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This is the first biography of Captain Thomas Tingey, who was a key figure in the development of the early U.S. Navy.  Having come to America after a short service in the Royal Navy, Tingey contributed importantly to the growth of the American Navy, but was then obliged to burn the Washington Navy Yard in 1814 to prevent it from falling into the hands of British invaders. This is at the same time a history of the first quarter-century of the Washington Navy Yard, which Tingey commanded for that period, and of the transition of the young Navy from an object of partisan discord to an honored defender of a growing and increasingly self-confident nation. The book looks at Tingey's contributions to navy yard procedures and practices, his civic role in the budding city of Washington, the dramatic events of 1814, and the rebuilding of the yard as a major technical center for the navy.

Gordon S. Brown is an author and retired diplomat whose books include Incidental Architect and Toussaint's Clause. He lives in Washington, D.C.

Praise for The Captain Who Burned His Ships

“Ambassador Brown should be commended for finally bringing Tingey’s story to our attention in the manner it deserves. The Captain Who Burned His Ships reminds us of the great task that lay before the United States in the early 1800s and the challenges that were overcome with hard work, ingenuity, and dedication.

— Naval History, June 2012

“As we near the bicentennial of the War of 1812, The Captain Who Burned His Ships is a book worth buying. Brown correctly places Tingey in his proper historical place.”

— Naval Historical Foundation

“Brown’s book is more than a biography of a naval administrator who fought his best battles ashore. It is also the story of the growth and development of the Navy Yard and of the young nation’s new capitol. This book is an important (and quite readable) addition to the literature of the Navy, the War of 1812 and the history of the District of Columbia.”

— The Past in Review

 “An excellent biography and work of American naval history, highly recommended especially for college library collections.”

— The Midwest Book Review, Library Bookwatch, October 2011

“This book fills a need to tell those stories and will be of interest and value not only to aspiring naval historians but to those who want to know more about the early days of the District of Columbia. The Captain Who Burned His Ships is a most valuable contribution to both Navy literature and the history of Washington. It should be added to many libraries, and it undoubtedly will garner a wide readership.”

— The Washington Times, Friday, June 17, 2011

“The Captain Who Burned His Ships is an inside story of the War of 1812 and more. By skillfully illuminating the career of Captain Thomas Tingey, USN, Gordon Brown delivers special insights on the era. Tingey served when America and the U.S. Navy were coming of age, and his story adds new dimensions to our understanding of a critical time in U.S. history.”
—REAR ADM. JOSEPH CALLO, USNR (RET.), author of John Paul Jones: America’s First Sea Warrior

“The Captain Who Burned His Ships details not only the remarkable life and naval career of Thomas Tingey, Commandant of the Washington Navy Yard for twenty-nine momentous years, but a seminal period in the history of the United States, the U.S. Navy, and the nation’s first naval base. With the bicentennial of the War of 1812 fast approaching, a conflict in which Tingey and the navy yard figured prominently, this book is a must read!”

—EDWARD J. MAROLDA, author of The Washington Navy Yard: An Illustrated History

“Although Tingey fought no famous naval engagements, Brown persuasively delineates his importance in the U.S. Navy’s early years as an administrator. In engaging prose, Brown portrays the personality as well as the character of an honorable and gentlemanly naval officer who adeptly navigated the shoals of congressional politics, naval bureaucracy, intra-service rivalries, and the social life of the young Washington, D.C.”

—MICHAEL J. CRAWFORD, editor of Naval Documents of the American Revolution

“By the beginning of the nineteenth century, the young United States Navy had already produced a respectable number of colorful, courageous, and expert captains. Names such as Barry, Dale, Decatur, Rodgers, Truxtun, and more come to mind. Not until Ambassador Gordon S. Brown came forth with his magnificently researched work has justice been done to one who should rank with those greats: Thomas Tingey. The Captain Who Burned His Ships is a most valuable contribution to both Navy literature and the history of Washington. It should be added to many libraries, and it undoubtedly will garner a wide readership.”

— VICE ADM. ROBERT F. DUNN, USN (RET.), The Washington Times