The story of John Devoys 1876 Catalpa rescue is a tale of heroism, creativity, and the triumph of independent spirit in pursuit of freedom. The daily log on board the whaling ship Catalpa begins with the typical recount of a crew intact and a spirit unfettered, but such quiet words deceive the truth of the audacious enterprise that came to be known as one of the most important rescues in Irish American history. John Devoys men rescued six Irish political prisoners from the Australian coast, allowing millions of fellow Irishmen and American-Fenians, many of whom secretly financed the dangerous plot, to draw courage from the newly exiled prisoners.
Philip Fennell and Marie King tell the story from John Devoys own records and the ships logbooks. John Devoys Catalpa Expedition includes an introduction by Terry Golway and the personal diaries, letters, and reports from John Devoy and his men.
Philip Fennell is an accountant.
Marie King, his wife, is a graduate of New York University and an elementary school teacher. Their first editing collaboration resulted in the publication of an ancestors recollection Voyage of the Hougoumont and Life at Fremantle: The Life of an Irish Rebel. They live in Pawling, New York. Terry Golway is an editor and writer"
Terry Golway is an editor and writer at The New York Observer and author of Irish Rebel: John Devoy and Americas Fight for Ireland.
Foreword by Martin Kevin CusackIntroduction by Terry Golway AcknowledgmentsAbbreviations Editors PrologueEditors Note Chapters I-XIVEditors Epilogue Appendix A: Letters from James Wilson Appendix B: From the Report of the Eighth Annual [Clan-na-Gael]Convention, Cleveland, Ohio, September 4, 1877Appendix C: Dramatis Personae Sources Index About the Editors
"The New York authors, each a descendant of a pardoned Fenian prisoner, have recounted the adventure by valuably editing a series of original records including Devoys diary, the ships logbooks, and reports from Devoys men. . . . The use of Devoys journal, written eighteen years after the event, passionately captured the balancing act required to juggle doggedly-held differing attitudes, internal feuds, empty gestures and frustrating politics." ~Australian Journal of Politics and History
"Its a story of rescue from the high seas as Pawling residents Philip Fennell and Marie King take readers to 1876 and the voyage of the Catalpa. John Devoy and his crew had a daring mission in mind: rescue six Irish political prisoners from the Australian coast and, in one bold move, inspire millions of Irishmen and Irish Americans. The story is gathered from the personal diaries, letters and reports from those involved in the maritime adventure." ~Poughkeepsie Journal
"For the Irish and the Americans, for the historian and for the political analysts among us, [John Devoys Catalpa Expedition] is a work brimming with relevance and meaning. Few will want to miss an opportunity to have it on their shelves" ~The West Australian Newspaper
