This is the story of the oldest warship afloat in the world, the venerable frigate USS Constitution, the cornerstone of the nascent American navy created by act of Congress in 1794. To set the stage for the dominance of this remarkable vessel, military historian Colonel David Fitz-Enz re-creates the world of sail, when seven knots an hour was considered blinding speed for a warship. In Old Ironsides (a nickname the boat received after a British sailor observed a cannonball bouncing off its side) Fitz-Enz tells the complete story of the ship, from its construction to the ongoing restoration efforts that keep it active today.