Keepers of Valor, Lakes of Vengeance: Lakeboats, Lifesavers and Lighthouses

Rating:
Summary: True Stories of Great Lakes Lifesavers
Review: If you enjoy reading factual historical narratives about the Great Lakes you will find this book hard to put down. I liked the mixture of stories about ships, lifesavers, and lighthouses and am looking forward to reading more books by Wes Oleszewski.

Modern "keepers of valor" are the US Coast Guard, other organizations, and sometimes ordinary people who risk their lives to rush to the aid of those in peril on the seas. So who were the "keepers of valor" in the late 1800's?

Keepers of Valor- Lakes of Vengeance is a collection of 25 short stories about lakeboats, lifesavers, and lighthouses during the last quarter of 1800's. The Preface includes a short history of the United States Lifesaving Service and the establishment of Lifesaving Stations around the Great Lakes in 1876. Many, but not all of the stories, are about the heroic deeds of the early lifesavers who braved savage winds and waves to rescue mariners from their stranded or sinking vessels using specially designed double ended oar propelled surf boats.

These stories are the result of the author's research of news accounts, official government records, personal interviews and site visits. Most stories have never been told before. All are written in an entertaining and inspirational style. Each is presented in a unique way making me want to learn more about the event or visit the places described.

I learned what it was like to be a Station Keeper or Surfman constantly drilling for lifesaving duty while keeping a watchful eye for vessels in distress. I enjoyed riding with the lifeboat crews as they rowed through the surf and out beyond sight of land to perform actions of courage that often defied explanation. Photographs and maps included with each story helped me visualize what it must have been like to have been there.

Most of the shipwrecks described resulted when overloaded, under-powered, poorly maintained vessels encountered extremely violent storms. Some occur on Lake Michigan, some on Lake Huron and others on Lake Erie. With no organized weather forecasting, Captains often started a voyage in good weather only to encounter very different weather during the trip. Taking refuge in port or behind protecting land often but not always saved their lives. While researching for some of his stories, the author has actually located wrecks, which were previously not identified.