The schooner HMS Speedy was lost in a storm off Presqu'ile Point in 1804 resulting in the deaths of all twenty people onboard. Dan Buchanan details the historical context, the people who were on the ship and the shock of the event in Upper Canada, along with recent efforts to discover the remains of the ship.
Ken McGoogan Praises The Wreck of HMS Speedy
“A maritime mystery drives this powerful narrative; but the greatest strength of HMS Speedy may be its evocation of a time, a place, and a cultural clash spawned by misunderstanding. Buchanan has done his research and it shows. This one’s a keeper.” —Ken McGoogan is the author of fifteen books, including Flight of the Highlanders, Dead Reckoning, 50 Canadians Who Changed the World, How the Scots Invented Canada, Fatal Passage and more.
Article in Cottage Life Magazine Clive Thompson is a writer for Cottage Life magazine in New York and he asked me to support an article he wanted to do on HMS Speedy. Clive has deep roots in Brighton and still comes to the family cottage at Presqu'ile in the summer. We talked at length and he wrote an article that appeared in Cottage Life in the fall of 2025. Great work, Clive! Thanks for the plug. See the Article in Cottage Life by Clive Thompson re HMS Speedy
The front cover is art work by Pete Rindlisbacher, a Canadian historical marine artist specializing in Great Lakes and Fighting Sail subjects. Thanks to Ken McGoogan for the great endorsement. It's on the back cover! Check out Extra Info for details that did not make it into the book. The Event Record shows some of the events I have attended while promoting and selling the book. Check out the article about the Speedy by Dan Buchanan in the Autumn 2020 County and Quinte Living Magazine. Feel free to send email to danbuchanan@cogeco.ca.