Robert P. Watson

Moored off the coast of Brooklyn, the derelict HMS Jersey was a living hell for thousands of Americans either captured by the British or accused of disloyalty. Crammed below deck without light or fresh air, the disease-ridden prisoners were scarcely given food and water. More Americans died in its ghastly hold than on all the war’s battlefields. Throughout the colonies, the mere mention of the ship sparked a fear and loathing of British troops that, paradoxically, helped rally public support for the war.

Utilizing hundreds of accounts culled from old newspapers, diaries, and military reports, award-winning historian Robert Watson follows the lives and ordeals of the few survivors to tell the astonishing story of the cursed ship that played a crucial part in the war against Britain.

About the Author:

Robert P. Watson, PhD, has published over three dozen nonfiction books, two encyclopedia sets, three novels, and hundreds of scholarly journal articles, book chapters, and reference essays on topics in politics and history. A frequent media commentator, Watson has been interviewed by outlets throughout the United States and internationally and serves as the political analyst for WPTV 5 (NBC) in Florida. For many years he was also a Sunday columnist with the Sun-Sentinel newspaper. An award-winning author, Watson’s recent books include The Presidents’ Wives, Affairs of the State, and America’s First Crisis, which received the 2014 Gold Medal in History from the Independent Publishers’ Association (IPPY).

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