Download or read book Through the Perilous Fight written by Steve Vogel and published by Random House. This book was released on 2013-05-07 with total page 561 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In a rousing account of one of the critical turning points in American history, Through the Perilous Fight tells the gripping story of the burning of Washington and the improbable last stand at Baltimore that helped save the nation and inspired its National Anthem. In the summer of 1814, the United States of America teetered on the brink of disaster. The war it had declared against Great Britain two years earlier appeared headed toward inglorious American defeat. The young nation’s most implacable nemesis, the ruthless British Admiral George Cockburn, launched an invasion of Washington in a daring attempt to decapitate the government and crush the American spirit. The British succeeded spectacularly, burning down most of the city’s landmarks—including the White House and the Capitol—and driving President James Madison from the area. As looters ransacked federal buildings and panic gripped the citizens of Washington, beleaguered American forces were forced to regroup for a last-ditch defense of Baltimore. The outcome of that “perilous fight” would help change the outcome of the war—and with it, the fate of the fledgling American republic. In a fast-paced, character-driven narrative, Steve Vogel tells the story of this titanic struggle from the perspective of both sides. Like an epic novel, Through the Perilous Fight abounds with heroes, villains, and astounding feats of derring-do. The vindictive Cockburn emerges from these pages as a pioneer in the art of total warfare, ordering his men to “knock down, burn, and destroy” everything in their path. While President Madison dithers on how to protect the capital, Secretary of State James Monroe personally organizes the American defenses, with disastrous results. Meanwhile, a prominent Washington lawyer named Francis Scott Key embarks on a mission of mercy to negotiate the release of an American prisoner. His journey will place him with the British fleet during the climactic Battle for Baltimore, and culminate in the creation of one of the most enduring compositions in the annals of patriotic song: “The Star-Spangled Banner.” Like Pearl Harbor or 9/11, the burning of Washington was a devastating national tragedy that ultimately united America and renewed its sense of purpose. Through the Perilous Fight combines bravura storytelling with brilliantly rendered character sketches to recreate the thrilling six-week period when Americans rallied from the ashes to overcome their oldest adversary—and win themselves a new birth of freedom. Praise for Through the Perilous Fight “Very fine storytelling, impeccably researched . . . brings to life the fraught events of 1814 with compelling and convincing vigor.”—Rick Atkinson, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of An Army at Dawn “Probably the best piece of military history that I have read or reviewed in the past five years. . . . This well-researched and superbly written history has all the trappings of a good novel. . . . No one who hears the national anthem at a ballgame will ever think of it the same way after reading this book.”—Gary Anderson, The Washington Times “[Steve] Vogel does a superb job. . . . [A] fast-paced narrative with lively vignettes.”—Joyce Appleby, The Washington Post “Before 9/11 was 1814, the year the enemy burned the nation’s capital. . . . A splendid account of the uncertainty, the peril, and the valor of those days.”—Richard Brookhiser, author of James Madison “A swift, vibrant account of the accidents, intricacies and insanities of war.”—Kirkus Reviews

Download or read book Wood written by Harvey Green and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2007-11-27 with total page 500 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A rich, authoritative look at a material that plays an essential role in human culture Wood has been a central part of human life throughout the world for thousands of years. In an intoxicating mix of science, history, and practical information, historian and woodworker Harvey Green considers this vital material's place on the planet. What makes one wood hard and one soft? How did we find it, tame it? Where does it fit into the histories of technology, architecture, and industrialization, of empire, exploration, and settlement? Spanning the surprising histories of the log cabin and Windsor chair, the deep truth about veneer, the role of wood in the American Revolution, the disappearance of the rain forests, the botany behind the baseball bat, and much more, Wood is a deep and satisfying look at one of our most treasured resources.

Download or read book The Bookmart written by and published by . This book was released on 1887 with total page 190 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society Held at Philadelphia for Promoting Useful Knowledge written by American Philosophical Society and published by . This book was released on 1859 with total page 420 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book A Dictionary of Books Relating to America written by Joseph Sabin and published by . This book was released on 1885 with total page 600 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Newspapers and Periodicals in Ohio State Library Other Libraries of the State and Lists of Ohio Newspapers in the Library of Congress and Historical Society of Wisconsin written by Ohio State Library and published by . This book was released on 1902 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Sketches of Ohio Libraries written by Ohio. Library Commission and published by . This book was released on 1902 with total page 718 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Newspapers and Periodicals in Ohio State Library written by Ohio State Library and published by . This book was released on 1902 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society written by and published by . This book was released on 1854 with total page 780 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book American Farmers Magazine written by and published by . This book was released on 1851 with total page 78 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Catalogue written by Bigelow Library Association, Clinton, Mass and published by . This book was released on 1861 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Bibliotheca Americana written by Joseph Sabin and published by . This book was released on 1885 with total page 596 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Proceedings American Philosophical Society vol 7 1858 1861 written by and published by American Philosophical Society. This book was released on with total page 832 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Annual Report of the Trustees of the State Library written by New York State Library and published by . This book was released on 1851 with total page 686 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Annual report written by New York State Library (Albany, NY) and published by . This book was released on 1852 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Documents of the Senate of the State of New York written by New York (State). Legislature. Senate and published by . This book was released on 1852 with total page 760 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Annual Report of the trustees of the State Library of the State of New York Made to the Legislature on the loth of February 1851 written by [Anonymus AC10243117] and published by . This book was released on 1851 with total page 232 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: