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When Britain Burned the White House: The 1814 Invasion of Washington
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A book that has been read but is in good condition. Very minimal damage to the cover including scuff marks, but no holes or tears. The dust jacket for hard covers may not be included. Binding has minimal wear. The majority of pages are undamaged with minimal creasing or tearing, minimal pencil underlining of text, no highlighting of text, no writing in margins. No missing pages. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections.
- Buy It NowWhen Britain Burned the White House: The 1814 Invasion of Washington
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Item specifics
- Condition
- EAN
- 9781250048288
- ISBN
- 9781250048288
About this product
Product Identifiers
Publisher
St. Martin's Press
ISBN-10
1250048281
ISBN-13
9781250048288
eBay Product ID (ePID)
171736883
Product Key Features
Book Title
When Britain Burned the White House : the 1814 Invasion of Washington
Number of Pages
320 Pages
Language
English
Publication Year
2014
Topic
United States / State & Local / Middle Atlantic (DC, De, Md, NJ, NY, Pa), United States / 19th Century, Military / War of 1812, Military / United States
Illustrator
Yes
Genre
History
Format
Hardcover
Dimensions
Item Height
0.8 in
Item Weight
22.3 Oz
Item Length
9.2 in
Item Width
6.1 in
Additional Product Features
Intended Audience
Trade
LCCN
2014-010743
Dewey Edition
23
Reviews
Never before has this story been told more fully or more engagingly, with greater empathy for both sides, or with greater balance...Snow dug deeply into records and reminiscences and, especially for the British side, brought the combatants, simple and august, alive. The pace is brisk, the characterizations sure, the judgments done with a light touch. The book distinguishes itself by rounding off the story of Washington with the subsequent Baltimore attack--both part of the larger British Chesapeake campaign. For the story of that campaign, this is now the narrative to read., Snow's narrative is authoritative and absorbing, his profiles sure and compelling, his judgments considered and fair, and his documentation most impressive. Wonderful for 19th-century political, military, and diplomatic history; specialists in Anglo-American relations; general readers; and all libraries., Snow builds his account on the voices of those who fought and witnessed the campaign, from nervous U.S. militiamen to Ross, Cockburn, and Dolley Madison, the president's resourceful wife. Written with verve and insight, this is a fitting reminder of a remarkable interlude in a war that deserves to be better known., Peter Snow's account of this extraordinary event in British-American relations reads like a military thriller, each chapter raising the tension with a mass of detail and a kaleidoscope of characters who transform this book from what could have been a dry, chronological account into a riveting romp. . . . Snow adds an extra ingredient--a boyish enthusiasm for his subject . . . a meticulous and fascinating account., Snow says 'the clarity, humanity and wit of British and American men and women who were there bring the story alive as if it had happened today.' He can take credit for bringing those attributes to the page., "Peter Snow's account of this extraordinary event in British-American relations reads like a military thriller, each chapter raising the tension with a mass of detail and a kaleidoscope of characters who transform this book from what could have been a dry, chronological account into a riveting romp. . . . Snow adds an extra ingredient-a boyish enthusiasm for his subject . . . a meticulous and fascinating account." - The Times (UK) "Snow builds his account on the voices of those who fought and witnessed the campaign, from nervous U.S. militiamen to Ross, Cockburn, and Dolley Madison, the president's resourceful wife. Written with verve and insight, this is a fitting reminder of a remarkable interlude in a war that deserves to be better known." - BBC History Magazine "The result is superb. When Britain Burned the White House is an exemplary work of history-lucid, witty, and humane, with terrific pace, and so evenhanded that it will surely be received as well in America as here." - The Spectator (UK), "[An] excellent account...Snow, an experienced British journalist, has told the story of those engagements with brio and a fine gift for making sense of the complexities of battle... a fine example of serious and literate popular history... It ranks with Anthony S. Pitch's fine "The Burning of Washington" (2000) as among the best accounts of a war that hardly deserves to be forgotten." -- Washington Post "Snow's narrative is authoritative and absorbing, his profiles sure and compelling, his judgments considered and fair, and his documentation most impressive. Wonderful for 19th-century political, military, and diplomatic history; specialists in Anglo-American relations; general readers; and all libraries." -- Library Journal, Starred Review "Never before has this story been told more fully or more engagingly, with greater empathy for both sides, or with greater balance...Snow dug deeply into records and reminiscences and, especially for the British side, brought the combatants, simple and august, alive. The pace is brisk, the characterizations sure, the judgments done with a light touch. The book distinguishes itself by rounding off the story of Washington with the subsequent Baltimore attack--both part of the larger British Chesapeake campaign. For the story of that campaign, this is now the narrative to read." -- Publishers Weekly "With ample quotes from English letters and diaries, Snow ably brings out the humanity of his subjects." -- Kirkus Reviews "A well-done chronicle of an episode of the war that helped to shape the 'special relationship' between the U.S. and Britain." -- Booklist "Snow says 'the clarity, humanity and wit of British and American men and women who were there bring the story alive as if it had happened today.' He can take credit for bringing those attributes to the page." -- Marine Corps Times "Peter Snow's account of this extraordinary event in British-American relations reads like a military thriller, each chapter raising the tension with a mass of detail and a kaleidoscope of characters who transform this book from what could have been a dry, chronological account into a riveting romp. . . . Snow adds an extra ingredient--a boyish enthusiasm for his subject . . . a meticulous and fascinating account." -- The Times (UK) "Snow builds his account on the voices of those who fought and witnessed the campaign, from nervous U.S. militiamen to Ross, Cockburn, and Dolley Madison, the president's resourceful wife. Written with verve and insight, this is a fitting reminder of a remarkable interlude in a war that deserves to be better known." -- BBC History Magazine "The result is superb. When Britain Burned the White House is an exemplary work of history--lucid, witty, and humane, with terrific pace, and so evenhanded that it will surely be received as well in America as here." -- The Spectator (UK), A well-done chronicle of an episode of the war that helped to shape the 'special relationship' between the U.S. and Britain., The result is superb. When Britain Burned the White House is an exemplary work of history--lucid, witty, and humane, with terrific pace, and so evenhanded that it will surely be received as well in America as here., "Never before has this story been told more fully or more engagingly, with greater empathy for both sides, or with greater balance…Snow dug deeply into records and reminiscences and, especially for the British side, brought the combatants, simple and august, alive. The pace is brisk, the characterizations sure, the judgments done with a light touch. The book distinguishes itself by rounding off the story of Washington with the subsequent Baltimore attack-both part of the larger British Chesapeake campaign. For the story of that campaign, this is now the narrative to read."- Publishers Weekly "With ample quotes from English letters and diaries, Snow ably brings out the humanity of his subjects."- Kirkus Reviews "Peter Snow's account of this extraordinary event in British-American relations reads like a military thriller, each chapter raising the tension with a mass of detail and a kaleidoscope of characters who transform this book from what could have been a dry, chronological account into a riveting romp. . . . Snow adds an extra ingredient-a boyish enthusiasm for his subject . . . a meticulous and fascinating account." - The Times (UK) "Snow builds his account on the voices of those who fought and witnessed the campaign, from nervous U.S. militiamen to Ross, Cockburn, and Dolley Madison, the president's resourceful wife. Written with verve and insight, this is a fitting reminder of a remarkable interlude in a war that deserves to be better known." - BBC History Magazine "The result is superb. When Britain Burned the White House is an exemplary work of history-lucid, witty, and humane, with terrific pace, and so evenhanded that it will surely be received as well in America as here." - The Spectator (UK), "Never before has this story been told more fully or more engagingly, with greater empathy for both sides, or with greater balance…Snow dug deeply into records and reminiscences and, especially for the British side, brought the combatants, simple and august, alive. The pace is brisk, the characterizations sure, the judgments done with a light touch. The book distinguishes itself by rounding off the story of Washington with the subsequent Baltimore attack-both part of the larger British Chesapeake campaign. For the story of that campaign, this is now the narrative to read."- Publishers Weekly "With ample quotes from English letters and diaries, Snow ably brings out the humanity of his subjects."- Kirkus Reviews "A well-done chronicle of an episode of the war that helped to shape the 'special relationship' between the U.S. and Britain."- Booklist "Peter Snow's account of this extraordinary event in British-American relations reads like a military thriller, each chapter raising the tension with a mass of detail and a kaleidoscope of characters who transform this book from what could have been a dry, chronological account into a riveting romp. . . . Snow adds an extra ingredient-a boyish enthusiasm for his subject . . . a meticulous and fascinating account." - The Times (UK) "Snow builds his account on the voices of those who fought and witnessed the campaign, from nervous U.S. militiamen to Ross, Cockburn, and Dolley Madison, the president's resourceful wife. Written with verve and insight, this is a fitting reminder of a remarkable interlude in a war that deserves to be better known." - BBC History Magazine "The result is superb. When Britain Burned the White House is an exemplary work of history-lucid, witty, and humane, with terrific pace, and so evenhanded that it will surely be received as well in America as here." - The Spectator (UK), "Peter Snow's account of this extraordinary event in British-American relations reads like a military thriller, each chapter raising the tension with a mass of detail and a kaleidoscope of characters who transform this book from what could have been a dry, chronological account into a riveting romp . . . Snow adds an extra ingredient - a boyish enthusiasm for his subject . . . a meticulous and fascinating account"- The Times (UK) "Snow builds his account on the voices of those who fought and witnessed the campaign, from nervous US militiamen to Ross, Cockburn and Dolley Madison, the president's resourceful wife. Written with verve and insight, this is a fitting reminder of a remarkable interlude in a war that deserves to be better known."- BBC History Magazine "The result is superb. When Britain Burned the White House is an exemplary work of history - lucid, witty and humane, with terrific pace, and so even-handed that it will surely be received as well in America as here"- The Spectator (UK), "[An] excellent account...Snow, an experienced British journalist, has told the story of those engagements with brio and a fine gift for making sense of the complexities of battle... a fine example of serious and literate popular history... It ranks with Anthony S. Pitch's fine "The Burning of Washington" (2000) as among the best accounts of a war that hardly deserves to be forgotten." -- Washington Post "Snow's narrative is authoritative and absorbing, his profiles sure and compelling, his judgments considered and fair, and his documentation most impressive. Wonderful for 19th-century political, military, and diplomatic history; specialists in Anglo-American relations; general readers; and all libraries." -- Library Journal, Starred Review "Never before has this story been told more fully or more engagingly, with greater empathy for both sides, or with greater balance...Snow dug deeply into records and reminiscences and, especially for the British side, brought the combatants, simple and august, alive. The pace is brisk, the characterizations sure, the judgments done with a light touch." -- Publishers Weekly "With ample quotes from English letters and diaries, Snow ably brings out the humanity of his subjects." -- Kirkus Reviews "A well-done chronicle of an episode of the war that helped to shape the 'special relationship' between the U.S. and Britain." -- Booklist "Snow says 'the clarity, humanity and wit of British and American men and women who were there bring the story alive as if it had happened today.' He can take credit for bringing those attributes to the page." -- Marine Corps Times "Peter Snow's account of this extraordinary event in British-American relations reads like a military thriller, each chapter raising the tension with a mass of detail and a kaleidoscope of characters who transform this book from what could have been a dry, chronological account into a riveting romp. . . . Snow adds an extra ingredient--a boyish enthusiasm for his subject . . . a meticulous and fascinating account." -- The Times (UK) "Snow builds his account on the voices of those who fought and witnessed the campaign, from nervous U.S. militiamen to Ross, Cockburn, and Dolley Madison, the president's resourceful wife. Written with verve and insight, this is a fitting reminder of a remarkable interlude in a war that deserves to be better known." -- BBC History Magazine "The result is superb. When Britain Burned the White House is an exemplary work of history--lucid, witty, and humane, with terrific pace, and so evenhanded that it will surely be received as well in America as here." -- The Spectator (UK), "[An] excellent account…Snow, an experienced British journalist, has told the story of those engagements with brio and a fine gift for making sense of the complexities of battle… a fine example of serious and literate popular history… It ranks with Anthony S. Pitch's fine "The Burning of Washington" (2000) as among the best accounts of a war that hardly deserves to be forgotten."- Washington Post "Snow's narrative is authoritative and absorbing, his profiles sure and compelling, his judgments considered and fair, and his documentation most impressive. Wonderful for 19th-century political, military, and diplomatic history; specialists in Anglo-American relations; general readers; and all libraries." - Library Journal, Starred Review "Never before has this story been told more fully or more engagingly, with greater empathy for both sides, or with greater balance…Snow dug deeply into records and reminiscences and, especially for the British side, brought the combatants, simple and august, alive. The pace is brisk, the characterizations sure, the judgments done with a light touch. The book distinguishes itself by rounding off the story of Washington with the subsequent Baltimore attack-both part of the larger British Chesapeake campaign. For the story of that campaign, this is now the narrative to read."- Publishers Weekly "With ample quotes from English letters and diaries, Snow ably brings out the humanity of his subjects."- Kirkus Reviews "A well-done chronicle of an episode of the war that helped to shape the 'special relationship' between the U.S. and Britain."- Booklist "Peter Snow's account of this extraordinary event in British-American relations reads like a military thriller, each chapter raising the tension with a mass of detail and a kaleidoscope of characters who transform this book from what could have been a dry, chronological account into a riveting romp. . . . Snow adds an extra ingredient-a boyish enthusiasm for his subject . . . a meticulous and fascinating account." - The Times (UK) "Snow builds his account on the voices of those who fought and witnessed the campaign, from nervous U.S. militiamen to Ross, Cockburn, and Dolley Madison, the president's resourceful wife. Written with verve and insight, this is a fitting reminder of a remarkable interlude in a war that deserves to be better known." - BBC History Magazine "The result is superb. When Britain Burned the White House is an exemplary work of history-lucid, witty, and humane, with terrific pace, and so evenhanded that it will surely be received as well in America as here." - The Spectator (UK), "[An] excellent account…Snow, an experienced British journalist, has told the story of those engagements with brio and a fine gift for making sense of the complexities of battle… a fine example of serious and literate popular history… It ranks with Anthony S. Pitch's fine "The Burning of Washington" (2000) as among the best accounts of a war that hardly deserves to be forgotten."- Washington Post "Snow's narrative is authoritative and absorbing, his profiles sure and compelling, his judgments considered and fair, and his documentation most impressive. Wonderful for 19th-century political, military, and diplomatic history; specialists in Anglo-American relations; general readers; and all libraries." - Library Journal, Starred Review "Never before has this story been told more fully or more engagingly, with greater empathy for both sides, or with greater balance…Snow dug deeply into records and reminiscences and, especially for the British side, brought the combatants, simple and august, alive. The pace is brisk, the characterizations sure, the judgments done with a light touch. The book distinguishes itself by rounding off the story of Washington with the subsequent Baltimore attack-both part of the larger British Chesapeake campaign. For the story of that campaign, this is now the narrative to read."- Publishers Weekly "With ample quotes from English letters and diaries, Snow ably brings out the humanity of his subjects."- Kirkus Reviews "A well-done chronicle of an episode of the war that helped to shape the 'special relationship' between the U.S. and Britain."- Booklist "Snow says 'the clarity, humanity and wit of British and American men and women who were there bring the story alive as if it had happened today.' He can take credit for bringing those attributes to the page."- Marine Corps Times "Peter Snow's account of this extraordinary event in British-American relations reads like a military thriller, each chapter raising the tension with a mass of detail and a kaleidoscope of characters who transform this book from what could have been a dry, chronological account into a riveting romp. . . . Snow adds an extra ingredient-a boyish enthusiasm for his subject . . . a meticulous and fascinating account." - The Times (UK) "Snow builds his account on the voices of those who fought and witnessed the campaign, from nervous U.S. militiamen to Ross, Cockburn, and Dolley Madison, the president's resourceful wife. Written with verve and insight, this is a fitting reminder of a remarkable interlude in a war that deserves to be better known." - BBC History Magazine "The result is superb. When Britain Burned the White House is an exemplary work of history-lucid, witty, and humane, with terrific pace, and so evenhanded that it will surely be received as well in America as here." - The Spectator (UK), With ample quotes from English letters and diaries, Snow ably brings out the humanity of his subjects., "Never before has this story been told more fully or more engagingly, with greater empathy for both sides, or with greater balance…Snow dug deeply into records and reminiscences and, especially for the British side, brought the combatants, simple and august, alive. The pace is brisk, the characterizations sure, the judgments done with a light touch. The book distinguishes itself by rounding off the story of Washington with the subsequent Baltimore attack-both part of the larger British Chesapeake campaign. For the story of that campaign, this is now the narrative to read."- Publishers Weekly "Peter Snow's account of this extraordinary event in British-American relations reads like a military thriller, each chapter raising the tension with a mass of detail and a kaleidoscope of characters who transform this book from what could have been a dry, chronological account into a riveting romp. . . . Snow adds an extra ingredient-a boyish enthusiasm for his subject . . . a meticulous and fascinating account." - The Times (UK) "Snow builds his account on the voices of those who fought and witnessed the campaign, from nervous U.S. militiamen to Ross, Cockburn, and Dolley Madison, the president's resourceful wife. Written with verve and insight, this is a fitting reminder of a remarkable interlude in a war that deserves to be better known." - BBC History Magazine "The result is superb. When Britain Burned the White House is an exemplary work of history-lucid, witty, and humane, with terrific pace, and so evenhanded that it will surely be received as well in America as here." - The Spectator (UK), [An] excellent account...Snow, an experienced British journalist, has told the story of those engagements with brio and a fine gift for making sense of the complexities of battle... a fine example of serious and literate popular history... It ranks with Anthony S. Pitch's fine "The Burning of Washington" (2000) as among the best accounts of a war that hardly deserves to be forgotten.
Dewey Decimal
975.3/02
Table Of Content
1. Eager souls panting for fame (17 August) 2. The great little Madison (17 August) 3. Into the Patuxent (18-19 August) 4. A black floating mass of smoke (20-22 August) 5. Not till I see Mr Madison safe (23 August) 6. Be it so, we will proceed (24 August, morning) 7. Bladensburg: a fi ne scamper (24 August, afternoon) 8. Barney's last stand (24 August, afternoon) 9. Save that painting! (24 August, evening) 10. The barbarous purpose (24 August, evening) 11. The dreadful majesty of the flames (24 August, night) 12. Damn you! You shan't stay in my house (25 August) 13. Into the Potomac (26-27 August) 14. A tempest of dissatisfaction (28-29 August) 15. Do not attack Baltimore! (End of August) 16. Is my wife alive and well? (End of August) 17. The star-shaped fort and its banner (1-11 September) 18. Many heads will be broken tonight (12 September) 19. The Battle of North Point (12 September) 20. The rockets' red glare (13 September) 21. You go on at your peril (13 September) 22. Unparalleled in history (Aftermath)
Synopsis
In August 1814, the United States army was defeated just outside Washington, D.C., by the world's greatest military power. President James Madison and his wife had just enough time to flee the White House before the British invaders entered. British troops stopped to feast on the meal still sitting on the Madisons' dining-room table before setting the White House on fire. The extent of the destruction was massive; finished in wood rather than marble, everything inside the mansion was combustible. Only the outer stone walls would withstand the fire. The tide of the War of 1812 would quickly turn, however. Less than a month later, American troops would stand victorious at the Battle of Fort McHenry. Poet Francis Scott Key, struck by the sight of the American flag waving over Fort McHenry, jotted down the beginnings of a poem that would be set to music and become the U.S. national anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner." In his compelling narrative style, Peter Snow recounts the fast-changing fortunes of that summer's extraordinary confrontations. Drawing from a wealth of material, including eyewitness accounts, Snow describes the colorful personalities on both sides of those spectacular events: including the beleaguered President James Madison and First Lady Dolley, American heroes such as Joshua Barney and Sam Smith, and flawed military leaders like Army Chief William Winder and War Secretary John Armstrong. On the British side, Snow re-creates the fiery Admiral George Cockburn, the cautious but immensely popular Major General Robert Ross, and sharp-eyed diarists James Scott and George Gleig. When Britain Burned the White House highlights this unparalleled moment in British and American history, the courageous, successful defense of Fort McHenry and the American triumph that would follow, and America's and Britain's decision to never again fight each other., This stirring military narrative takes readers from the burning of the nation's capital to the anthem-inspiring Battle of Fort McHenry. In August 1814, the United States army was defeated just outside Washington, D.C., by the world's greatest military power. President James Madison and his wife had just enough time to flee the White House before the British invaders entered. British troops stopped to feast on the meal still sitting on the Madisons' dining-room table before setting the White House on fire. The extent of the destruction was massive; finished in wood rather than marble, everything inside the mansion was combustible. Only the outer stone walls would withstand the fire. The tide of the War of 1812 would quickly turn, however. Less than a month later, American troops would stand victorious at the Battle of Fort McHenry. Poet Francis Scott Key, struck by the sight of the American flag waving over Fort McHenry, jotted down the beginnings of a poem that would be set to music and become the U.S. national anthem, "The Star Spangled Banner." In his compelling narrative style, Peter Snow recounts the fast-changing fortunes of that summer's extraordinary confrontations. Drawing from a wealth of material, including eyewitness accounts, Snow describes the colorful personalities on both sides of those spectacular events: including the beleaguered President James Madison and First Lady Dolley, American heroes such as Joshua Barney and Sam Smith, and flawed military leaders like Army Chief William Winder and War Secretary John Armstrong. On the British side, Snow re-creates the fiery Admiral George Cockburn, the cautious but immensely popular Major General Robert Ross, and sharp-eyed diarists James Scott and George Gleig. When Britain Burned the White House highlights this unparalleled moment in British and American history, the courageous, successful defense of Fort McHenry and the American triumph that would follow, and America's and Britain's decision to never again fight each other.
LC Classification Number
E356.W3S66 2014
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- y***y (408)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseGreat quality book. Condition as described. Great value. Great eBayer!
- t***m (1374)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseGreat product as described. A+++ ebayer.
- k***4 (447)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseBook looks brand new! Fast shipping and great packaging! Would buy from again.Little Heathens: Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the... (#196919973005)
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Seller feedback (1,750)
- y***y (408)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseGreat quality book. Condition as described. Great value. Great eBayer!
- t***m (1374)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseGreat product as described. A+++ ebayer.
- k***4 (447)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseBook looks brand new! Fast shipping and great packaging! Would buy from again.Little Heathens: Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the... (#196919973005)