The Burning of the White House: James and Dolley Madison and the War of 1812 - Hardcover

Cook, Jane Hampton

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1621574784 ISBN 13: 9781621574781

Publisher: Regnery History, 2016

Synopsis

It's unimaginable today, even for a generation that saw the Twin Towers fall and the Pentagon attacked. It's unimaginable because in 1814 enemies didn't fly overhead, they marched through the streets; and for 26 hours in August, the British enemy marched through Washington, D.C. and set fire to government buildings, including the U.S. Capitol and the White House.

Relying on first-hand accounts, historian Jane Hampton Cook weaves together several different narratives to create a vivid, multidimensional account of the burning of Washington, including the escalation that led to it and the immediate aftermath. From James and Dolley Madison to the British admiral who ordered the White House set aflame, historical figures are brought to life through their experience of this unprecedented attack. The Burning of the White House is the story of a city invaded, a presidential family displaced, a nation humbled, and an American spirit that somehow remained unbroken.

About this title

From the Inside Flap

The White House in Flames

In 1814, Washington was set alight by the invading British, in an outrage unequaled until the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941.

How did it happen? How did the scholarly president James Madison, "the father of the Constitution," react? And how did his socialite wife, Dolley Madison, respond to the invasion of the redcoats?

Here, in The Burning of the White House, award-winning author Jane Hampton Cook brings this exciting story to life--from the intrigue of disloyal cabinet members, to the pacifist Quaker faith of the lively and defiant Dolley Madison, to adventures involving future president James Monroe, amateur poet Francis Scott Key, and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow author Washington Irving.

The Burning of the White House gives you a front row seat at one of the most dramatic, contentious, and dangerous times in American history, with New England threatening secession (fifty years before the South seceded, precipitating the Civil War), British Rear Admiral George Cockburn plotting his attack on the newly independent nation's young capital, and President Madison's opponents criticizing him for being weak and ineffectual before Madison, in the end, emerged victorious.

Colorful, informative, and a tremendous read, The Burning of the White House is a riveting account of the first great war in America's post-independence history, sure to merit a place on any history lover's bookshelf.

About the Author

JANE HAMPTON COOK is an award-winning author who brings history and biographies to life. Jane is the author of nine books, including America's Star-Spangled Story and American Phoenix. Cook served former president George W. Bush as a webmaster for five years, including three in the Texas governor's office and two in the White House as deputy director of Internet news services. Cook is a frequent guest on Fox News and numerous other television, radio, online, and print outlets.

Edition details

• Publisher: Regnery History
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 1621574784
• ISBN 13: 9781621574781
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 352