Oliver Hazard Perry and the Battle of Lake Erie [Paperback]

Gerard T. Altoff (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1887794034 | ISBN-13: 978-1887794039 | Publication Date: May 7, 1999 | Edition: Revised

A gripping and absorbing narrative, yet an easily understood and highly readable account of the Old Northwest's most significant military event. The focus of the book is the naval conflict itself. Reviewed in detail are the armament and tactical maneuverings of the two squadrons; however, the stories of the American and British crewmen constitute the heart of this book. The book also relates the important events leading up to the Battle of Lake Erie. Described are the strategic significance of Lake Erie, the campaigns of the War of 1812 in the Old Northwest preceding the Battle of Lake Erie, plus the story of both the building and manning of the American squadron. Containing numerous maps and illustrations, it is a concise and fascinating account of the turning point of the War of 1812 in the Old Northwest.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

After a four-year tour of duty with the United States Coast Guard, which included a WestPac cruise to Vietnam, Gerard T. Altoff joined the U.S. National Park Service in 1972. Duty assignments at Zion National Park in Utah and Theodore Roosevelt National Park in North Dakota were followed by his current position at Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial, where he has served as the Chief Ranger and Historian since 1979. In addition to numerous articles published in historical journals, Altoff's books include Deep Water Sailors - Shallow Water Soldiers: Manning the United States Fleet on Lake Erie, 1813 and Amongst my best men: African Americans and the War of 1812. Altoff also co-authored A Signal Victory, the Lake Erie Campaign, 1812-1813 with Dr. David Curtis Skaggs.

Product Details

• Paperback: 99 pages
• Publisher: Perry Group-Friends of Perry's; Revised edition (May 7, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1887794034
• ISBN-13: 978-1887794039
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #936,403 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #38 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > History > Military > Naval
  • #76 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > History > Americas > United States > 19th Century

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Naval Warfare, July 11, 2000

By 

C. Neumann "Caryn Neumann" (Columbus, OH United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Oliver Hazard Perry and the Battle of Lake Erie (Paperback)

Written for those who already understand the causes of the War of 1812, this slim volume offers a balanced examination of the most significant naval action of the war. When Oliver Hazard Perry, commodore of the Lake Erie fleet, defeated the British on the water he prevented His Majesty's Forces from mounting a serious threat against U.S forces west of the Niagara. Without drowning the reader in a mass of details, the author provides the best descriptions of naval warfare and naval terms that I have ever read. Visitors to the Oliver Hazard Perry Peace Memorial at Put-in-Bay, Ohio, one of the lesser known national parks, would be wise to pick up this book as would anyone interested in life aboard a wooden ship during wartime.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars History Reader, March 25, 2010

By 

R. Lorson - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Oliver Hazard Perry and the Battle of Lake Erie (Paperback)

I really enjoyed this book. It is a brief (67 pages + appendixes) summary of the major naval battle on Lake Erie in the War of 1812, with just a brief summary of the events leading up to it. It concludes with a nice well-done chapter on the following land battle at Moraviantown as the US followed the retreating British and Indian forces, in which Perry also participated. The author's naval battle descriptions are outstanding (including footnotes to explain the naval terms used), and you can easily put yourself into the situation and feel the terror of the action. One appendix at the end gives short but very informative bio information on many of the characters mentioned by name in the book. There are several maps, as well as sketches depicting the various locations of the ships though time during the battle.

Do not buy this book if you are looking for a biorgraphy of Oliver Perry (which I was not doing), as the author gets right into the action. My only criticism of the book is that it does not contain a full reference complialtion at the end. The "Notes" section at the back, which correlates to numbers in the text for reference, in may cases gives only partial reference information. There was a huge amount of information in the book that came from letters and historical communication from participants in the battle.

I would strongly recommned this book to anyone interested in this period of American history or the history of that part of the US and Canada.

One last note, the book I received (purchased through Amazon), came signed by the author.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quick, Fun Read, October 6, 2007

By 

5/0 (Outdoors USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Oliver Hazard Perry and the Battle of Lake Erie (Paperback)

You will find this book entertaining as well as informative. Among the notable insights offered is an excellent description of the size (or lack thereof) of the fleets involved in the much-aggrandized battles on the Great Lakes. This is very enjoyable History.