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Title: The Enduring Journey of the USS Chesapeake

Subtitle: Navigating the Common History of Three Nations

Author: Chris Dickon

Narrator: Nick Hahn

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 51 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-03-14

Publisher: New Street Communications, LLC

Genres: History, American

Publisher's Summary:

As the Bicentennial of the War of 1812 is observed in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, one of its most important artifacts sits relatively intact and unknown in England. The USS Chesapeake was launched in Portsmouth, Virginia in 1799, and captured by the British in one of the most storied naval battles of the War of 1812. Though broken up in Portsmouth, England, in 1819, she endures more than any of the other American warships of her day, including the USS Constitution. Since 1820, the uncut and unaltered timbers of the Chesapeake have survived as the structure of a flour mill beside the Meon River in Wickham, Hampshire County, UK. When the Chesapeake Mill became obsolete and abandoned in the 1970s, the ship was in danger of being broken up once again. Then, at the beginning of the 21st century, the forces of historic preservation returned her to life in another form.

Members Reviews:

BUYER BEWARE: This is a remarkably poor book in a number of aspects

BUYER BEWARE:

If a "Razzie" award were given for the most inept history book of 2008, then this book would be the recipient.

Staggeringly flawed, this is an amateurish, unprofessional product, and it is very questionable if it is worth your time. I seldom review a book as a "one-star", but this one clearly deserves the low rating. This certainly looks like a low-effort attempt to "cash in on" the War of 1812 anniversaries with a shallow, derivative book, a milquetoast effort. The book lacks notes, references, bibliography, and index, which is indicative of its quality. On this basis alone, I would call this a remarkably poor history book and strongly suggest that you pass it by. If the author had invested the energy in writing his book that he does in desperately deflecting criticism, there would likely have been no criticism.

But it gets worse ...

1) The author lavished words and photographs on an unofficial visit of a handful of enlisted Tennessee Air National Guardsmen (an organization with no connection to the US Navy) to the gravesites of some of the Chesapeake USN POWs in Canada, suggesting an official significance that it never had. This was a casual visit, of no significance.

2) Amazingly, he also went to some considerable length comparing this early 19th Century frigate duel to - of all things - a massive early 20th Century land battle on the Western Front in France late in WW I (the connection: the captured USS Chesapeake was first brought to Canada and the land battle in France had involved Canadians)! Yes - seriously - he thought that such a tenuous connection was worth discussing at some length. This is the very limited quality of analysis that this author "brings to the table"! Absolutely ridiculous!

3) He then expressed astonishment that the US Navy will not name another vessel "Chesapeake" - the only ship surrendered TWICE to the British (1807 to the HMS Leopard and 1813 to the HMS Shannon), thus a remarkably "unlucky" name among sailors (who at least affect to being superstitious). Wow! Does he know nothing of the US Navy? What USN sailor would want to sail on a vessel with this name? I cringed when I read this, embarrassed for the author.