There are a surprising number of books published regarding Lake Champlain. Listed below are a few I find myself taking off the shelf more than others. The discovery in 1997 of a well preserved shipwreck, believed to be a sister ship to the American gunboat Philadelphia rekindled interest by the public in the history of the lake. The Philadelphia was raised in 1935 and is on display in the Smithsonian. Lake Champlain was the location of the pivotal Battle of Valcour during the War for Independence and also the Battle of Plattsburg Bay during the War of 1812.

The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum located in Ferrisburgh, Vermont is a good starting point for anyone interested in the lake and it's history.

From the Publisher: Kevin J. Crisman and Arthur B. Cohn show how a confluence of geographic, technological, economic, and social conditions in the United States and Canada turned an ancient idea into a practical alternative to more expensive and dangerous steamboats. Reviewing evidence from travelers' memoirs, regional histories, pictorial records, and the only horseboat ever studied by archaeologists - a wreck on the floor of Lake Champlain's Burlington Bay, in Vermont - the authors trace the evolution of horseboats from early mechanisms that forced the animals to walk in tight circles to "endless floor" treadmills that resembled modern exercise machines. In a lively narrative interspersed with quotes from passenger accounts, the book charts the rise and demise of horseboat businesses on the Hudson River, as well as in New York City, St. Louis, and Halifax, Nova Scotia. The authors also describe and record the underwater excavation of the Lake Champlain wreck, revealing a wealth of detail about the construction and operation of a typical treadwheel horseboat of the 1830s and 1840s.

Ed: Published 2 years before the discovery in Lake Champlain of one of it's "sister ships"
This book is sometimes difficult to find and may be only available in the used market

Ed: Palmer (1814-1890) is perhaps the most re-read book in my library of the lake and offers what I think is a good perspective from Palmers' research in the 1800's.)

Ed: This book is my second choice for most re-read when I want to research the lakes history.

From the Publisher: "A veteran of the American Revolutionary War, the Continental gondola Philadelphia is the oldest intact warship currently on display in North America. After its recovery from the bottom of Lake Champlain in 1935, the fifty-four foot long Philadelphia, armed with three cannon and eight swivel guns, was moved to the newly constructed building housing what is now the National Museum of American History of the Smithsonian Institution."

In this work, archaeologist John Bratten details the gunboat's history, construction, armament, tools, utensils, personal items, and rigging elements. He takes advantage of contemporary records to describe the Philadelphia's artifacts and presents for the first time an analysis of photographs taken during the 1935 recovery of the boat. Finally, he assesses the replica Philadelphia II, built at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum during 1989-91 in order to provide an opportunity to evaluate how the gondola was constructed, manned, sailed, and propelled by sweeps.

Synopsis: Manned submersibles continue to be extremely important for exploring the ocean depths. Finally, the history of deep submersible development has been recorded. The author has covered these developments in great detail, not simply as a segment of marine history, but as a foundation for future designers, operators and client/users.

The chapters are listed in approximate order of dates of launch. By faithfully representing the operational chronologies, trends emerge in the life of each submersible from initial trials through the ultimate fulfillment of its potential. From the 1776 Turtle the submersibles included are, Deep Jeep, Alvin, Aluminaut, The Deepstars, The Star Series & Asherah, The Perry Submersibles, Deep Quest, DOWB Deep Ocean Work Boat, Triest 2, The Nektons & Delta, Dolphin, Beaver MK4, Ben Franklin, Sea Cliff, Turtle (1968), NR-1, Kumukahi, DSRV-1 Mystic, Nemo, Johnson-Sea-Links & Clelia, DSRV-2 Avalon, Deep View and more!

From The Publisher : Ships and Shipwrecks of the Americas brings together for the first time the remarkable work of leading nautical archaeologists, each with firs-hand diving experience. Twelve chapters tell the story of watercraft in the Americas, from the first native dugouts and balsa rafts to the sinking of the Titanic and the loss of the Battleship Arizona at Pearl Harbor.