Customer Reviews

History of Lake Champlain 1609-1814

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I grew up in a town on Lake Champlain and took a Champlain Valley History course in high school. If you're going to own a book about the history of this area, make sure you own this one. It's a classic. This book was written in the late 1880s and describes in detail the settlement of various communities along the lake (and interactions between Indian inhabitants and French settlers), the building of military forts, and the pivotal battles on and near the lake during the Revolution and the War of 1812. The fact that Lake Champlain was a crucial area in military history for this nation means that a history of the lake will have a lot to say about military engagements. This one does. Each chapter begins with an overview, e.g. "1777-1783 -- Burgoyne invades the United States -- Evacuation of Ticonderoga by General St. Clair -- Battle of Hubbardton -- Surprise and Indignatio n of the People -- Vindication of St. Clair and Schuyler -- Lincoln's Expedition against Ticonderoga -- Surrender of Burgoyne -- Retreat to Canada -- Operations on Lake Champlain from 1778 to 1783." The book includes an appendix with letters between Benedict Arnold and other generals in the Battle of Valcour. This might not be the book to start with if you're new to Lake Champlain and its history and you're not a history buff. But if you have any attachment to this geographical area or if you are interested in the historical details of, say, the Battle of Plattsburgh or Fort Ticonderoga, pick this one up.