William B. Cushing in the Far East: A Civil War Naval Hero Abroad, 1865-1869
Author(s): Julian R. McQuiston (Author)
Publisher: McFarland & Co
Publication Date: 15 Sept. 2012
Edition: Illustrated
Language: English
Print length: 228 pages
ISBN-10: 0786470550
ISBN-13: 9780786470556
Book Description
Fresh from success in sinking the Albermarle in the Civil War, the young Captain Cushing was assigned to command the gunboat USS Maumee in Hong Kong to aid the restoration of America’s naval power in Asia. By linking such aims to British policy, and by courting Chinese and Japanese officials, he succeeded in re-establishing American naval and commercial power in the Far East. In his letters to his fiancee, he brilliantly recorded his travels and observations of people and places (and the difficulties of reconciling his naval career with his devotion to her, whom he married in 1870).
Editorial Reviews
Review
“Full of anecdotes, some amusing and some insightful, this book is likely to prove interesting and informative for anyone interested in American life or naval service in the years immediately following the Civil War”―The NYMAS Review; “very engaging…richly illustrated”―Nautical Research Journal; “a very good and insightful study”―The Northern Mariner/Le marin du nord; “McQuiston…paints an intimate portrait of William B. Cushing”―Western New York Heritage; “in an account based on papers purchased from the estate of the widow of Commander William Barker Cushing, McQuistion traces the subsequent career of the Civil War Union hero”―Reference & Research Book News.
From the Back Cover
Fresh from success in sinking the Albermarle in the Civil War, the young Captain Cushing was assigned to command the gunboat USS Maumee in Hong Kong to aid the restoration of America’s naval power in Asia. By linking such aims to British policy, and by courting Chinese and Japanese officials, he succeeded in re-establishing American naval and commercial power in the Far East. In his letters to his fiancee, he brilliantly recorded his travels and observations of people and places (and the difficulties of reconciling his naval career with his devotion to her, whom he married in 1870).
About the Author
The late Julian R. McQuiston was a retired history professor from SUNY Fredonia. He also taught at the University of Columbia and the University of London and was published in many journals, including the English Historical Review.
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