Robert Fulton and the Submarine

"Robert Fulton and the Submarine" by William Barclay Parsons is a recounting of Robert Fulton's life, an American inventor celebrated for his creation of the Nautilus submarine. It gives the reader a glimpse into his origins, his inspirations, and the hurdles he overcame while developing his groundbreaking concepts. After finding an interest in engineering after starting as an artist, the readers are introduced to the people that inspired him, such as Joel Barlow and Gaspard Monge. It shows Fulton's initial steps into designing submarines while in France, including his efforts to show the French government how useful the submarine could be. As his tale progresses, the readers learn about Fulton's blueprints and how secret he kept them, setting the stage for his underwater experiments and connecting them to his political goals during this time. The book serves as a introduction to a more detailed look into Fulton's inventions and how they affected naval conflicts.