Philip Nolan: The Man Without a Country book review
Photos courtesy of the U.S. Naval Institute Press Chuck Pfarrer Star Star Star Star Star In 1863, at the height of the Civil War, The Atlantic published Edward Everett Hale’s short story “The Man Without a Country” in its December issue. Set in the early part of the 19th Century, Hale recounts the remarkable story of Philip Nolan, a young Army officer who, during his court-martial, angrily renounces his country and is sentenced to spend the rest of his life aboard U.S. Navy ships at sea. Since Nolan had shouted “"D——n the United States! I wish I may never hear of the United States again," the government orders the ships’ captains to treat Nolan in a courteous manner – but to make sure that he hears or sees no news of his country. Although Hale’s story is historical fiction that’s partly based on real events, it was also a highly effective piece of wartime propaganda. Hale wrote “The Man Without a Country” to increase public s