Fort Adams has a rich and illustrious history as defender of Narragansett Bay. On the shores of Newport, Rhode Island, the fort was named for the nation's second president, John Adams. Humbly beginning as an earthwork in 1776, it remained an active fort until its permanent closure in 1950. Fort Adams stood guard during the American Revolutionary War, Mexican-American War, Civil War and Spanish-American War, as well as World Wars I and II. Now a state park, Fort Adams is fully restored to its former glory of days past. Authors John T. Duchesneau and Kathleen Troost-Cramer explore the history of the most notable commanding officers of the fort, the changing role of women within the Fort Adams community and the legacy left behind by the families who called the fort home.

John Duchesneau is a resident of Newport, Rhode Island, and has worked, off and on, as a tour guide at Fort Adams since 1995. His interest in military history started in his childhood and he has visited almost all of the coast defense forts in the northeastern United States, as well as a few in the south. Kathleen grew up in Portsmouth, Rhode Island, and developed a keen interest in local history at an early age. She went on to become a tour guide at several locations, including the Newport mansions, Belcourt Castle, Hammersmith Farm, the Lizzie Borden Bed & Breakfast/Museum in Fall River and, finally, Fort Adams. Kathleen's first book, True Tales of Life & Death at Fort Adams, was published by The History Press in 2013. Visit www.ktroostc.wix.com/books for more information.