Non-Fiction
1 Best Non-Fiction Book About Battle of Valcour Island
Histories, biographies and reference works are listed separately from the historical novels above.
Naval Battle
Battle of Valcour Island
11–13 October 1776
In October 1776, an improvised American fleet commanded by Benedict Arnold confronted a stronger British squadron near Valcour Island on Lake Champlain. The Americans suffered heavy losses and most surviving vessels were destroyed during the retreat.
Although tactically defeated, Arnold’s resistance delayed the British campaign until winter and prevented an immediate advance towards the Hudson Valley. The pause gave the revolutionary forces time to prepare for the campaign that ended at Saratoga in 1777.
It is a central episode in Nathaniel Philbrick’s Valiant Ambition.
