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History Pre-confederation (to 1867)

Fire Along the Frontier

Great Battles of the War of 1812

by (author) Alastair Sweeny

Publisher
Dundurn Press
Initial publish date
Jul 2012
Category
Pre-Confederation (to 1867), Canada, United States
  • Paperback / softback

    ISBN
    9781459704336
    Publish Date
    Jul 2012
    List Price
    $24.99
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781459704350
    Publish Date
    Jul 2012
    List Price
    $8.99
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9781459704343
    Publish Date
    Jul 2012
    List Price
    $24.99

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Description

A view of the War of 1812 from a social perspective.

This book provides a fresh new view of the battles of the war and goes behind the scenes to explore wartime trading activity, particularly American dealings with Napoleon and cross-border commerce, as well as the activities of John Jacob Astor, America’s richest man and war financier, and his fur-trading partners in Montreal.

There was a wealth of military screw-ups. What did the generals do before each battle to lose it, and what could they have done to win? And did the incompetence and mixed loyalties of Military Governor Sir George Prevost, grandson of a financier of the American Revolution and nephew by marriage of Vice President Aaron Burr, nearly lose Canada for the British?

The book also provides glimpses of some of the fascinating behind-the-scenes players, such as legendary but flawed President Thomas Jefferson, and President Madison’s wife, Dolley, who could have won the war single-handedly had she been able to get all the generals together in the same drawing room.

 

About the author

Alastair Sweeny is the author of several books on Canadian history and technology, including George-Étienne Cartier: A Biography, BlackBerry Planet, and Fire Along the Frontier: Great Battles of the War of 1812. He is the founding director of canadachannel.ca, a series of Canadian educational portals created by well-known authors in the fields of education and Canadian history. 

 

 

Alastair Sweeny's profile page

Editorial Reviews

"...an engaging synthesis of leading figures, strategies and battles"