A travelogue of the author's trip to sites relevant to Oliver Hazard Perry and the Battle of Lake Erie, and the author's insights on why Perry so interested him as well as his voyage of personal discovery and reflection on himself and his family. Personally I would have preferred more of the former and less of the latter. ( )

I found myself struggling to finish this book, it veers so sharply from the title's suggested purpose. The author's note begins "I want to state for the record that I am not now, nor have I ever been a historian." This book convincingly proves that assertion again and again. I had mixed expectations when I received this book, but Oliver Hazard Perry and his vital role in the War of 1812 is certainly not the central theme of this story. The first historic fort the author attempts to visit was not even open on the day he planned to visit and three chapters on his trials and tribulations with automotive breakdown and repair were 2.5 chapters too many and really failed to contribute to any understanding of O. H. Perry. This is not a book for anyone who has a serious interest in the War of 1812 or history in general. I had hoped for a more balanced weaving of the events on Lake Erie during the war with the author's travels to various historical sites as suggested by the book's cover, this book did not meet that expectation. ( )

When I got the book I was thinking that this would be more of a historical and detail description about Oliver Perry and the battle. At first I wasn't sure about the writing style and the fact that this was more about his adventure while doing the research, but it sure made for a nice read. I definitely enjoyed reading this book... ( )

In Chasing Oliver Hazard Perry: Travels in the Footsteps of the Commodore Who Saved America, author Craig Heimbuch discovers that ambling is more conducive to the type of introspection he engages in as he develops the physical and emotional connections that bind Perry and the Battle of Lake Erie to the present day.

The premise of Chasing Oliver Hazard Perry is simple, elegant, and (for people interested in American History) intriguing. Heimbuch circumnavigates Lake Erie looking for evidence of Perry’s victory and the War of 1812 in order to discover how people interact with this distant and largely ignored event.

But Chasing Oliver Hazard Perry becomes, at its heart, a conversation between now and any number of thens chosen by Heimbuch. The Battle of Lake Erie is the oldest then and the font from which all of Heimbuch’s examination (self and otherwise) flows. Other pasts are more specific to Heimbuch and include family trips during childhood, family trips with his own children, a young adulthood spent in Cleveland, and his work as a journalist.

Heimbuch includes some basic historical content gleaned from a few secondary sources. These are well written synopses, necessary only in that they give the reader a sense of the importance of Perry’s victory on Lake Erie. The real story is Heimbuch’s personal interaction with Perry and his victory.

Heimbuch is at his best here when he writes someone else’s story. He’s less comfortable writing his own. But as the book progresses Heimbuch’s comfort level with himself increases and we a treated to something like a limited memoire. Chasing Oliver Hazard Perry becomes an examination of the places of the self.

One final note: Heimbuch is self-deprecating about profundity, and that is a good thing. But there are a few highlight worthy passages in Chasing Oliver Hazard Perry. As a History instructor at a community college, I was inspired by the truth in Heimbuch’s statement, “…I think a person reaches a point in life when they need to stop feeling like they need to be entertained and start feeling like they need to listen.” And I chuckled at, “…History is like tequila—you have to know when you’ve had enough before it really starts to bite you in the ass.”

Chasing Oliver Hazard Perry is a good read. If you are interested in the Lake Erie region, Ohio, Commodore Perry, how a non-Historian interacts with History, or literary self-examination you will enjoy Heimbuch’s Chasing Oliver Hazard Perry, Travels in the Footsteps of the Commodore Who Saved America. ( )

I obtained this book through the Library Thing Early Reviewers program. I was drawn to it because of its mix of history and travel which is on of my favorite kind of writings. Heimbuch grew up in Ohio and gained a lifelong fascination with Oliver Hazard Perry, hero of The Battle of Lake Erie during The War of 1812 and famously reported "We have met the enemy and they are ours." Heimbuch plans out a trip to circumnavigate Lake Erie to visit sites related to the battle and learn more about Perry and his place in American history. Heimbuch models his writing on the works of Bill Bryson and Tony Horwitz, and while not quite the writer that Bryson and Hortwitz are he shows promise. One infuriating thing is that Heimbuch despite being a journalist seems to have not done a basic web search to see the hours of the historic sites or when a campground will be open. Yet the lack of preparation leads to some of the funniest parts of the book, so I guess it's serendipitous. This book is mostly travelogue with bits of the Perry story and a lot of Heimbuch's life and worries. It strikes a nice balance as even a short journey (his travels are less than a week) lead to revelations about himself, his family, and the lake he loves. Heimbuch also has some insightful conversations with park rangers, museum guides, and historical interpreters as well as pay a visit to a Cleveland microbrewery that has a beer named for Perry. ( )