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Books, Maps & Other Resources
Military - British Genealogy & History More British Military Resources | More English Resources BOOK - Don't Give Up the Ship! Myths of the War of 1812 By Donald R. Hickey. Foreword by Donald E. Graves 
This path-breaking book by America's leading authority on the War of 1812 seeks to separate fact from fiction and myth from reality. Misconceptions of America's second war with Great Britain abound, and Don Hickey spares no effort to set the record straight. Few issues escape his reach. He examines the role of Britons, Canadians and Americans; Indians, blacks and women; soldiers, sailors and marines. His work embraces military and naval history, political and diplomatic history, and economic and financial history.The book asks some basic questions: When did the war begin and when did it end? Who took the first scalp and who captured the first prize? What was the role of Canadian traitor Joseph Willcocks, Mohawk leader John Norton, and American naval hero Lucy Baker? Who killed the Shawnee chief Tecumseh and who shot the British general Isaac Brock? How important was the Pennsylvania rifle and how effective was the Congreve rocket? How did the symbol "Uncle Sam" originate and when did the phrase "War of 1812" come into general usage. The book also asks some big questions, sometimes presenting controversial answers: What caused the war? Was the declaration of war a bluff? What impact did logistics have? Who were the best and worst officers? How effective was civilian leadership? Who were the unsung heroes? Who actually won the war? And what was the war's legacy? This entertaining, informative and provocative study is likely to stir debate and become an indispensable source for all students of the War of 1812 as well as anyone else interested in understanding this important conflict. Author, Donald R. Hickey asks the vital questions, including, "Who won the war and who won the peace?" You may be surprised with some of the answers. No longer willing to accept naval blockades, the impressment of American seamen, and seizures of American ships and cargos, the United States declared war on Great Britain. The aim was to frighten Britain into concessions and, if that failed, to bring the war to a swift conclusion with a quick strike at Canada. But the British refused to cave in to American demands, the Canadian campaign ended in disaster, and the U.S. government had to flee Washington, D.C., when it was invaded and burned by a British army. 
By all objective measures, the War of 1812 was a debacle for the young republic, and yet it was celebrated as a great military triumph. The American people believed they had won the war and expelled the invader. Oliver H. Perry became a military hero, Francis Scott Key composed what became the national anthem and commenced a national reverence for the flag, and the U.S.S. Constitution, "Old Ironsides," became a symbol of American invincibility. Every aspect of the war, from its causes to its conclusion, was refashioned to heighten the successes, obscure the mistakes, and blur embarrassing distinctions, long before there were mass media or public relations officers in the Pentagon. In this entertaining and meticulously researched book by America's leading authority on the War of 1812, Donald R. Hickey dispels the many misconceptions that distort our view of America's second war with Great Britain. Embracing military, naval, political, economic, and diplomatic analyses, Hickey looks carefully at how the war was fought between 1812 and 1815, and how it was remembered thereafter. Was the original declaration of war a bluff? What were the real roles of Canadian traitor Joseph Willcocks, Mohawk leader John Norton, pirate Jean Laffite, and American naval hero Lucy Baker? Who killed the Shawnee chief Tecumseh and who shot the British general Isaac Brock? Who actually won the war, and what is its lasting legacy? Hickey peels away fantasies and embellishments to explore why certain myths gained currency and how they contributed to the way that the United States and Canada view themselves and each other. DONALD R. HICKEY is a professor of history at Wayne State College in Wayne, Nebraska. His books include The War of 1812: The Forgotten Conflict, which won the National Historical Society Book Prize and the American Military Institute Best Book Award. 430 pages 6 X 9" 110 illustrations Index Notes ISBN 1-896941-45-1 (bound) (Canada, 2006) Hardcover
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