John McCarthy

John McCarthy is a historically minded retired American whose curiosity about Emilio Aguinaldo and the little-remembered Philippine-American conflict led him into extensive research on the Spanish-American War and the years that followed. That research ultimately revealed a personal family connection to the history that inspired The Bluejacket’s Manual. In his novel, McCarthy brings a rarely fictionalized period of American and Philippine history to life through the experiences of a young U.S. Navy sailor, exploring military service, patriotism, cultural encounter, and the moral complexities of an expanding American presence overseas