The hatred didn't exist at the beginning of the war. But soon after the Battle of Queenston Heights and the death of General Brock, the War of 1812 became more a case of "survival of the fittest." Besides the brutal fighting; perhaps the most notable aspect of the War of 1812 was the hatred. If not, then why would the dead remain restless? It was a barbaric war; in an inhospitable climate; with an abundant number of ghost creating opportunities. There were nasty endings from bayonets, swords, musket balls and cannon balls; plus, two huge explosions at Fort York and Fort Erie which resulted in missing bones and unmarked graves. If you add savagery and death by tomahawk to the following; then death from drowning, freezing, disease, burning and sickness would include a greater numbers of victims than the major battles. If you thought that being wounded was a better fate, then think again. Instead of a proper pain killer, the wounded were given rum and a musket ball to clamp between their teeth while they braved the most hideous fate possible for wounded soldiers: the barbaric battlefield medical practice of amputation. If a soldier's last memory on earth was "being wounded" before he died, then that agony might also survive the grave. Because both America and Britain were not prepared to wage a war with each, there was a shortage of regular soldiers to command in 1812. Therefore, the North American armies were also comprised of militia, Native American Indians and part-time soldiers. Moreover, what started as a political row in the seats of power became more of a personal matter at the local level. In addition to the mounting anger, there was pressure on both sides to increase the number of regular troops in the field as the war continued. The increase in regular troops contributed to a more bitter and violent war, with the final result being several large scale battles and a siege. Why did the dead remain restless you might ask? Why indeed.

Though primarily fought in the field, the American Revolution saw fortifications play an important part in some of the key campaigns of the war. Field fortifications were developed around major towns including Boston, New York and Savannah, while the frontier forts at Stanwix, Niagara and Cumberland were to all be touched by the war. This book details all the types of fortification used throughout the conflict, the engineers on all sides who constructed and maintained them, and the actions fought around and over them.

The bitter fight for Fort Vaux is one of the most famous episodes in the Battle of Verdun—it has achieved almost legendary status in French military history. The heroic resistance put up by the forts commander, Major Raynal, and his small, isolated garrison in the face of repeated German assaults was remarkable at the time, and it is still seen as an outstanding example of gallantry and determination. But what really happened inside the besieged fort during the German attacks, and how can visitors to the Verdun battlefield get an insight into the extraordinary events that took place there almost a century ago? In this precise, accessible account, Christina Holstein, one of the leading authorities on the Verdun battlefield and its monuments, reconstructs the fight for the fort in graphic day-by-day detail. Readers get a vivid sense of the sequence of events, of the intense experience of the defenders and a wider understanding of the importance of Fort Vaux in the context of the German 1916 offensive.

On the afternoon of April 9, 1865, some sixteen thousand Union troops launched a bold, coordinated assault on the three-mile-long line of earthworks known as Fort Blakeley. The charge was one of the grand spectacles of the Civil War, the climax of a weeks-long campaign that resulted in the capture of Mobile--the last major Southern city to remain in Confederate hands. Historian Mike Bunn takes readers into the chaos of those desperate moments along the waters of the storied Mobile-Tensaw Delta. With a crisp narrative that also serves as a guided tour of Alabama's largest Civil War battlefield, the book pioneers a telling of Blakeley's story through detailed accounts from those who participated in the harrowing siege and assault.

From the French and Indian War to the Civil War, Pennsylvania was often the setting for bloody battles and other important military events. This book is a travel guide to these sites and more, outlining what happened at each location, providing visitor information, such as hours, admission fees, directions, and special events.

The number and variety of forts and posts, together with changes of location, name, and designation, have posed perplexing problems for students of western history. Now Robert W. Frazer has prepared a systematic listing of all presidios and military forts, which were ever, at any time and in any sense, so designated. The lists of posts are arranged alphabetically within the boundaries of present states. Pertinent information is included for each fort: date of establishment, location, and reason for establishment; name, rank, and military unit of the person establishing the post; origin of the post name and changes in name and location; present status or date of abandonment; and disposition of any existing military reservation. A map for each state shows the location of the posts discussed. A prime reference for historians, Forts of the West will prove useful to readers of western history as well.