Overview
Some two centuries ago, during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, New England's merchants and traders found themselves frozen out of their traditional markets in Europe and the Caribbean. Desperate for new business for their idled ships and crews, they asked President Andrew Jackson to explore opportunities for them on the other side of the globe. Prompted by the secretary of the navy, Jackson sent Edmund Roberts-an unemployed ship owner from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, with no diplomatic experience-on an ""embassy"" (mission) to the potentates of Oman, Siam, Cochin China, and Japan, to negotiate pioneering trade treaties. So began an unusual and ultimately fatal adventure that twice took Roberts to exotic and dangerous places on the other side of the globe. Because the British and the Dutch were deeply interested in these same new markets, Roberts' mission was kept secret. Sailing in the ill-fated USS Peacock, first in company with USS Boxer, then with USS Enterprise, Roberts traveled almost 70,000 miles across the great expanses of two oceans to successfully negotiate treaties with Oman and Siam. Although he failed twice to win over the emperor of Cochin China and died miserably in Macao before departing for Japan, Roberts' embassy was nonetheless instrumental in opening doors to new diplomatic realms and extending the commerce of the fledgling American nation. Kept secret at the time and largely forgotten today, Edmund Roberts' fascinating and important story is recounted in this latest book by Andrew Jampoler-retired naval officer turned maritime historian-whose previous works include Sailors in the Holy Land and The Last Lincoln Conspirator.
Full Product Details
Author: Andrew C. A. Jampoler
Publisher: Naval Institute Press
Imprint: Naval Institute Press
Dimensions:
Width: 15.50cm
, Height: 2.50cm
, Length: 23.40cm
Weight: 0.294kg
ISBN: 9781612514161
ISBN 10: 1612514162
Pages: 256
Publication Date: 30 November 2015
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Temporarily unavailable
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Reviews
""The author has skillfully used available documentation to weave a fascinating and topical tale of intrigue... and diplomatic success."" -Baird Maritime Australia ""For those who have somehow managed to avoid the history that involved 71% of the planet, Embassy to the Eastern Courts is an intoxicating plunge into the deep end-bring a life jacket. For those who love the maritime world, Embassy is a joy."" -Sea History ""Andrew Jampoler has provided yet another winning work of history, detailing the triumphs (and many more tribulations) of one of the lesser known diplomats in American history."" -The Journal of Military History
You'll never be rowed up the Chao Phraya River in a royal junk crewed by green clad and red clad sailors, but Andrew Jampoler serves up the next best thing: Embassy to the Eastern Courts is less a book than a time machine that will transport you to the mid-nineteenth century, when the U.S. Navy helped open up Canton, Bangkok, and Muscat to commerce. Sit back, turn the pages, and enjoy the ride. William J. Bernstein, author of A Splendid Exchange
Author Information
Andrew C. A. Jampoler spent nearly twenty-five years as an active-duty naval aviator including a year on the ground in Vietnam, command of a squadron and a naval air station, and service on several high-level staffs. He is the author of six other Naval Institute Press books, beginning with Adak in 2003 and most recently Congo.
