From 1803 to 1814, some 1500 American merchant seamen were held prisoner in France. A small number, fewer than three hundred, were released. Some died, a few escaped, many joined French privateers, most waited in prison until Napoleon’s defeat. This book tells their story.
“Morddel’s work effectively conveys the emotional toll of [the prisoners’] pitiable situation while maintaining the book’s academic rigour. In its detailed treatment of the heretofore neglected American prisoners and the complications of their situation, this is likely to be the definitive work for years to come.”
The Mariner’s Mirror
“Napoleon’s American Prisoners tells the story of American seamen held in cruel captivity in France, mostly forgotten in their own time and only brought to light now with this excellent book. It fills a void about American seafaring during the Napoleonic Wars and provides new information about prisoner-of-war life, the French depot system, the flaws and competition in the U.S. diplomatic service, and the contemporary sense of American citizenship.”
U.S. Naval Institute Magazine
Buy directly from the publisher (where you can also recommend the book to your library): Boydell and Brewer
RECENT POSTS
