This unusual study combines documentary history and archaeological data to produce a fresh account of a major event in American history. The book begins with a reconstruction of the Battle of Yorktown and a discussion of sea power in the American Revolution. A section on the history of the archaeological shipwrecks follows.

The book is based entirely on primary records. The reader experiences the battle from the point of view of the participants. Sand's archaeological research is significant because it is one of the earliest efforts at a detailed study of an underwater site and a variety of topography. More than fifty illustrations enhance this comprehensie history of the naval battle of Yorktown.