This is the true story of how Yankee tinkerer, David Bushnell, built the world's first submarine in an attempt to sink the flagship of the British fleet--the HMS Eagle! This is both the story of how the world's first submarine was built and how it was employed in the Continental Army's desperate attempt to hold on to New York in 1776. We also read about the nearly forgotten genius, David Bushnell, whose submarine was as amazing a feat for the 18th century as space travel was for the 20th. The innovation of this one individual, along with the encouragement of such luminaries as Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin, epitomized the ingenuity and potential of the new nation.