jjares reviewed Oliver Hazard Perry and Matthew C. Perry: The Lives and Careers of the Brothers Who Became Legendary U.S. Navy Officers on + 3255 more book reviews
This is the story of two of Commodore Christopher Perry's five sons, all of whom had careers in the US Navy. All five died in the service of their country. Matthew first joined the Navy by serving as a midshipman on his older brother's ship, the Revenge. The Perry family of Rhode Island became a Naval Dynasty.
The last chapter was of interest because it told the story of Japan from the days that Matthew maneuvered them into opening their doors to foreigners to the end of World War II. A point was made that the same flag that flew over Matthew's ship when he developed a treaty with the Japanese, was used when Japan signed a treaty to end World War II. How ironic.
I listened to this particular selection from Charles Rivers and Gregory T. Luzitano did a stellar job reading complicated Japanese terms, city names, and personal names.
OLIVER HAZARD PERRY --
Perry was in the Quasi-War with France and the Tripolitan War against Barbary pirates. However, he played a small part in these actions. After getting his first command, the 14-gun schooner Revenge, he met with difficulties when the schooner struck a reef near WatchPoint Hill and went down. After an obligatory court-martial case exonerated Perry, the court blamed the pilot.
During an extended leave of absence, Perry married (eventually having 5 children). When the War of1812 began, Perry requested action and received a commission to lead the building of a flotilla under construction on Lake Erie. He was successful in both building the ships and winning the Battle of Lake Erie. These were both arduous tasks.
Then, Perry worked to quell the continuing problems with the Barbary pirates in 1815. During a shocking incident in which Perry slapped another officer, John Heath and Oliver Hazard Perry were both court-martialed and found guilty. Mild reprimands were issued to each man. Heath challenged Perry to a duel. Heath missed and Perry refused to pull the trigger. This book mentions that duels between officers caused a shocking loss of life before dueling was forbidden in the services.
President James Monroe sent Perry on a diplomatic mission to South America. While there, crewmen caught yellow fever; five died. While underway to Port of Spain, Perry woke up with the illness and died on his 34th birthday, only a few miles from help.
MATTHEW C PERRY --
Matthew Calbraith Perry was 9-years younger than his brother, Oliver Hazard Perry. Matthew began his career as a midshipman at 14-years-of-age on board his brother's ship the Revenge. Their job was to patrol the American coast, watching for British ships that were hoping to impress American seamen.
Matthew has a four-decade, illustrious career in the Navy. Early on, he understood how horrible scurvy was to sailors and, although no one understood why the sailors got scurvy, Matthew constantly bought stores of fresh fruits, vegetables, fermented foods (sauerkraut and others) wherever he could to augment his sailors' diet. Before long, scurvy disappeared from his ship and the Navy took notice. He was a forward-thinking officer who served his country and sailors well.
Matthew is also known as the "Father of the Steam Navy;" he pushed the Navy to implement the latest technologies. He created the first gunnery school. He took part in the Little Belt Affair War, Second Barbary War, Suppression of the Slave Trade, and the Mexican-American War. In 1854, through Matthew's pressuring, Japan opened its doors to America (and the rest of the world). He was able to end their 2-century isolationist policy (where several others had failed).
Commodore Perry married Jane Slidell and they had 7 daughters and three sons. He died at the age of 63.
The last chapter was of interest because it told the story of Japan from the days that Matthew maneuvered them into opening their doors to foreigners to the end of World War II. A point was made that the same flag that flew over Matthew's ship when he developed a treaty with the Japanese, was used when Japan signed a treaty to end World War II. How ironic.
I listened to this particular selection from Charles Rivers and Gregory T. Luzitano did a stellar job reading complicated Japanese terms, city names, and personal names.
OLIVER HAZARD PERRY --
Perry was in the Quasi-War with France and the Tripolitan War against Barbary pirates. However, he played a small part in these actions. After getting his first command, the 14-gun schooner Revenge, he met with difficulties when the schooner struck a reef near WatchPoint Hill and went down. After an obligatory court-martial case exonerated Perry, the court blamed the pilot.
During an extended leave of absence, Perry married (eventually having 5 children). When the War of1812 began, Perry requested action and received a commission to lead the building of a flotilla under construction on Lake Erie. He was successful in both building the ships and winning the Battle of Lake Erie. These were both arduous tasks.
Then, Perry worked to quell the continuing problems with the Barbary pirates in 1815. During a shocking incident in which Perry slapped another officer, John Heath and Oliver Hazard Perry were both court-martialed and found guilty. Mild reprimands were issued to each man. Heath challenged Perry to a duel. Heath missed and Perry refused to pull the trigger. This book mentions that duels between officers caused a shocking loss of life before dueling was forbidden in the services.
President James Monroe sent Perry on a diplomatic mission to South America. While there, crewmen caught yellow fever; five died. While underway to Port of Spain, Perry woke up with the illness and died on his 34th birthday, only a few miles from help.
MATTHEW C PERRY --
Matthew Calbraith Perry was 9-years younger than his brother, Oliver Hazard Perry. Matthew began his career as a midshipman at 14-years-of-age on board his brother's ship the Revenge. Their job was to patrol the American coast, watching for British ships that were hoping to impress American seamen.
Matthew has a four-decade, illustrious career in the Navy. Early on, he understood how horrible scurvy was to sailors and, although no one understood why the sailors got scurvy, Matthew constantly bought stores of fresh fruits, vegetables, fermented foods (sauerkraut and others) wherever he could to augment his sailors' diet. Before long, scurvy disappeared from his ship and the Navy took notice. He was a forward-thinking officer who served his country and sailors well.
Matthew is also known as the "Father of the Steam Navy;" he pushed the Navy to implement the latest technologies. He created the first gunnery school. He took part in the Little Belt Affair War, Second Barbary War, Suppression of the Slave Trade, and the Mexican-American War. In 1854, through Matthew's pressuring, Japan opened its doors to America (and the rest of the world). He was able to end their 2-century isolationist policy (where several others had failed).
Commodore Perry married Jane Slidell and they had 7 daughters and three sons. He died at the age of 63.
