From the Publisher
A moving historic tribute.” —New York Post
"An enthralling history of the Irish famine and the United States' first humanitarian project: sending a ship of supplies to help alleviate Irish suffering." —Shelf Awareness
"An inspiring and resonant story." —National Catholic Reporter
"Puleo (American Treasures, 2016) makes this history compelling, and tells further American aid stories across the decades through the Berlin Airlift of 1948. Puleo’s deep research is evident in an erudite bibliographic essay." —Booklist (starred review)
"An uplifting historical account of humanitarianism with lessons in this increasingly isolationist time." —Kirkus Reviews
"Voyage of Mercy is a fascinating and moving tale of America as we wish it would always be—kind, generous, and humane to people who are in dire need of help, wherever they may live. Puleo is a master storyteller who seamlessly weaves together the personal and the political in this enthralling narrative of the United States' philanthropic and humanitarian roots. In today's fractious and divisive world, this book is a tonic to the soul, and a potent reminder that we are at our best when we follow the 'better angels of our nature'." —Eric Jay Dolin, author of Black Flags, Blue Waters and Leviathan
"Voyage of Mercy is why we read. It's history as it should be written. It reads like a terrific, page-turning novel, with characters who live and breathe and struggle and yearn, with grand dramatic moments, with settings so vividly described in a world so impeccably researched that you think you're there, with powerful themes that will resonate long after you've finished reading. It's Stephen Puleo's best book and a voyage that every reader should take." —William Martin, New York Times bestselling author of Back Bay and Bound for Gold
Kirkus Reviews
2019-12-01
A historian focuses on a remarkable event in 1847 to illuminate a broader discussion about U.S. aid to other nations.
In his latest narrative history, Puleo (American Treasures: The Secret Efforts To Save the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Gettysburg Address, 2016, etc.) begins in Ireland. As a famine caused by failed potato crops led to countless deaths, diseases, homelessness, and desperate measures to leave the country, American officials and other citizens were captivated by the plight of the Irish. However, at this time, the U.S. government had never become involved in what today would be termed "foreign aid." Furthermore, the logistics of how to gather money and food and how to transport the donations to Ireland were daunting—but not insurmountable. Puleo includes many exemplary individuals within the narrative, but there is one clear hero: ship captain Robert Bennet Forbes, an experienced seafarer who was inspired to do what he could to ameliorate the death and pestilence destroying Ireland. Throughout, the author portrays Forbes as unselfish in his motives, a man seemingly without ego. There is no doubting Forbes' heroism, as he left his family to risk his life to serve as captain of the USS Jamestown, a refurbished warship filled with lifesaving foodstuffs. The voyage from the Boston port to the Irish coast involved more than two weeks of rough waters and other perils. As Puleo shifts the focus periodically to Ireland, he writes about Theobald Mathew, a minister who tried to maintain hope among a dying populace while pleading with authorities in England to demonstrate compassion. While the narrative thread of English-Irish hostility could be a book on its own, the author effectively shows how "the events of 1847 have served as the blueprint and inspiration for hundreds of American charitable relief efforts since, philanthropic endeavors that have established the United States as the leader in international aid in total dollars."
An uplifting historical account of humanitarianism with lessons in this increasingly isolationist time.
