Lords of the Lake: The Naval
War on Lake Ontario,
1812-1814
by Robert Malcomson
NOW AVAILABLE IN PAPERBACK (Canada only)
Of all the struggles that took place along the border between the United States and the British province of Upper Canada during the War of 1812, the one that lasted the longest was the battle for control of Lake Ontario. Because the armies depended on it for transportation and supply, control of the lake was a key element in American invasion attempts and the defensive counteractions of the British.
Both nations threw men and materiel into feverish efforts to build vessels with which to gain mastery of the waterway. In the end, unprecedented freshwater fleets had been built in Kingston and Sackets Harbor, domination had passed back and forth, but the contest had not been won decisively by either side.
Lords of the Lake is the first full-length study of this aspect of the War of 1812. It tells the story of how the contest was waged from the days of Hugh Earl's incompetent Provincial Marine squadron to the launch of the 104-gun ship St. Lawrence. The feats and failures of the opposing commodores, Isaac Chauncey and Sir James Yeo, are described and assessed, as are the roles played by key military and political leaders in shaping the course of the war.
The narrative features battles and raids, near-shipwrecks, chases and blockades, the treacheries of egotists and the devoted services of heroes. The book is illustrated with maps and archival illustrations, and diagrams help the reader to follow the course of the naval engagements described.
Readers of Canadian history and naval history will enjoy Robert Malcomson's polished narrative, which is readable, dramatic at times, yet impeccable in its scholarship. Based almost exclusively on primary sources, Lords of the Lake presents a balanced view of the naval war on Lake Ontario, illuminating its significance in the War of 1812.
In Lords of the Lake: The Naval War on Lake Ontario, 18121814, author Robert Malcomson has produced an engrossing book that is one of the most significant on the War of 1812 to appear in years. It is written in a style that anyone can enjoy. With equal flair Malcomson describes the "big picture" of U.S./ British relations, and the adventures of individual sailors, and the intricacies of fighting under sail in the vagaries of Lake Ontario's winds.
Among the famous episodes described are the Burlington Races, the Battle of Sackets Harbour and the loss of the Hamilton and Scourge. The book is being co-published with the prestigious Naval Institute Press in the U.S. and Chatham Publishing in the U.K.
The last person to deal in depth with this subject was Theodore Roosevelt, a historian better known to many for pursuing his sideline in American politics.
The author
Robert Malcomson specializes in the age of fighting sail, in particular the naval campaigns on the Great Lakes during the War of 1812. His articles have appeared in numerous journals, including The Mariner's Mirror, The American Neptune, Inland Seas, Naval History, Military History, Freshwater, The Journal of Erie Studies, The Beaver, Command, Model Ship Builder and Seaways' Ships in Scale.
He co-authored HMS Detroit: The Battle for Lake Erie (Vanwell, 1990), edited Sailors of 1812: Memoirs and Letters of Naval Officers on Lake Ontario, and has written monographs about the Battle of Queenston Heights and Brock's Monuments for the Friends of Fort George in Niagara-on-the-Lake and the Battle of Beaver Dams for the Canadian War Museum.
His most recent book is Warships of the Great Lakes: 1754-1834. (Naval Institute Press/Vanwell, 2001). He is a member of the Company of Military Historians and is on the board of The Journal of the War of 1812. He is also an elementary school teacher and lives with his wife and family in St. Catharines, Ontario.
Foreword
The Foreword is by Donald E. Graves, author of a number of books on the War of 1812.
The jacket
- The superb jacket illustration is by Peter Rindlisbacher of Amherstburg, Ontario, renowned for his paintings of naval scenes from the War of 1812.
- 432 pages
- 6 x 9 inches
- Approx. 100 pictures and maps
- ISBN 1-896941-24-9 (paperback)
- Paperback: $23.95
- Published in hardcover 1998. Published in paperback (Canada only) 2001.
- 6 x 9 inches
Note: Robin Brass Studio has rights in this title in Canada.
Readers in the U.S.A. and its territories and dependencies should contact Naval Institute Press, 291 Wood Road., Annapolis, MD 21402-5034, U.S.A. Phone 410-268-6110
Readers in the U.K., Europe, Africa, Australasia and New Zealand should contact Chatham Publishing, 99 High Street, Rochester, Kent ME1 1LX, U.K.