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vii Writing a book is much like working as a member of a crew on a ship.The author may be the captain,but the ship (as this book attests) goes nowhere without the talented and dedicated labor of numerous individuals. The project began as a Ph.D.dissertation at Princeton University,where generous funding from the Graduate School,Department of History,and a timely grant from the Center of International Studies, allowed me to travel to libraries and archives throughout North America and the United Kingdom. I count the day that John Murrin became my graduate advisor as one of the most fortunate in my life. Although the book has changed significantly from the dissertation, John has been a constant, always sharing his support and legendary intellect. Barbara Oberg has acted as a second advisor from the early stages of the dissertation to the completed book. She is an inspiration for showing that someone so accomplished can also be so kind. The final members of my dissertation committee,David Armitage and Linda Colley,both took time out of their busy lives to help me. In their own ways, each has produced models of scholarship in British, Atlantic, and global history to which this work aspires. Numerous other people and institutions helped this vessel set sail. At Princeton, Drew Isenberg, Stan Katz, James McPherson, Peter Silver, Frank Trentmann, and Sean Wilentz all took an interest in my work and helped to train me as a historian. My fellow graduate students, particularly Alec Dun, Brendan Kane, Eileen Kane, Thierry Rigogne, David Silverman, and Jenny Weber, all helped to shape my thinking on impressment. Alec, Brendan, and David have continued to read chapters and share ideas—often at a moment’s notice—as the dissertation has turned into the book. The McNeil Center for Early American Studies at the University of Pennsylvania served as my second academic home (and, at times, my actual home) during my graduate study. I thank the center and its director, Dan Richter, for a Society of the Cincinnati/ MCEAS Dissertation Fellowship and an incomparable intellectual setting for writing a dissertation.As a graduate student,I also received generous funding from a Price Visiting Research Fellowship at the William L.Clements Library, University of Michigan; Eastern Regional Scholarship from the Colonial Dames of America; Alexander O. Vietor Memorial Fellowship from the John Carter Brown Library, Brown University; Society of Colonial Wars of Massachusetts Fellowship from the Massachusetts Historical Society; Albert J. Beveridge Grant from the American Historical Association; and Graduate Acknowledgments viii | A c k n o w l e d g m e n t s Student Fellowship from the Institute of United States Studies, University of London. I transformed my dissertation into a book as a member of the History Department at Wayne State University. The university provided exceptional financial and intellectual support during my early professional career.A University Research Grant, Humanities Center Faculty Fellowship, and additional research funds from the History Department,Humanities Center,and College of Liberal Arts and Sciences allowed me to continue researching impressment and make this project truly global in scope. My department chair, Marc Kruman ,went beyond the call of duty in giving endless encouragement and securing the time necessary for my writing. The Wayne State Humanities Center and its director, Walter Edwards, hosted me as a yearlong Resident Scholar and provided invaluable interdisciplinary perspectives on my work. I also appreciate help from my terrific colleagues in the History Department,including Eric Ash, John Bukowczyk, Jorge Chinea, José Cuello, Hans Hummer, Janine Lanza, Danielle McGuire, Aaron Retish, Stanley Shapiro, Melvin Small, and Kidada Williams. Sandra VanBurkleo deserves special mention for serving as the best mentor any young scholar could ask for. Gayle McCreedy cheerfully provided outstanding administrative support for the book. My students at Wayne State continually inspired me by their dedicated scholarly pursuits, often against difficult odds. My former students Joel Stone and Doug Fisher have turned into close friends and collaborators. I appreciate Joel for sharing his expertise on maritime history and Doug for devoting countless hours to reading chapters and talking about press gangs. I completed the final stages of the book as a member of the History Department at George Washington University. In a short time, my new colleagues have already provided rich input on my research and extended a warm welcome to my family. I especially appreciate the department’s chair, William Becker,and administrator,Michael Weeks,for taking care of numerous details during...

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