The American Navy: being an authentic History of the United States Navy, and Biographical Sketches of American Naval Heroes, from the Formation of the Navy to the close of the Mexican War

Philadelphia: James B. Smith and Co, 1860. Cloth. Good/No Jacket. Dark brown cloth. xiii, 545 pp. Black and white illustrations throughout. A short history of the actions on a whole of the United States Navy, discussing in brief the War with Tripoli, the Revolutionary War, War of 1812 and the US-Mexican War, followed by biographies of noted figures in the American Navy, chronicling their actions in battle, or while in the service of the navy. This includes sections on Nicholas Biddle, John Paul Jones, John Barry, Thomas Truxtun, Edward Preble, Richard Somers, Stephen Decatur, Oliver H. Perry, Jesse Duncan Elliott, Stephen Cassin and many others. GOOD condition. A few pages misbound in the contents section. Heavy fading, minor spotting, staining and soiling to the covers. Cloth very scuffed, chipped and worn along the extremities, with the corners rounded and some loss of cloth. Cloth split and chipped along the hinges, with tearing and loss along the upper half of the backstrip, resulting in some peeling of the cloth. Front hinge cracked and beginning to separate along the front hinge. Owner's signature present. Moderate to heavy scattered foxing and spotting in the interior. Some staining and soiling.