"On June 19, 1864, the Alabama and the Kearsarge fought an epic battle off the coast of France. Fire on the Water presents this story of raw adventure and the courage of the participants on both sides." "Under Captain Raphael Semmes, the CSS Alabama had been raiding Union merchant ships for nearly two years. The Alabama accounted for almost one of every four Union merchant ships lost during the entire Civil War, with more than 60 ships destroyed. The USS Kearsarge, captained first by Charles Pickering and later by John Winslow, chased the Alabama around the world. Winslow vowed to end the trail of destruction caused by the Alabama."--Jacket.