The Naval War of 1812 (Chatham Pictorial Histories) - Hardcover

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 155750654X ISBN 13: 9781557506542

Publisher: Naval Institute Press, 1999

Synopsis

Regarded by many at the time as an unnecessary conflict, the War of 1812 was provoked by mutual misunderstandings and prosecuted without conviction on either side. It was also a war of surprises: the hitherto omnipotent Royal Navy suffered a series of humiliating losses at sea, while the American invasion of Canada, regarded as merely 'a matter of marching', was defeated by a makeshift force of colonial militia, native Indians and a handful of regulars.
The United States went to war under the slogan 'Free Trade and Sailors' Rights', but at the peace had gained concessions on neither issue. But the war was not without significance - in fact, it has been described as 'a defining moment in the destiny of North America', from which emerged the modern states of Canada and the USA. It also marked the coming of age of the US Navy, which not only won morale-boosting victories at sea, but intervened to crucial effect on the Great Lakes.
The volume is illustrated with the finest images from the archives of North America and Britain, providing a properly balanced view of all facets of this war. As with the rest of the series, there is a strong emphasis on eyewitness and contemporary material, including diaries, journals and sketchbooks of the participants, with many rare and previously unpublished pictures.

About this edition

• Publisher: Naval Institute Press
• Publication date: 1999
• ISBN 10: 155750654X
• ISBN 13: 9781557506542
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 192
• Editor: Robert Gardiner