This book is must reading for anyone interested in Civil War history or who lives in the areas between Monocacy Junction and Washington, D. C. where this action occurred. The book provides a detailed synopsis of the action and is loaded with details of the local history, much of which remains intact for anyone interested in retracing the course of Early's raid.

Mr. Judge does history a great justice by writing the history of the Invasion of Washington from its inception. He covers the early phase from a confederate defeat at Cloyds Mountain in Pulaski County just south of Blacksburg (VA. Tech), takes you to Lynchburg and Early's arrival and the subsequent journey to Washington D.C. Gives the reader the complete field of study of the campaign. Wonderful description of future Baltimore Police Chief Harry Gilmore who was a colorful confederate calavary leader as well as a vivid description of the hidden valley of the Shennodoah, Fort Valley.

good chronological account of Early's 1864 campaign many interesting side notes to a little studied Confederate actio

Many works about Jubal Early's 1864 Valley Campaign have been produced, but none come close to this one. Frank Vandiver's JUBAL'S RAID stands out as, by far, the most lively and insightful of all the 1864 Valley histories, keeping the reader riveted throughout. This is a superb book that should be on every Civil War library shelf.

Joseph Thomas Heath describes in detail the areas in and around Lakewood/Steilacoom in Washington State and the good and bad as a poineering farmer/rancher in the South Sound. Through the eyes of a devout Englishman you will see the Steilacoom Indians, thier friends, and thier foes,the hassles and benefits of living near Fort Nisqually,and the heartbreaking approach and eventual possesion of the Americans from Oregon. This was a Lakewood/Steilacoom full of Prarie lands,woodlands,undeveloped lakeshores,creekbanks,and bubbling artisian wells.A place where wolves roamed and Eagles were "as thick as crows".

Now in an updated and expanded second edition, Jane Ockershausen's One-Day Trips Through History is an impressive and "user friendly" compendium of more than two hundred museums, battlefields, plantations, colonial churches, monuments, historic homes, forts, and parks -- all within 150 miles of Washington, D.C. Perfect for weekend side trips and one-day "getaway" vacations, One-Day Trips Through History is ideal for planning chronological, geographical, or seasonal excursions to pivotal and notable places of interest with respect to American history ranging from the arrival of the first European colonists at Jamestown, Virginia, to the bloody battlefields of the Civil War, to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Enhanced with "user friendly" information on the recreational aspects of these various and diverse day-tripper options, One-Day Trips Through History is an informed and informative travel guide.

A must read for every history buff. This book is so interesting, I could hardly put it down. During the first part of the book I had to keep reminding myself that they DID win the war, because the first part chronicles their losses. The second part gets so exciting it's breathtaking, they have all these victories. I highly recommend this!

Anthony Pitch has written a memorable account of a seminal event in American history. His portrayal of the British burning of our nation's capitol is an exciting, fast-paced description of events which catch and hold the reader's attention from the first to last page. Pitch's suspenseful story captures the essence of what is best in historical nonfiction - the ability to depict events in an accurate and yet dramatic style, painting word pictures in a crisp, authoritative fashion which entrances the reader. This book is a must for the library of every history buff, and for that matter, for every civic-minded citizen. There is no doubt in my mind that it will be made into an intriguing motion picture.

This fast-paced, incredibly well-researched book changed my view of American history. I never appreciated that the War of 1812 was, in fact, our second war of independence, one which we came close to losing. I never knew that the terrified U.S. government, in fleeing Washington, allowed the British Army to literally amble into town virtually unopposed and burn most of the government buildings (yet treat the populace with unimagined civility!). I never knew much about the inspiration and writing of the Star Spangled Banner and the importance of the Battle of Baltimore. And I was fascinated to learn that the Battle of New Orleans, in addition to being one of the worst defeats ever suffered by the mighty British Army (mostly at the hands of Andrew Jackson and a bunch of Kentucky and Tennessee hillbillys, no less), was a battle that never should have been fought. I have generally found history books to be ponderous reading, written more for the benefit of academic historians than for popular consumption -- often only giving me added details about things I already knew about. This book is different. It's crisp, fast-moving and very authoritative. Anthony Pitch has written a focused and important book about a pivotal period of American History about which most Americans, I suspect, know little. And after you read it, when you sing "The Star Spangled Banner", you'll appreciate with greater depth, possibly for the first time, what you're singing about. I loved the book!

Anthony S. Pitch is a first class story teller. From the humiliating defeat of the panic-stricken American troops at Bladensburg, Maryland (north of Washington, D.C.) to their magnificent victory over the British army at New Orleans (under the command of the immortal Andrew Jackson), it's all here. I found it difficult to put this riveting book down. As a native of Baltimore, I particularly enjoyed the author's fact filled account of the important battle at Fort McHenry and the birth of our National Anthem. The heroics of American Generals George Armistead, Samuel Smith, and John Stricker are faithfully retold, along with rich details about many other gallant defenders of the then-young Baltimore City. I grew up during WWII on Locust Point, in south Baltimore, where the Fort still stands as a sentinel, jutting out into the Patapsco River. Pitch's research of the combatants' competing military strategies in that seminal battle is very illuminating, indicative of the author's background as a journalist. The death of British General Robert Ross, just before the start of the decisive land battle at North Point (just east of Fort McHenry) at the hand of two sharp shooting patriotic riflemen, Henry McComas and Daniel Wells, deserves a chapter all to itself. Pitch also describes marvelous anecdotes about the torching of the city of Washington by the British that should be read by every American that cares about his country's history. I never fully realized just how close our nation came to again becoming a province of the British Empire. Pitch relates it was a lot closer then most of us ever imagined. I can't wait for this well-documented book to become a movie. It would make a great sequel to Mel Gibson's splendid film, "The Patriot."