          markes the 200th anniversary of the war of 1812. Sometimes referred          to as “America’s          forgotten war,” this conflict not only gave birth to our          national anthem, but to the sense of what it meant to be patriotic in          our new country. Visitors can discover what it took to          make “bombs burst in air” with interactive mock          cannons and listen to the songs of freedom and independence that          were written in support of our new nation. Home of the          Brave will be on display at the Seaport Museum through          the end of the year. Want to experience what it was like to be aboard          a ship from 1812? Later in the spring the Museum will be hosting the          tall ship, Lynx, a replica of a real privateer ship from the War of          1812 era. The Lynx will be open to visitors for deck tours as well as          for sails on the Delaware River. Philadelphia and 1812 Lecture & Book          Signing Saturday,  March 17 2:00 – 3:00 pm Explore the          new Home of the Brave exhibit and enjoy a special lecture. David Hanna,          author of the Knights of the Sea, will be speaking about one of Philadelphia’s          most interesting naval heroes:  William Burrows of the War of          1812. Burrows’ story, though little known today, embodied the best of          the early Republic and its navy. Hanna          will be available to sign copies of the book after the          lecture. Knights of the Sea is available in the Museum store. The lecture          is included with regular Museum admission and will take place          from 2:00 – 3:00 pm in the Museum’s Panorama Theatre on the first          floor. Families          can also enjoy hands-on activities for Seafarin’ Saturday from          1:00 – 3:00 pm.   The Lenfest Challenge Thanks to the extraordinary vision          and generosity of H.F. “Gerry” Lenfest, supporters of the Seaport Museum now have the unique          opportunity to double your gift when you support the educational          programming of the Museum’s Boat Shop: Workshop on the Water. Workshop on          the Water is committed to the reinforcement of our schools’ core          educational standards – especially in the sciences and mathematics,          but also in literacy and the social sciences – using boat-building          and maritime history as its essential curricular framework. Building          boats together, students also learn such life-lessons as teamwork and          self-confidence, while mastering both academic and practical skills. Mr. Lenfest          has pledged $125,000 in matching funds for Workshop on the Water’s          educational initiatives. To double your gift today, contact the          Museum’s Development Department at 215-413-8611 or          lwilliams@phillyseaport.org. Stars on the River Gala will be a “Night to          Remember” Saturday, April 14 at 7:00 pm Tickets are          now available for the Museum’s Stars on the River gala.           Coinciding with the opening of the Museum’s Titanic Philadelphians          exhibit, the theme of the annual fundraiser is “A Night to          Remember.” The evening begins with a champagne tour of the          new exhibit, followed by dinner and dancing in the Museum’s 4th          floor ballroom. Tickets are          $250 per person, and can be purchased by calling the museum at          215-413-8628.  Seaport Summer Camp The Seaport Museum          is launching a new Summer Camp program featuring six themed weeks of          fun. Titanic          Week, July 9-13Pirate Week,          July 16-20Time          Traveler Week, July 23-27Explorer          Week, July 30- Aug. 3 Crisis          Response Week, Aug. 6-10Military          Week, Aug. 13-17 Summer Camp          activities include: Boat rides          on the Delaware RiverRowing in          boats built by our very own Workshop on the Water Tours aboard two historic ships, USS          Olympia and Submarine BecunaTons of          hands-on activities Seaport          Summer Camp is $200 per camper if booked before May 1st. Seaport          members save$25 per week. After-care is          available. For more          information or to reserve space call 215-413-8630. Nostalgic Tin Boats Just in at the Seaport Museum          Store Remember the          tin toys you played with in the bathtub or discovered in your          grandparents attic? You can find them here! Come in and          see our great selection of wind-ups, Pop-Pop boats and even a Titanic! They are          guaranteed to bring back happy memories or make new ones. Mention          this article and receive 20% off your total purchase. From the Archives… February          was quite the busy month in the Archives and Library! We’re working          tirelessly on our archival based exhibit, Titanic Philadelphians,          which opens on April 14th. While the exhibit contains the stories of          passengers from the greater Philadelphia          area, the Thayer family’s story is more prominent since the Titanic          materials in the Museum’s collection were donated by Mrs. John Thayer          IV in 1989. It is a small but compelling exhibit. The          department has also been helping with the upcoming War of 1812 exhibit          that opens on March 16th. Many documents from the Museum’s archival          collection will be on display in the exhibit, some for the first          time. Celebrating the 200th anniversary of the start of the war, some          of our documents featured include broadsides, song sheets, letters          and even a commissioning certificate of Stephen Decatur that was          signed by President Jefferson. The Archives & Library is so          pleased that some of our rarest pieces will be a part of the exhibit. For more          updates on work going on in the Library, interesting research          requests and maritime facts and historical dates, follow the Archives          and Library on Facebook and Twitter. Find us at J. Welles Henderson          Archives & Library on Facebook, or ISM Archives &          Library on Twitter.                Celestial Navigation Class Register now for Celestial Navigation class in March Introduction          to Celestial Navigation will take place over three          Saturdays, March 10, 17 and 24,  inside the Museum. The class is          designed as a practical, how-to course using GPS for offshore          navigation with sun sight taking and using a sextant as a backup          technique. Subject matter includes: basic concepts of celestial          navigation; how to use the mariner’s sextant to take sights of the          sun; the importance and techniques of accurate time determination;          use of the Nautical Almanac; how to reduce sights to establish lines          of position (LOPs); and the use of GPS, special charts, plotting          sheets and other navigational data for offshore positioning and          passage planning. This course is offered in partnership with Kingsway          Power Squadron, a unit of the United States Power Squadrons, the          premier nautical education organization in America. The class          costs $180 for Seaport members, $225 for non-members          (includes one year membership) $210 for Squadron members and $150 for          students that are members of both the Seaport and          Squadron. Call          215-413-8630 for more information or to book either class. Book an Event in March and Save! New          at the Seaport   –The Workshop on the Water’s student program now          has its own blog- STEM to Stern. CHAD          students join staff members of the Museum’s boat shop, Workshop on          the Water, twice a week to learn to build boats. With their help we          will have two 14′ Whitehall          boats built for the spring. –Museum visitors now have new parking options. If          parking in the Penn’s Landing lot, bring your receipt to the front          desk when you purchase tickets to receive a parking rebate. The lot          will be $10 for visitors all season long, with the exception of          evenings when there are fireworks.  The Museum has also          created a partnership with Quality Parking, located          right across the Walnut            Street overpass on Front Street between Walnut and          Chestnut. Show your Museum ticket stub and receive $8 flat-rate          parking. Offer not valid on Fireworks evenings.  –And last, but not least, look for the new Museum          website to launch in the coming weeks. Save          the Dates   April 7: Behind the Scenes tours of          the Olympia          and Becuna. Meet in front of the historic          ships on the hour from noon to 4:00 pm for a special look at the Olympia’s          engines and the Becuna’s conning tower. April 13: Titanic          Philadelphians Titanic          Philadelphians spotlights the personal lives of the Philadelphians          directly affected by the ship disaster. The exhibit is told through          the accounts and stories of the 40 plus Philadelphians that sailed on          the Titanic during her maiden voyage. At the center of the exhibit is          the Titanic first class passenger list, one of only a few copies          known to still exist from the ship. April 14: Titanic Day To celebrate          the opening of our exhibit Titanic Philadelphians, the Museum          will be showing the movie “A Night to Remember” in our          concert hall all day long. A special Titanic themed Seafarin’          Saturday features an interactive lesson about buoyancy called          “What Floats Your Boat.” From 1:00 -3:00 pm kids can          make a boat our of tin foil and see how many pennies they can put in          it before it sinks. “Ship          geeks” won’t want to miss a new Titanic Below Deck          tour aboard our own Cruiser Olympia. During this special guided tour          visitors will learn about Titanic’s design (and design flaws) and          what it would have been like to work in Titanic’s engine room.          Titanic Below Deck tours will be offered at noon, 2:00 pm and          4:00 pm every Saturday through Memorial Day. April 17-24:          River Tours aboard          A.J. Meerwald Set sail          aboard the A.J. Meerwald, one of the hundreds of oyster schooners          that graced the Delaware Bay in the          1920′s. Experience history by helping the crew hoist the sails. Learn          about sailing and the local environment. A ticket is required for all          passengers, including infants (free ticket). Children 12 and under must          be accompanied by an adult. Approximate Event Duration – 2 Hours 30          Mins Starting from Philadelphia, PA – Independence           Seaport Museum. Call 215-413-8630 for          booking and more information. April 20: Paranormal Investigation          about the Cruiser Olympia 7:00 pm -          midnight, $40 per person Back by          popular demand! Tri County Paranormal returns to host a hands-on          paranormal investigation aboard the oldest steel-hulled warship. Are          the ghosts of the crew still manning the deck? If you have ever          wanted to be your own “ghost hunter,” this is the perfect          time to try it out. Call 215-413-8630 or email groupsales@phillyseaport.org for          tickets. April 29: Discovery Day at the          Seaport- 10:00 am – 5:00 pm Discover          what makes boats float, how steam is used to bend wood, and weather          testing. Interact with the waterfront in a way you never had          before. Discovery Day is a part of the Philadelphia Science          Festival. Call 215-413-8630 for more information. About          Independence           Seaport Museum Independence Seaport Museum,          located on the Delaware River a short walk from the Liberty Bell,          showcases the region’s maritime heritage with exhibit galleries, a          wooden boat shop, the National Historic Landmark Spanish-American War          Cruiser Olympia          and World War II Submarine Becuna, education          and tour programs,  archive and library, Concert Hall,           Museum shop and special events.            211 S. Columbus Blvd. & Walnut St. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106 Independence Seaport Museum