Finalist for the Rear Admiral Samuel Eliot Morison Award for Excellence in Naval Literature “Ashore as well as at sea, Tim McGrath paints an informative, engaging and highly entertaining portrait of this worthy but neglected hero of American independence. The author shows us a man who was a magnificent embodiment of common sense—and uncommon courage and dedication. That such a work is long overdue makes its achievement all the more pleasurable.”— *Wall Street Journal* “Combining sophisticated use of sources with a pleasing writing style, McGrath masterfully rescues a father of the U.S. Navy from unmerited eclipse.”— *Publishers Weekly* “A nearly indispensable addition to U.S. Navy collections.”— *Booklist* “McGrath employs exemplary narrative style in this work. . . . In *John Barry* , the author adroitly juxtaposes maritime history, narratives of naval combat, and early U.S. social history.”— *New England Quarterly* “McGrath is a compelling and lucid writer. He brings Barry to life, makes battles understandable, and provides the clearest description of Barry’s 1778 capture of the British transport ships *Mermaid* and *Kitty* that this reviewer has seen.” *—Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography* “A great read and an absorbing account of a drama-filled life.” *—Naval History*