Chasing Oliver Hazard Perry

Description:

Since a childhood trip to Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial, Craig Heimbuch has been haunted by Oliver Hazard Perry. A dashing war hero who won the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812, Perry was everything that Heimbuch isn't--an impetuous man of action, whose bravery made him a national celebrity A dutiful son, husband, and father, Heimbuch sets out to grab some of Perry's mojo. Chasing Oliver Hazard Perry is a hilarious, touching, and fascinating chronicle of Heimbuch's journey around Lake Erie in hopes of bringing to life Perry's story. He travels to battlefields, meets historians, reenactors, and surly border guards, while coping with missed opportunities, frightening motels, and a broken-down car. It's a trip you won't want to miss. Mild-mannered Craig Heimbuch grew up in a Midwestern family inclined to view the Grand Canyon as just "a big hole in the ground." So why is his account of a little jaunt a few miles up the road to Lake Erie exactly what American travel writing needs? Because he's helplessly funny, as sweet and unneurotic as vanilla ice cream, and because he reveals that the greatest adventures are often found in the near-at-hand of self and family.--Will Blythe, author of To Hate Like This is to be Happy Forever. Craig Heimbuch delivers a fun and heartfelt travelogue that not only illuminates an important slice of our collective American past but also prompts us to consider the meaning of place, the blessings of fatherhood and family, and the fundamental delights of venturing out and of returning home--Mark Garvey, author of Stylized and Waiting for Mary. Craig Heimbuchs Chasing Oliver Hazard Perry is far more than an excursion into the exploits of a forgotten American hero and the Battle of Lake Eric. It's one man's journey to find himself and his place as a writer. This book is part Kerouac, part Seymour Krim, and part Hunter S. Thompson--without amyl nitrates and Wild Turkey, of course. In what other historical exploration would one learn lessons on the importance of golf carts to marital bliss or how to do a brake job on the fly? Bravo!--Greg Hoard, author of Joe, Rounding Third and Heading for Home, and Gary Burbank, Voices in My Head --Book Jacket.

subjects: Ship captains,  Description and travel,  Monuments,  Travel,  Influence,  Officers,  United States,  Homes and haunts,  Lake Erie, Battle of, 1813,  United States. Navy,  Biography,  Perry, oliver hazard, 1785-1819,  United states, navy, officers,  United states, navy, biography,  North america, description and travel

People: Oliver Hazard Perry (1785-1819),  Craig J. Heimbuch

Places: United States,  Region Erie, Lake