. This book also includes detailed information on the nine other nearby forts that defended the mouth of the Patapsco River during the 19th Century. It is illustrated with photographs, maps, line drawings, and color portraits.

After America gained its freedom in 1776, the British were determined not to allow the new nation to trade with its enemy, France. Discover the unique role Fort McHenry played during the War of 1812.

A riveting account of America’s second war with England, from the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Miracle of Dunkirk. At the dawn of the nineteenth century, the great powers of Western Europe treated the United States like a disobedient child. Great Britain blocked American trade, seized its vessels, and impressed its sailors to serve in the Royal Navy. America’s complaints were ignored, and the humiliation continued until James Madison, the country’s fourth president, declared a second war on Great Britain. British forces would descend on the young United States, shattering its armies and burning its capital, but America rallied, and survived the conflict with its sovereignty intact. With stunning detail on land and naval battles, the role Native Americans played in the hostilities, and the larger backdrop of the Napoleonic Wars, this is the story of the turning points of this strange conflict, which inspired Francis Scott Key to write “The Star-Spangled Banner” and led to the Era of Good Feelings that all but erased partisan politics in America for almost a decade. It was in 1812 that America found its identity and first assumed its place on the world stage. By the author of A Night to Remember, the classic account of the sinking of the Titanic—which was not only made into a 1958 movie but also led director James Cameron to use Lord as a consultant on his epic 1997 film—as well as acclaimed volumes on Pearl Harbor (Day of Infamy) and the Battle of Midway (Incredible Victory), this is a fascinating look at an oft-forgotten chapter in American history.

Few residents or visitors to the Baltimore metropolitan area understand the strange concrete structures they routinely pass when crossing the Francis Scott Key Bridge or glimpse while fishing or boating in the Patapsco River, but the treasured heritage associated with these noble structures is a part of our collective past. Fort McHenry and Baltimore's later harbor defenses played significant roles in our nation's evolving military history and in the greater American drama. Many books have celebrated the defense of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812 and the birthplace of our national anthem, but no other provides the wealth of imagery contained within these pages. The fort's military history from its construction through the British bombardment, the Civil War, and two World Wars, as well as its unique status as the only fort to be designated a National Monument and Historic Shrine, are explored through the valuable visual record that remains. Following the Civil War, when advances in technology had rendered brick forts such as Fort McHenry obsolete, the United States Army constructed three forts- Armistead, Smallwood, and Howard-and renovated a fourth-Carroll-to protect Baltimore's harbor. The architecture, weapons, daily life of soldiers, and changing military uses of Fort McHenry and these "modern" forts, some of which now serve as waterfront parks, are the focus of this illustrated retrospective.

A collection of 8 patriotic photos -- most of them include pre-school age children and the flag -- accompany the text of the Star Spangle Banner.

Discusses the events leading up to the Battle of Fort McHenry and Francis Scott Key's writing of the Star-Spangled Banner, and later how it became our national anthem. Written in graphic-novel format.