Sailing on Friday recounts the growth and decline of what
twice became the world's most powerful maritime fleet. This is a tale of operatic
dimension, peopled with patriots, politicians, industrial geniuses, fearless seamen, and
gallant swashbucklers. There are women in the story, and more than one fallen hero
whose triumphs were lost in tragedy. Author John A. Butler includes accounts of
little-noted innovations that had long-lasting effects, daring ocean rescues, sea battles,
the greatest sealift in world history, and financial gamblers that won or lost millions.
Through it all there breathes the salty tang of the sea, the heady scents of
cordage and canvas, of coal and oil. Growing stress among diverse forces of
merchants, shipowners, seafarers, and federal agencies brings this exciting story to an
appalling climax. Addressing the need to renew national interest in revitalization
of the U.S. merchant marine, Sailing on Friday enables you to relive a glorious
maritime past.
About the Author
John A. Butler has been an amateur and professional mariner for more
than half a century. A member of the National Maritime Historical Society and the
Steamship Historical Society of America, he is the author of Strike Able-Peter: The
Stranding and Salvage of the USS Missouri, called "first-rate" by the
Baltimore Sun. He lives in Potomac, Maryland.
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Advance Praise for a
Brilliant Account of a Rich Maritime History
"Direct, forthright, and compelling . . . [A] superb recounting
of two centuries of American maritime history . . . This is a must read for both the
professional mariner and the American maritime history buff." --
Reviewed by Robert W. Kesteloot in Sea Power
"Sailing on Friday is probably the most comprehensive chronicle
of the American merchant marine and maritime industry ever produced. It has
succeeded in telling the story of the industry from colonial days through the pioneering
trading families who took the industry from sail to steam, and the subsequent evolution of
the business into the container- and mega-ship age of the 1990s. John Butler is to
be congratulated for the scope and readability of his effort, which will be of value to
anyone with an interest in the evolution of the U.S. maritime industry." -- Robert H. Pouch, Director, Board of Commissioners of Pilots of the
State of New York
"Sailing on Friday is an excellent book." -- Frank O. Braynard, Curator of the American Merchant Marine Museum
