During the Revolutionary War, Lake Champlain was a very important body of water. If the British could capture the Lake, they would be dividing the Northern and Southern colonies. With that spike driven through the middle of the New World, the rebels would be unable to support each other and the British would surely win.

This book gives us an account of the efforts of both sides to try to win control of Lake Champlain. many ships were constructed quickly for this purpose, including the gondola Philadelphia. At the Battle for Valcour Island, British and Rebel forces fought valiantly. The Philadelphia, among others, was lost, and the rebel forces escaped under the cover of nightfall. The battle, however, stalled the British long enough for winter to come and delay the fight until next year.

Dr. Bratten has done detailed studies of the Philadelphia's history. He writes about the famous gunboat's history from sinking to salvage, and includes detailed information about the artifacts found, the crew, and even the modern-day replica.

I must admit, the main reason this book is so cool is because I know the author! Dr. Bratten is a professor at the University of West Florida, and I was lucky enough to have him for a course on Shipwreck Archaeology. This book is his thesis for the doctorate he earned from Texas A & M University. Dr. Bratten is a good teacher and a great guy to be around.

One more note - on this vacation I spent a day in Washington, D.C. The entire reason I went to the Smithsonian Museum of American History was so that I could see the Philadelphia - it is on display there! But guess what I found when I got to the third floor? The exhibit is closed until November! Needless to say, I was extremely disappointed.