{"product_id":"a-double-edged-sword-the-biography-of-commodore-jesse-duncan-elliott-1782-1845-paperback-softback-9780817362409","title":"A Double-Edged Sword; The Biography of Commodore Jesse Duncan Elliott, 1782–1845 (Paperback \/ softback) 9780817362409","description":"\u003cfont face=\"Georgia\"\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"6\"\u003eA Double-Edged Sword\u003c\/font\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cfont size=\"5\"\u003eThe Biography of Commodore Jesse Duncan Elliott, 1782–1845\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"4\"\u003eDavid F. Long (Author), Gene Allen Smith (Foreword by)\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e9780817362409\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003ePaperback \/ softback, published 15 February 2026\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e282 pages, 8 b\u0026amp;w figures\u003cbr\u003e22.9 x 15.2 x 2 cm, 0.454 kg\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e\"\u003ci\u003eA Double-Edged Sword\u003c\/i\u003e is a testament to Professor Long's legacy, his deep knowledge, and his penetrating analysis.\"—Jason Smith, author of \u003ci\u003eTo Master the Boundless Sea: The U.S. Navy, the Marine Environment, and the Cartography of Empire\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Long must be given credit for his willingness to take on what many historians would view as a difficult and unpleasant subject. Naval historians will welcome this book.\"—William S. Dudley, author of \u003ci\u003eInside the US Navy of 1812–1815\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp align=\"justify\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn overdue reassessment of one of the US Navy's most decorated—and divisive—early commanders, whose legacy remains teetering between heroism and scandalous.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eA Double-Edged Sword: The Biography of Commodore Jesse Duncan Elliott, 1782–1845\u003c\/i\u003e is a comprehensive and long-overdue portrait of one of the most polarizing figures in early US naval history. Written over the course of a decade and completed shortly before the author's death, this meticulously researched biography revisits the career of a man once hailed for his military exploits—and later condemned for a myriad of personal controversies—including his perceived missteps while in command.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDavid F. Long traces Elliott's rise from promising young officer to commodore, chronicling his leadership during key moments such as the capture of the brig Caledonia, the defense of Fort Erie, and his central—but contested—role in the Battle of Lake Erie. Despite notable contributions to the Navy's early successes, including his diplomatic work and restoration of the USS \u003ci\u003eConstitution\u003c\/i\u003e, Elliott's legacy was clouded by scandal: accusations of cowardice, a notorious duel, a contentious command style, and a drawn-out court-martial that ended his career in disgrace.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eServing as both biography and reflective historical analysis, Long paints a vivid picture of the early US Navy—its rivalries, growing pains, and evolving institutional identity. His balanced account of Elliott's life, neither excusing his faults nor downplaying his achievements, places the commodore's story in direct conversation with the challenges and ambitions of a rapidly expanding American maritime power. This is a must read for scholars of naval and military history, early American politics, or anyone interested in the brazen albeit controversial legacy of a forgotten national hero.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cfont size=\"3\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eList of Illustrations\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eForeword\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePreface\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAcknowledgments\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChronology\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChapter One: Origins, Boyhood, and Initial Naval Career\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChapter Two: The War of 1812: First Encounters\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChapter Three: The Battle of Lake Erie, the End of the War of 1812, and the Algerian War\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChapter Four: The Perry-Elliott Feud, 1813–Present\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChapter Five: On the Coastal Survey and Naval Fortifications Board\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChapter Six: The Fatal Duel between Commodores James Barron and Stephen Decatur\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChapter Seven: Cruising and Diplomacy in Lower South America\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChapter Eight: Naval Recruiting in Pennsylvania, Cruising and Diplomacy in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, and the South Carolina Nullification Crisis\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChapter Nine: Commandant of the Boston (Charlestown) Navy Yard\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChapter Ten: Diplomacy in Europe and as Commodore of the Mediterranean Squadron\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChapter Eleven: Mediterranean Cruising\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChapter Twelve: Court of Inquiry, Court-Martial, and Restoration to Active Duty\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChapter Thirteen: Jesse Duncan Elliott as a Naval Officer and a Man\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAbbreviations Used in Notes\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNotes\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWorks Cited\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIndex\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/font\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u003c\/font\u003e","brand":"University Alabama Press","offers":[{"title":"Brand New","offer_id":52574471225624,"sku":"9780817362409","price":26.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/freshlyprintedbooks.co.uk\/products\/a-double-edged-sword-the-biography-of-commodore-jesse-duncan-elliott-1782-1845-paperback-softback-9780817362409","provider":"Freshly Printed Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}