Lecture 6:00 PM, reception & book signing 7:00 PM

Join the Maryland Historical Society for a maritime talk October 10 with Steven Ujifusa, author of Barons of the Sea and their Race to Build the World's Fastest Clipper Ship. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. The lecture starts at 6:00 pm, followed by a Q&A with the audience, and then a wine and cheese reception and book signing. Copies of “Barons of the Sea” will be available for purchase. Tickets cost $15, or $10 for MdHS members. Register at www.mdhs.org. Limited parking available.

Barons of the Sea tells the story of a handful of cutthroat competitors who raced to build the fastest, finest, most profitable clipper ships to carry their precious cargo to American shores. When the United States was young, fortunes were made and lost importing luxury goods such as tea, silk, and porcelain from China. It was a secretive, glamorous, ugly business built off the profits of the opium trade. But the journey back home to New York from Canton could take six agonizing months—thus beginning the greatest technological battle of the age.

Author Steven Ujifusa’s previous book, A Man and His Ship, was named one of the Top 10 Books of 2012 by the Wall Street Journal. His new book is in the tradition of David McCullough and Ron Chernow: a sweeping history of nineteenth-century American dynasties and the battle for dominance in tea and opium trading. The journey is jam-packed with decadence, scandal, intrigue, and a lot of recognizable names, including Forbes and Delano.

Steven Ujifusa received his BA in history from Harvard University and a master’s degree in historic preservation from the University of Pennsylvania. His first book, A Man and His Ship, tells the story of William Francis Gibbs, the naval architect who created the ocean liner SS United States. The Wall Street Journal named it one of the best nonfiction titles of 2012.

Website: www.StevenUjifusa.com