As a boy in a small Scottish harbor town, John Paul Jones dreamed of the sea. Quick, determined, and utterly captivated by ships, he began his life as a cabin boy on voyages to the Caribbean. No one could have imagined that this ambitious young sailor would one day become one of the most daring commanders of the American Revolution—a man whose courage at sea gave the struggling new nation some of its earliest traditions of heroism and victory.
As a naval officer for his adopted country, Jones led bold raids against enemy ships and even the English coast itself. His resolve in the famous battle between the BonhommeRichard and the Serapis became the stuff of legend and strengthened American prestige at a moment when confidence was desperately needed.
This biography is part of the Discovery Books, the first adventurous, historically accurate series written especially for children in grades 2–4. Fast-moving and accessible, each title offers young readers a lively first introduction to remarkable lives. Originally edited under the supervision of Mary C. Austin, Ed.D. of Harvard University and tested with the Spache Readability Formula, the books feature more than twenty three-color illustrations.
