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Cover image of The Rockets' Red Glare
Cover image of The Rockets' Red Glare
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The Rockets' Red Glare

An Illustrated History of the War of 1812

Donald R. Hickey and Connie D. Clark

Publication Date
Binding Type

2012 Outstanding Academic Title, Choice Magazine

This engagingly told and richly illustrated history invites readers to travel back in time and imagine what it would have been like to live through the War of 1812, America’s forgotten conflict.

Offering readers an impressive array of images—some rarely before seen—and a crisp narrative, the book recounts the war’s main battles and campaigns, from William Hull’s ignominious surrender at Detroit in 1812 to Andrew Jackson’s spectacular victory at New Orleans in 1815. Learn about Oliver H. Perry’s remarkable victory on Lake Erie and the ensuing death...

2012 Outstanding Academic Title, Choice Magazine

This engagingly told and richly illustrated history invites readers to travel back in time and imagine what it would have been like to live through the War of 1812, America’s forgotten conflict.

Offering readers an impressive array of images—some rarely before seen—and a crisp narrative, the book recounts the war’s main battles and campaigns, from William Hull’s ignominious surrender at Detroit in 1812 to Andrew Jackson’s spectacular victory at New Orleans in 1815. Learn about Oliver H. Perry’s remarkable victory on Lake Erie and the ensuing death of the great Shawnee leader Tecumseh. Witness the devastation on the Niagara Front as the balance of power shifted back and forth. Watch as Thomas Macdonough executes a masterstroke on Lake Champlain, winning a great naval battle and saving upper New York from occupation. Experience the demoralizing British raids in the Chesapeake that culminated in the burning of Washington, D.C., and the successful defense of Baltimore that inspired Francis Scott Key to pen "The Star-Spangled Banner."

The Rockets' Red Glare recaptures in vivid detail not only the military history of the war but also its domestic and diplomatic history. Authors Donald R. Hickey and Connie D. Clark show why the fragile young republic, which was still a second-rate power, declared war against Great Britain, an established global power. They also explain why Americans remember the conflict as an unalloyed success, even though by the war’s end, the United States faced military uncertainty, financial stress, a punishing British naval blockade, and the intractable opposition of Federalists in New England.

The thrilling stories and stunning illustrations of The Rockets' Red Glare are sure to capture the imagination of anyone interested in the fascinating history of the War of 1812.

Reviews

Reviews

The War of 1812 has always been the Rodney Dangerfield of America's wars, doomed to get no historical respect... The Rockets' Red Glare... offers a perfect way to redress the balance. Sized for the coffee table and full of color reproductions of paintings and maps and broadsides, it also offers an accessible narrative of what may well have been America's least necessary war.

The Rockets' Red Glare is an excellent history... highly recommended.

This is the one book that you'll definitely want to have and read!

Well narrated and researched, this coffee table-sized book will be a welcome addition to the celebration of the bicentennial of the War of 1812.

Thereafter, Americans reveled in a new sense of nationalism, embraced bold confidence, and demonstrated a patriotic ability to construct a nation in their image. This outstanding book captures the stunning images of the war and that transformation. Highly recommended.

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About

Book Details

Publication Date
Status
Available
Trim Size
8.5
x
10
Pages
264
ISBN
9781421401553
Illustration Description
27 color illus., 139 b&w illus., 9 maps
Table of Contents

Preface
Prologue: The Suspense Was Hell
1. Endless War in the Atlantic World (1793–1812)
2. Canada, Canada, Canada (1812)
3. Don't Give Up the Ship (1813)
4. Don't Give Up the Soil (1814)
5. A Lasting Peace

Preface
Prologue: The Suspense Was Hell
1. Endless War in the Atlantic World (1793–1812)
2. Canada, Canada, Canada (1812)
3. Don't Give Up the Ship (1813)
4. Don't Give Up the Soil (1814)
5. A Lasting Peace (1815)
Epilogue: Legacies
Chronology
Notes
Suggestions for Further Reading
Index

Author Bios
Donald R. Hickey
Featured Contributor

Donald R. Hickey

Donald R. Hickey is a professor of history at Wayne State College. He has written widely on the War of 1812, including the books The War of 1812: A Forgotten Conflict; The War of 1812: A Short History; and, as coauthor, The Rockets' Red Glare: An Illustrated History of the War of 1812 and The War of 1812 in the Chesapeake: A Reference Guide to Historic Sites in Maryland, Virginia, and the District...
Featured Contributor

Connie D. Clark

Connie D. Clark is a consultant with Educational Service Unit #2, where she provides guidance and assistance for federally funded Teaching American History Grants. She is coauthor, with Professor Hickey, of Citizen Hamilton: The Wit and Wisdom of an American Founder.