The Rockets' Red Glare: An Illustrated History of the War of 1812 (Johns Hopkins Books on the War of 1812) - Hardcover

Hickey, Donald R.; Clark, Connie D.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 142140155X ISBN 13: 9781421401553

Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press, 2011

Synopsis

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.

About this title

Review:

"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."

(Adam Kirsch Barnes & Noble Review)

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

(Midwest Book Review)

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

(Blaine Taylor Sea Classics)

"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."

(David Lee Poremba The Past in Review)

"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."

(Choice)

"This is an impressive and thoughtful work. Its imagery makes it an important addition to any collection focusing on the War of 1812; with its text and image combined, it is an excellent starting place for introducing Americans to the conflict."

(Naval History)

"The authors give us numerous and absorbing gems such as this that make The Rockets' Red Glare."

(Richard V. Barbuto Journal of America's Military Past)

"Well written and the time-line chronology found at the end of the book offers a good summary of the war's events."

(Louis Arthur Norton Northern Marinerr/Le marin du nord)

"This is an excellent book filled with thrilling stories and stunning illustrations of The Rockets' Red Glare sure to capture the imagination of anyone interested in the fascinating history of the War of 1812"

(Lone Star Book Review)

"This work is an excellent, well-rounded book suitable for a wide audience."

(Justin Dornbusch H-War, H-Net Reviews)

About the Author:

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, Don’t Give Up the Ship! Myths of the War of 1812, and, as coauthor, The War of 1812 in the Chesapeake: A Reference Guide to Historic Sites in Maryland, Virginia, and the District of Columbia, the last also published by Johns Hopkins. 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.

About this edition

• Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 142140155X
• ISBN 13: 9781421401553
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 264