Clearing the fog from the War of 1812
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.
"Donald R. Hickey's unique study Don't Give Up the Ship!: Myths of
the War of 1812 addresses the myths, half truths, and realities of
the forgotten last Anglo-American conflict. . . . The book provides
a starting point for those seeking further information regarding
the conflict and it should take its rightful place on the
bookshelves of all War of 1812 buffs and scholars."--Journal of the
Early Republic
"Don't Give Up the Ship! belongs on the shelf of everyone deeply
interested in, or who writes about, the War of 1812."--Naval
History
"Don't Give Up the Ship: Myths of the War of 1812 is a detailed,
exceedingly well documented examination of the War of 1812 and the
major events surrounding the war."--Journal of Southern History
"Hickey's book deserves a wide popular readership. It also succeeds
in broadening the scope of what academic historians should be
looking at in the War of 1812."--Journal of Military History
"War making and mythmaking go hand in hand in Hickey's analysis of
the misconceptions, embellishments and falsehoods that continue to
shape Americans' views of the War of 1812. In describing the
complicated origins, conduct and outcome of the conflict, Wayne
State College history professor Hickey shows how myth has helped
construct a history that we can understand and accept. Three
19th-century writers in particular-British naval historian William
James, American popularizer Benson Lossing and man of letters Henry
Adams-promoted already familiar stories of the war. While Hickey
investigates, analyzes and critiques a spectrum of legends about
the war's roots, its campaigns and armed forces, and its military
and political leadership, he's no mere debunker. Stories like Col.
Henry Johnson's killing of Tecumseh in hand-to-hand combat survive
his scrutiny. And Capt. James Lawrence did say, "Don't give up the
ship"-though those were not his last words. But Jean Lafitte's role
in the Battle of New Orleans is diminished to the advantage of his
brother Pierre. And blacks played a long-neglected role on both
sides. These are only a few of the revelations awaiting readers of
this richly textured model of historical revisionism, which
confirms Hickey's status as a leading scholar of the early national
period. 10 photos.(Aug.)" - Publishers Weekly, June 12, 2006.
"Well written. . . . Hickey's treatise is an important contribution
to the historiography of the second US conflict with Great Britain.
. . . Highly recommended."--Choice
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