In this global journey of diplomatic history, Linda Colley examines how constitutional documents were vessels to establish independence, experiment with ideas, and maintain ideals. From the Haitian revolution and the Pitcairn Islands to Catherine the Great in Russia and America's Founding Fathers (and more!) The Gun, the Ship, and the Pen examines the power, and the often-detrimental outcome, of the written word, providing a fascinating constitutional history from the eighteenth century to the outbreak of World War I.