About Christian McBurney

Rhode Island has a unique history, to say the least.  And here comes another history book showcasing said unique history.  Russell J. DeSimone has been for decades one of …
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Many readers are familiar with Herman Melville’s novel Moby Dick, in which a great white sperm whale stoves a New Bedford whaling ship. Readers may also be familiar that the …
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Throughout the churning tides of 1776 and 1777, John Brown, a prominent merchant from Providence, amassed a fortune by investing in privateers. Through reviewing a comprehensive list of his privateers …
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At the outbreak of the Civil War, thousands of men flocked to enlist in newly established companies and regiments in the Union Army then organizing in small towns throughout the …
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[This article is issued in conjunction with the launch of my new book, Machine Guns in Narragansett Bay: The Coast Guard’s War on Rumrunners (History Press, 2023)]

In September 1922, …
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I have a new book out! It is Machine Guns in Narragansett Bay: The Coast Guard’s War Against Rumrunners (History Press, 2023).

Here are three upcoming appearances I will …
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[Editor’s Note: In early 1923, newspaper readers became enthralled with Gray Ghost, a “pirate prowler” that preyed on the rum supply ships stationed on Rum Row south of Block Island. …
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The popularity of spies in the Revolutionary War, led by AMC’s TURN cable television series and the bestselling book George Washington’s Secret Six: The Spy Ring that Saved the American …
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[Note from the Editor: The following list is excerpted from “American Millionaires, The Tribune’s list of all Americans reputed to be worth a million or more,” published by The Tribune …
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In my prior article, “Newporters Catch Gold Fever, Sail to California in 1849,” the story of the Audley Clarke’s voyage to San Francisco was detailed. When Newport mariners heard about …
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