A Rage for Glory: The Life of Commodore Stephen Decatur, USN

Born in Philadelphia of French descent and the son of a Revolutionary War privateer captain, Stephen Decatur (1779-1820) went to sea in his teens but entered the American navy relatively late. He made up for lost time, however, with his famous burning of the Philadelphia in Tripoli Harbor during the Barbary War. Between then and the War of 1812, he sat on the court-martial of James Barron for the Leopard-Chesapeake affair, voting for Barron's guilt. The vote came back to haunt him later, after he had further distinguished himself in command of the frigate United States and of a squadron against the Algerians. The combination of Barron's vindictiveness, Decatur's pride, and probably some sharp practices by Decatur's professional enemies led to the duel in which Barron fatally shot Decatur. Though erring occasionally on the side of patriotic myth and purple prose, de Kay makes it clear why 46 U.S. communities and five U.S. warships have been named after this stout sea fighter, and readably summarizes an undeniably heroic life. Roland Green Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.