Heroes of Annapolis

The United States Naval Academy has no monopoly on heroes - naval, marine, or otherwise. But over the last ten years, the most popular living author of American sea fiction has spent thousands of hours researching for Shipmate, the Academy's magazine. The extraordinary personal stories of adventure and courage he's collected span American history from the Mexican War to the War on Terror.
HEROES OF ANNAPOLIS shines light into corners of history that still affect us today. For example, our huge prison population can be traced to Richmond P. Hobson, "The Most Kissed Man in America." Merian C. Cooper was a fighter pilot and film director whose iconic KING KONG has been remade over and over. Philo McGiffin became a high-ranking officer in the Imperial Chinese Navy, commanded a battleship during the Battle of the Yalu, and surveyed many of the islands China is claiming today. Other graduates held bridges under fierce fire, hunted buffalo on horseback, invented radical new technologies, sacrificed their lives to save shipmates, shot down snipers with pistols, rescued fellow aviators on enemy territory, advised presidents against escalation in Vietnam, led Iraqi militias in Baghdad . . . and much more.
Poyer tries not to engage in hero worship, or glorify war. Still, for at least one shining moment, each of the men and women profiled made the difficult choice: To risk it all, for flag, country, honor, and those they led into battle.

Nearly fifty of David Poyer's books are in print with major publishers. They include novels, creative nonfiction, oral history, travel and biographical nonfiction, and he's collaborated on memoirs. His work has been translated into Japanese, Dutch, Italian, Hungarian, and Serbo-Croatian, and rights have been sold for films. He taught creative writing at the MA/MFA level for many years. Writers he's mentored have been taken on by major agencies, published by major houses, appeared on New York Times Top Ten bestseller lists, won the International Latino Book award and other prizes, and become college instructors. His latest book is The Academy, coming from St. Martin's Press/Macmillan this December. More at www.poyer.com.