Jane D. Lyon

This series is aimed at young adults but there is nothing particularly childish or dumbed down in the writing. This is a short but very interesting history of the era of the clipper ship from the 1840s until the end of the 1850s. The clippers were built for speed to carry passengers and cargo on the China trade, to California from the east coast and to Australia. The history is well told and the extensive illustrations demonstrate that in addition to being fast the clippers were also beautiful. Unfortunately none survive today.… (mere)