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

Rating:
Summary: I expected better
Review: I ordered this book without too much thought as I had read James DeKay's previous book on the British, then American, frigate Macedonian. Decatur was responsible for the Macedonian's capture so I assumed that the biography was a natural fit. Unfortunately, I was disappointed to receive such a thin, light (in many senses of the word) tome. Perhaps, I'm attracted to more scholarly endeavors but I found the book slight where I longed for depth and detail. There was little new material in the book and sometimes I thought it was just a quick rehash of notes set down for the book on the Macedonian. That it came out about the time of the ill-fated Master and Commander movie makes me think it was also rushed. One of the founders of the American Navy living in such a colorful period of history and, in many ways, being the epitome of his time, deserves better.

Rating:
Summary: This is an excellent book
Review: If you're a fan of historical novels, and sometimes suspect that the heroes in those stories strain credulity, then this book will disabuse you of that fear. True, it isn't a long book--it may not weigh enough to make a sufficiently loud thud when landing on the desk of an academic (I agree with a previous review's implication that it would not be a good reference book). But it makes for a compelling read, a fascinating story that is well-grounded in its historical context.

Rating:
Summary: Full of Action and Detail
Review: James Tertius De Kay's book A Rage for Glory, is a great book which gives insightful inside look at the life of one of America's first Naval Heros. De Kay writes this book not for naval scholors but for the average reader who may not have any prior knowledge of teh Naval history of the Early Republic. The book is not a difficult read and will leave the reader with a better understanding of the role pirates played in the 19th century as well as the roles the U.S. Navy had in the War of 1812. The book concludes with the tradgic death of Decatur while defending his honor in a duel with another fellow naval officer. In all this book should be read by any lover of early American history or any military reader.

Rating:
Summary: Full of Action and Detail
Review: James Tertius De Kay's book A Rage for Glory, is a great book which gives insightful inside look at the life of one of America's first Naval Heros. De Kay writes this book not for naval scholors but for the average reader who may not have any prior knowledge of teh Naval history of the Early Republic. The book is not a difficult read and will leave the reader with a better understanding of the role pirates played in the 19th century as well as the roles the U.S. Navy had in the War of 1812. The book concludes with the tradgic death of Decatur while defending his honor in a duel with another fellow naval officer. In all this book should be read by any lover of early American history or any military reader.