This is the story of the oldest warship afloat in the world, the venerable frigate USS <i>Constitution</i>, 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 <i>Old Ironsides</i> (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.