Sailing is a proud American tradition and 'Windjamming to China' evokes that tradition in a way that it will never be forgotten. 'Windjamming to China' sails on the fringes of history. It covers the first half of the twentieth century, a time when almost all wind-driven vessels of the sailing age had been replaced by steam and diesel.In the larger sense, the book is about the American sailor, a folk character and even a hero, who speaks through the mists of 200 years of history, shouting for recognition. The American sailor was born on the icy shores of Plymouth, he was rocked by the waves of the Atlantic, and he cut his teeth on New england codfish. He built his muscles at the halyards of New bedford whalers, and gained his sea legs atop the mizzen of Yankee clippers.