Admiral Lord Howe

Library of Naval Biography

by David Syrett

Admiral Lord Howe

232 pages, Hardcover

First published June 1, 2005

About the author

David Syrett was Distinguished Professor of History at Queens College, City University of New York in Flushing, New York and a widely respected researcher and documentary editor on eighteenth-century British naval history and the Battle of the Atlantic during World War II.

Reviews

[Jerome Otte · Rating 4 out of 5]

A concise and well-researched biography of Howe.

This is the only biography of Howe I’m aware of (maybe since Howe made a habit of destroying his papers), and Syrett doesn’t add much to what is already known. He notes the challenges in being Howe’s biographer, such as Howe’s confusing use of English, his convoluted writing style (“almost beyond comprehension”) his equally convoluted speeches (he calls Howe “the most inarticulate of all the major figures of 18th-century British history”), his secrecy, and, as mentioned, the destruction of many of Howe’s papers (some by fire, some by Howe himself)

There is very little on Howe’s childhood and career, and the book only picks up once Howe is assigned command. The section on his career does a good job summing it all up, but doesn’t have much insight or any new material to offer. There is no real analysis, either, but he does do a good job placing Howe’s career in the context of the Royal Navy’s organization and history.

A detailed and well-written biography.

[Patrick Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book but at times a rather dry read. Quite a bit of ship movements and orders to follow however it was also an interesting insight into a career Navy man who played a large part in England's Royal Navy during the 1700's. Syrett has read and searched extensively on the Admiral and footnotes are plentiful throughout the book.

Joining the Navy at age 13 Howe moved his way up the chain of command to become a Captain in a mere 7 years, at the age of 20. Later moving to Commodore and of course Admiral. Admiral Howe fought in four of his Majesty's wars across the world from Australia to the American Colonies. During times of peace Howe served in the English House of Commons, a part of the government similar to the U.S. House of Representatives. But as a political figure he wa shard to pin down, preferring to go his own way and be an independent rather than adhere to the policies of a particular party.

When arriving in New York City during the American Revolution Howe was presented with a military and political situation without precedent in English Naval history. He rose to the occasion, making smart decisions and supporting his brothers land operations. He was a great organizer and he wrote the British doctrine used for conducting amphibious operations.

As an officer Howe was known as a supporter to the average seaman, a loyal backer of his crew and someone who was good to his word. He was even called back into service to end a mutiny of seamen throughout the Navy after he had retired, he was held in such high esteem by sailors that he was able to address the issues and get them on the boats again.

Unfortunately Howe suffered with severe gout which sidelined him at the end of his career, after over 40 years of impeccable service he died a mere 2 years after retirement. Sadly, outside of Naval history enthusiasts or those interested in the American Revolution Admiral Howe is not well known. His name will not ring a bell to most and if it does it's most likely in confusion with his brother who was in charge of all ground forces for the British Army during the American Revolution.

Admiral Howe was a Naval hero and a man of exceptional character who should be remembered more than he is. This book takes steps to shine the line on who he was and should be read for that alone.