This book is a popular, patriotic biography written immediately following the American naval victory in the Spanish-American War. Published in 1899, it was intended to capitalize on the intense public enthusiasm and "hero-worship" of Admiral George Dewey. The text, written "expressly for boys and girls," chronicles Dewey's ancestry, school days (where he was described as an "unmitigatedly bad youngster"), and his distinguished service in the Civil War before focusing on the decisive Battle of Manila Bay on May 1, 1898. The book served as an educational and cultural tool, reinforcing American exceptionalism and celebrating the nation's new naval supremacy at the turn of the 20th century.
The life story of Admiral Dewey : the hero of Manila Bay