Old Ironsides Americans Build a Fighting Ship

The Constitution was the largest, fastest fighting ship of her class. She weighs in at 1,576 tons, carries 44 guns, & is made from the wood of more than 1,000 trees. The beginnings of the U.S. navy took shape in the frigate whose strength earned her the nickname Old Ironsides.Ó The ship was commissioned as part of a fleet to protect American merchant ships taken by Algerian pirates. Follow young John Aylwin as he watches & helps in the construction of one of the most remarkable sailing ships ever built, from the selection of trees for the masts to the casting of her 30-ton cannon to the sewing of an acre of sail. The detailed drawings are elegant. Juvenile audiences.Weitzman, David L. is the author of 'Old Ironsides Americans Build a Fighting Ship' with ISBN 9780788195228 and ISBN 0788195220.