Maritime Master in an Age of Peril

Sole survivor of a shipwreck…

Born on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the son of a maritime sea captain, Matthew is in, on, or by the sea at every opportunity. At the age of twelve, his father takes him to sea as an apprentice. When he is seventeen, the sudden death of his father in the East Indies, leaves Matthew in charge of bringing his ship and men safely home to Salem, Massachusetts, sparking a lifelong career.

As captain, Matthew must draw on what he learned from his father to make the vital decisions needed to outrun pirates, navigate slave rebellions, and negotiate fair prices, all while missing his wife and children in Washington, North Carolina.

His fortunes change when a shipwreck leaves him physically battered, emotionally depleted, and financially ruined. He faces two choices: give up or convince his friends and family to invest in one last voyage. Restoring a cannon-riddled schooner with a crew of inexperienced farmhands, Matthew sets out to pull his family out of poverty by running the British blockade in the War of 1812, a journey only he believes he can survive.

Maritime master in an Age of Peril, a novel by Michael Thomas Price
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The men who inspired Maritime Master in an Age of Peril

Matthew Price, sailor and adventurer in the late 18th century

Matthew Price

My brother, Stephen Price, took this miniature image of Matthew Price in a locket to Jason Wiese, the chief curator of The Historic New Orleans Collection and Mr. Wiese said, “The image appears to be a miniature portrait made from an artist painting a living sitter. It could have been painted around the turn of the nineteenth century. 

Matthew's son George Barnabus, who wrote the book 'Uncle Barney' that my book is based on. The drawing appears in 'Uncle Barney'.

Georges Barnabus

Matthew’s son, George Barnabus, was a writer and publisher. He worked for Horace Greely in New York and then moved to Carrolton, Illinois where he owned the Carrolton Gazette. When George Barnabus was seventy-three in 1885, he wrote a book about his life called Uncle Barney . In this book, he tells stories of how happy he and his mother and siblings were when his father returned home from a voyage and how his father always had gifts from far-off lands for the children. He also wrote of the adventures at sea and in foreign ports that his father shared with him. Maritime Master in an Age of Peril is based on the stories told in Uncle Barney.