A visual history of the War of 1812 includes hundreds of photos and illustrations, original and contemporary maps, historic documents, letters, ephemera and artifacts.
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The War of 1812 was a turning point in US history. Though in the course of the war a foreign power occupied Washington DC and burned down the White House, most Americans have never heard of it. This book is an official attempt to change that fact, produced by the National Geographic Society and the United States Navy. The authors are Mark Collins Jenkins, a former National Geographic archivist, and David A. Taylor, a journalist and documentary film writer. Both are also experienced authors of popular books about history. Jenkins' archival skill is the highlight of the book. Lavishly illustrated on every page with artifacts, documents, and contemporary images of people and events, it will appeal to a wide variety of interested general readers. The text's style is designed to mimic European imperial histories. This kind of writing is effective in getting across a sense of the war's importance, and the book is smartly written, but one consequence is occasional absurdities (describing Lake Champlain as "this age-old invasion route" conjures images of Hiawatha with a phalanx of mammoths). The Navy's involvement in the book puts the focus largely on naval warfare, a plus for Naval history buffs. Annotation ©2013 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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