Hinckley, Erik S., ed. Merchant and Naval Ship Movements, 1764–1799: International Notices from the Connecticut Courant

In his publication, Hinckley compiles reports on ship movements that appeared in the Connecticut Courant from the late colonial era up until the end of the French Revolution.Therefore, the book is meant to be a documentary resource and a steppingstone for further research rather than a work of historical analysis.In total, it offers information on more than 1,300 ships and over 500 individuals, most of them captains, and their maritime endeavors.Although the news items were all published in Connecticut and accordingly focus on North Atlantic events, some reports originate from the Baltic, Caribbean, and the Mediterranean Sea, and occasionally even from the Pacific and Indian Ocean.Regarding the chronology of the events, Hinckley explains that he follows the order of his source material and presents the events as they were reported in Connecticut, not as they historically occurred.The book offers a glossary of maritime terms and specialized vocabulary.Furthermore, an index allows readers to cross-reference the entries, although it focuses mostly on ship names and regimental numbers.It would have been beneficial to offer the reader more abstract terms like "women" or "native Americans" or to include implicit references.For example, under "shipwreck" only articles with the exact term are listed.This is but a fraction of the reports on ships lost or stranded.Thus, the most effective way to use this book is a full read-through.Keeping this in mind, Hinckley offers an impressive variety of information that can be used to answer a multitude of research questions.He presents his reports in four chronological chapters: late Colonial Era, the American Revolution, the Post-Revolutionary Era, and finally the French Revolution.The entries vary considerably in length, many being just two or three lines, while others span half a page.They are edited with a light modernization of spelling that is indicated for accuracy.Only some of the longer entries are abridged.The history of maritime trade and warfare is the prominent theme of this work.The reports include information on the duration of voyages as well as typical and spectacular cargo.Furthermore, when reporting on captured prizes, shipwrecks, or lost cargo, the reports usually include the estimated value of the