Tall Ship Sailor Returns to Great Lakes with First Novel

CLARKSTON, Mich. - Dec. 5, 2018 - PRLog -- After years of handling square sails over salt water, James W. Barry has returned to his roots in the Great Lakes, with a nautical novel set in 1890's Michigan.

Inspired by a largely forgotten true story, A Dream of Steam is woven around two brothers on Michigan's Upper Peninsula, who struggle to save their family sawmill from a corrupt banker.  It is a tale of sailing ships and lumberjacks, hope and disappointment, love and heartbreak, peopled by men and women who take control of their destinies in an era of rapid change. Anyone who has ever been unfairly backed into a corner should enjoy this book; it also provides a glimpse of "Old Detroit", as an emerging industrial powerhouse before the automobile.

 Early reviews for A Dream of Steam have been favorable; Mari Carlson wrote in Mid West Book Review: "With lyrical phrasing, fitting of the time period, plus mechanical details and lots of physical exertion, the pacing balances description and action.  A helpful glossary of logging and nautical terms supplements the text. History comes alive in the hands of this debut author, a sailor who restores ships for use in movies and museums."

Barry has rigged sailing ships for school programs, museums and Hollywood—notably for the films Master and Commander with Russell Crowe; and Pirates of the Caribbean II, III and IV with Johnny Depp. A Dream of Steam is available in e-book for pre-order on Amazon now, you can find it at the following link:   https://www.amazon.com/dp/b07jyn7nzx. Print and e-book will be released on December 10^th. Also check https://jameswbarry.com for selected retailers.