Faith and Fortune
Henry and Amelia Champlin and America's Maritime Ascendancy
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Pub Date Nov 17 2026 | Archive Date Oct 5 2026
Globe Pequot | Lyons Press
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Description
Faith and Fortune is a history of the United States of America between 1780 and 1880. Using the love story of Captain Henry Champlin and his wife Amelia as the narrative vehicle, this book illuminates a remarkable yet forgotten story of the transatlantic packet ships that sailed between New York and London. These large, swift moving vessels, built to endure the harsh North Atlantic, transported raw cotton, finished textiles, mail, artwork, bills of exchange, and gold bullion in their holds; and immigrants and wealthy travelers in their passenger quarters. The narrative begins with the births of Henry and Amelia Champlin in the Connecticut shipbuilding town of Pettipaug (renamed Essex in 1823), and continues through the War of 1812, the construction and vast economic impact of the Erie Canal, the establishment of regularly-scheduled shipping service between New York and Great Britain, the Champlins’ family life in Essex and New York, the development of the transatlantic steamship, the turmoil of Civil War, and the decline of the American merchant marine (and seafaring families like the Champlins) during the Gilded Age. The story is a window into so much of American history: small-town New England life; the growth of New York City; the Second Great Awakening; American architecture and material culture; advances in shipbuilding and technology; mass-immigration from Ireland during the Potato Famine; slavery and abolitionism; the temperance movement; relations between the young United States, France, and Great Britain; and the role of women in the Early Republic/Mid-Victorian eras. Faith and Fortune is a compelling, moving story of the young United States that appeals to anyone interested in American cultural and economic history.
Marketing Plan
* Launch events in Essex, CT and New York City
* Exhibits of Champlin-related artifacts and antiques at the Wadsworth Atheneum and New York Historical Society
* Promotion through the Paul Family Foundation
* This year's 250th Anniversary of the United States' founding should bring further attention to this book as well.
Previous Media Appearances
Lead author Steven Ujifusa has done many media interviews and/or appeared in various large-audience articles, including the following for reference going forward:
CBS Sunday Morning - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGtVYquC9E0
National Public Radio (NPR) -
https://www.npr.org/2024/03/13/1196979319/nprs-book-of-the-day-last-ships-from-hamburg
The New York Times -
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/12/books/review/brought-forth-on-this-continent-harold-holzer-the-last-ships-from-hamburg-steven-ujifusa.html
WHYY: Radio Times -
https://whyy.org/episodes/saving-the-ss-united-states-2/
Fox News -
https://radio.foxnews.com/2024/03/13/the-resilient-story-of-russian-jews/
CSPAN ("Booknotes+") -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHBcdnPtN9s
The Wall Street Journal –
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390443991704577579623942024142?st=3vtaKE&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/books/the-last-ships-from-hamburg-review-voyage-to-the-golden-land-c637f449?st=8LTPQL&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
https://www.wsj.com/articles/barons-of-the-sea-review-rigging-the-market-1532050707?st=fstGpY&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
Museum of Jewish Heritage - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KxE54PVveBY
Lapham's Quarterly –
https://podcasts.apple.com/lu/podcast/episode-32-steven-ujifusa/id1223773992?i=1000416724970
Other Media Contacts
All trade publications will be sent digital review copies (watermarked) for potential review (Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Library Journal, Foreword Reviews, Kirkus Reviews, etc.)
National Media
General Interest
AARP The Magazine
Reader's Digest
TIME Magazine
People Magazine
The Atlantic
The New Yorker
Business
Harvard Business Review
Fortune
FORBES
Bloomberg Business Week
The Economist
WIRED
Fast Company
Entrepreneur Magazine
U.S. History
Smithsonian
American Heritage
Journal of American History
Women's Interest
BUST
Herizons (Canadian publication)
Harper's Bazaar
Real Simple
Good Housekeeping
Ms. Magazine
DAME
Maritime/Boating
Sea History Magazine
Marine Log
Bateaux
SAIL
Sailing
Cruising World
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781493096732 |
| PRICE | $45.00 (USD) |
| PAGES | 448 |