HERO OF TWO SEAS: The Story of Midshipman Thomas Macdonough

That she blows. . . and blows. . . and blows. From his highly fictionalized adult account of the 1812 battle of Lake Champlain (The Proudest Day, 1961) Muller fashioned a completely fictional hero for a juvenile version (Hero of Champlain). While writing those he came upon Macdonough's earlier logs, and they are the basis of this version of the man's rise from mid-shipman to lieutenant. It abounds with the same improvised dialogue and gestures as the earlier works and again the distinction between log and license is not usually clear; you can only wonder about the heavings (which don't seem necessary inclusions) and references to people like the Barbary chief who ""took delight in jumping on his horse, scimitar in hand, and lopping off the head of the groom who held the bridle."" Wow! And all for God and country. Also, Stephen Decatur and brother James, the Caribbean and the Med(iterranean), and we lost count of the exclamation points before he ever set sail!