Independent Action Author:M. D. Winston Artfully combining history and fiction, Independent Action takes us on an adventure on the high seas with First Lieutenant Jonathan Kinkaid and the crew of the USS Randolph. Set during the early days of the Revolutionary War, this tale is based upon a scarcely documented chapter in American history: the war at sea. The Randolph is the only ... more »frigate to leave the blockaded port of Philadelphia in the late winter of 1776-77. Tasked with orders to undertake "independent action" in the North Atlantic against a mighty British convoy, she manages to elude British warships long enough to transform her crew-from the crusty old Boatswain's Mate Daniels to the teenage Midshipman Weatherby-into an effective fighting force. After successfully taking a number of important prizes the "Lucky Randy"'s luck finally runs out in a surprise meeting with His Majesty's Royal Navy frigate Gaspee, commanded by the able Captain Wilkinson. Having lost their ship and been captured, Kinkaid and his battered crew are transferred to the infamous prison ship, Jersey, a rotting hulk stuck in the mud of New York harbor, where they suffer privations and hopelessness, until managing to escape into Connecticut, where they find themselves once more in the middle of the war: They join up with General Arnold's militia and participate in the daring Sag Harbor raid, then are stranded on Fisher Island. But once again, through cunning, bravery, and fortitude, our heroes escape the clutches of fate to engage in a climactic sea battle against a superior force before winning their right to return home. A story of the fury of the sea and the waste of war, of fallible but brave men and boys who find themselves in dire straits, of history and the building of character, Independent Action is an old-fashioned adventure, set in the glorious time of the dawning of our country. M. D. Winston has fashioned a fast-paced, exciting read, with more Kinkaid adventures to come.« less