Morning of Fire

Four years after the end of the American Revolution, the new nation needed cash and a surge in trade to survive. So a group of merchants and ship owners decided to send two ships to the Pacific Ocean, via Cape Horn. The goals of the expedition were to establish new trade with China, settle an outpost on territory claimed by the Spanish, and locate the legendary Northwest Passage.

Scott Ridley recounts the story of this landmark voyage in Morning of Fire. The man chosen to lead the expedition was John Kendrick, who would face not only the hazards of sea travel, but also a subordinate officer who wanted his command, Spanish officials who wanted him captured, and a rival British captain who wanted him dead. This exciting true-life adventure story is popular history at its best.

Scott Ridley is a policy analyst and author who has written for The New Republic, The Nation, Newsday, The Denver Post and many other publications. He is recognized as an authority on the history of the electric utility industry, and co-authored the book Power Struggle: The Hundred Year War Over Electricity. He has four sons and lives with his family in East Harwich, Massachusetts.

"A tale of maritime adventure, intrigue and high-stakes diplomacy. . . . Solid. . . . Important." -- Kirkus Reviews