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| Categories | War of 1812 General General AAS Canada Naval Historical War Paperback Printed Books |
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| The Battle of Lake Erie on 10 September 1813 is considered by many to be the most important naval confrontation of the War of 1812. Made famous by the American fleet commander Oliver Hazard Perry's comment, "We have met the enemy and they are ours," the battle marked the U.S. Navy's first successful fleet action and was one of the rare occasions when the Royal Navy surrendered an entire squadron. This book draws on British, Canadian, and American documents to offer a totally impartial analysis of all sides of the struggle to control the lake. New diagrams of the battle are included that reflect the authors' modification of traditional positions of various vessels. The book also evaluates the strategic background and tactical conduct of the British and the Americans and the command leadership exercised by Perry and his British opponent, Commander Robert H. Barclay. Not since James Fenimore Cooper's 1843 book on the subject has the battle been examined in such detail, and not since Alfred Thayer Mahan's 1905 study of the war has there been such a significant reinterpretation of the engagement. First published in hardcover in 1997, the book is the winner of the North American Society for Oceanic History's John Lyman Book Award. |
| "We have met the enemy and they are ours," declared Oliver Hazard Perry after his decisive victory over the British navy on Lake Erie in the War of 1812. Authors Gerard Altoff (chief park ranger and historian for the National Park Service at Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial in Ohio) and David Skaggs (a professor at Bowling Green University) provide a detailed account of this great sea battle, which was one of the few events during the War of 1812 that Americans of the time could celebrate. A series of helpful maps shows how ship positions changed on an hour-by-hour basis, and the text provides strategic context and a blow-by-blow description of the encounter. A Signal Victory is a skillful piece of American naval history. |
Customer Reviews |
| A Signal Book 2003-01-08 |
| By Ray Niekamp (Austin, TX) |
| The Lake Erie Campaign was one of the few bright lights during the War of 1812. This succinct, readable book details the challenges and hardships faced by the combatants in what was then a largely unsettled part of North America. I bought mine at the National Historic Site headquarters at Put-In-Bay, South Bass Island, Ohio...and at the time, they had plenty of copies. |
| 'Odds, Bobs, Hammer, and Tongs' 2000-08-24 |
| By Kevin F. Kiley |
| This excellent book is the definitive history of this hard-fought, valiant effort by two small fleets fighting each other to the death quite literally in the middle of nowhere, 1813. Two quickly built naval squadrons, getting men and material for sailor and ships from wherever they could, fought each other to literal annihilation for the loser, and great strategic gains for the victor. Two talented naval officers, Briton Robert H. barclay, and American Oliver Hazard Perry, built their small fleets, manned them with whatever came along (in Perry's case 'a motley set, blacks, soldiers, and boys', including a Marine officer who was given his choice of a court-martial or serving on the northwest frontier-he was later killed in action in the battle, quite gallantly taking his death wound leading his men), and set sail to settle the fate of Lake Erie and its surrounding territory. The authors tell their tale with wit, verve, and aplomb, from the different characters to the ships and the men that manned them. This volume definitely has the smell of gunpowder about it and is meticulously researched and very well-written. It is highly recommeded both as a valued addition to the literature of the period and a book than can stand on its own. |
| Splendid history of this monumental battle 1998-01-11 |
| Skaggs and Altoff have done a terrific job with this almost forgotten piece of North American history. The authors deal not only with the battle itself, but also describe the events that lead to it, and the repercussions of it. The research is meticulous and put forth in a very readable way. This should be required reading for any history buff. |
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