Valcour

January 11, 2021
Historian Kelly (Band of Giants) spotlights an overlooked campaign of the American Revolution in this richly detailed account. In the summer and fall of 1776, British forces in Canada attempted to invade the colonies by way of Lake Champlain and the Hudson River. One of the leaders of the American defense was Benedict Arnold, whose capture of Fort Ticonderoga had earned him the nickname “America’s Hannibal.” In October 1776, Arnold lured British ships into battle at Valcour Island in Lake Champlain. Kelly dramatically recounts the “boiling free-for-all” between American ships and British gunboats before Arnold made a fighting retreat southward and eventually escaped to Fort Ticonderoga. British commanders decided not to test the fort’s vaunted defenses, and instead returned north to Canada as winter approached. The British returned in 1777 with greater initial success, but met defeat at the Battle of Saratoga, “the last time Benedict Arnold would fight for the American cause.” Kelly delves deeply into the logistics of warfare, including shipbuilding and combatting smallpox, and gathers stirring accounts of heroism on both sides of the conflict. Readers will be intrigued by this evocative portrait of one of America’s greatest traitors at the height of his glory.

February 1, 2021
An expert chronicle of an early Revolutionary War operation that deserves to be better known. Journalist and historian Kelly reminds readers that the summer of 1776 saw the end of the rebels' first major campaign, and it wasn't led by Washington, who was then engaged in his disastrous Long Island battles. A year earlier, a two-pronged American invasion of Canada had captured Montreal before disintegrating in the face of resistance, disease, and brutal winter weather. In June 1776, the miserable soldiers retreated to the Lake Champlain area. Few doubted that the victorious Canadians, reinforced by newly arrived British regiments, would follow. Breaking through the lake's defenses, including the decrepit Fort Ticonderoga, would open the road to the Hudson River and the heart of the Colonies. The author describes four months of frantic activity around the lake, culminating in the October 1776 naval battle off Valcour Island in Lake Champlain. Led by Benedict Arnold, who "exerted his authority by means of a steely will, a profane tongue, and a hot temper," the inferior American forces were overwhelmed after a brutal battle. However, the onset of winter persuaded the British to withdraw and return the following spring, when they met disaster in the form of a reinforced opponent at the Battle of Saratoga. Most historians agree that Valcour was a decisive campaign and that the three generals responsible (Philip Schuyler, Horatio Gates, and Arnold) performed well--even though all ended the war in disgrace. As in Band of Giants (2014), Kelly demonstrates his firm grasp of the period's history and characters. Not content with biographies of the major figures and a fine account of the preparations and battle, he ably describes the military culture of the times, the self-defeating politics of the Continental Congress, the design and operation of the various ships, and the tactical problems of fighting on lakes versus the ocean. A boon for fans of Revolutionary-era military history.

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March 1, 2021
At the outset of America's War for Independence, rebellious colonies sent a military force toward Canada, hoping for allies in their cause. It failed, but southward-retreating troops learned the strategic value of the shores of Lake Champlain, noting that the British could as easily penetrate south as Colonials had marched north. The British did just that, threatening to divide the colonies along the Hudson River valley. Forces led by General Benedict Arnold rapidly constructed a navy to halt British ships sailing from Quebec. Although outgunned by the British, Americans held their foe off in the waters around Valcour Island, forcing the British to retreat north as winter ice froze the lake. This set the stage for the critical American victory at the Battle of Saratoga, which demonstrated American resolve and convinced the French to support the colonists' cause. Kelly (The Edge of Anarchy, 2019) adeptly describes the lake battles and offers plenty of insight into the principal combatants. Line drawings of ships of the lake fleets support the text's descriptions. Includes maps and bibliography.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.