Our Country, Right or Wrong: The Life of Stephen Decatur, the U.S. Navy's Most Illustrious Commander

Since his death from a wound received in a duel in 1820, the US Navy has named five ships the USS Decatur. At least 46 cities and counties in the United States have been named Decatur. Stephen Decatur is probably the United States greatest naval hero. Decatur was one of those people who just seemed to be in the right place at the right time, and then to have the ability to do exactly what was required to make the best possible advantage out of the situation. He was cool and audacious in combat, loved by his men. Then of course, he was plotted against by rivals in their competition for glory that led to the duel. The title comes from an after dinner toast that Decatur made at a social gathering: 'Our country! In her intercourse with foreign nations may she always be in the right; but our country, right or wrong.'

Mr Guttridge has written a fine addition to the library of naval history. Stephen Decatur's life is a veritable "Who's Who" of early American Naval History: Preble, Bainbridge, Barry, Perry, Porter, Hull etc. He was there in America's first war with Islamic extremists (Barbary Wars) and was an early proponent of steam propulsion with Robert Fulton. He was friends with Presidents. Many cities, as well as ships, have been rightfully named after him. Guttridge makes it clear in the book that Decatur's life was overshadowed by his apparently irreversible journey to a tragic end in a duel. The magnitude of the tragedy reminds one of the epic battle of Achilles and Hector in Homer's Iliad; Why didn't someone stop the madness? The book reads easily and quickly. I couldn't give it five stars for a couple of reasons. First, the editing grows shaky at points. In the very first sentence of the book, Decatur's famous burning of the frigate Philadelphia is placed in 1807 rather than 1804. It is clear that the author knows the correct year from the rest of the book, making this a typo of some magnitude. We are also told repeatedly that Decatur hates to write. Once or twice is enough, thank you. Second, as is too often the case in military histories, the book suffers from want of any geographical maps or diagrams of sea battles. These gripes aside, the book is a good read.