Reading about the War of 1812

With the bicentennial celebrations months away, people may be wondering what they should know about the War of 1812.

Most of us learnt about the War of 1812 back in Grade 7 history lessons, and we probably only recall the names of Laura Secord, Isaac Brock and Tecumseh. We may have little understanding of the contributions of thousands of people who fought for King and Canada on the battlefields of this continental war.

At the Goulbourn Museum, we tell about the 100th Prince Regent's County of Dublin Regiment of Foot, which served with distinction in the War of 1812. And in 1818, the Irish lads came to Richmond to settle the town and surrounding farms, becoming our pioneer settlers.

My former Ottawa Citizen colleague, Kate Heartfield, asked friends to submit a favourite book about the War of 1812. Mine is Dianne Graves' book, In the Midst of Alarms: The untold story of women and the War of 1812 (see book cover above).

If you want to broaden your knowledge of the War of 1812, read Kate Heartfield's blog here where she lists numerous books -- most are available through the Ottawa Public Library.