Field of Glory: The Battle of Crysler's Farm, 1813
In the autumn of 1813, the United States staged the largest military operation of the War of 1812. Two American armies, one marching north from Lake Champlain through swamp and forest, the other sailing down the St. Lawrence River in a flotilla of three hundred small boats, invaded Canada -- their objective, the city of Montreal.
Field of Glory is the story of this offensive and of the two battles -- Chateauguay and Crysler's Farm -- that decided its outcome. An epic of long marches and hard fighting, of courage and cowardice, Field of Glory is a fascinating panorama of one of the most dramatic periods in North American history.
ISBN: 1-896941-10-9
Details: Hardcover and quality softcover; 6" x 9"; 425 pages; about 80 illustrations and maps; notes; bibliography; index; and appendices with detailed orders of battle, weapon characteristics, the fate of the battlefield and a list of medal recipients. Also contains a foreword by Colonel John Elting of the United States Army.
“Donald Graves has for the first time told the complete story of this disastrous campaign and told it well.” From the foreword by John R. Elting
“Canada would almost certainly not exist now had the day turned out otherwise.”Maclean’s
Field of Glory is the story of this offensive and of the two battles -- Chateauguay and Crysler's Farm -- that decided its outcome. An epic of long marches and hard fighting, of courage and cowardice, Field of Glory is a fascinating panorama of one of the most dramatic periods in North American history.
ISBN: 1-896941-10-9
Details: Hardcover and quality softcover; 6" x 9"; 425 pages; about 80 illustrations and maps; notes; bibliography; index; and appendices with detailed orders of battle, weapon characteristics, the fate of the battlefield and a list of medal recipients. Also contains a foreword by Colonel John Elting of the United States Army.
“Donald Graves has for the first time told the complete story of this disastrous campaign and told it well.” From the foreword by John R. Elting
“Canada would almost certainly not exist now had the day turned out otherwise.”Maclean’s
Sample Pages
Reviews
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"The author or editor of numerous books, articles, reports, and documents, Graves has done more to illuminate the military history of the War of 1812 than anyone else, and just about anything with his name on it can be read with profit. ..... This is a first-class study that presents ample background material; excellent sketches of the leading personalities in the campaign and their fate afterwards; useful information on tactics and weapons as well as geography and terrain; illuminating maps and illustrations; informative tables showing British and American military organization; and unusual information on contemporary slang, popular songs, and military medicine, subjects that are usually ignored in battlefield studies. Above all, this work presents a clear and compelling account of how the two battles in the campaign unfolded and thus shows Graves at his best. "
Donald Hickey, "The Top 25 Books of the War of 1812," War of 1812 Magazine, Issue 7, September 2007
"Graves's blow by blow account of the battle is aided by a series of clear maps which show the topography of the area of Crysler's Farm ...... sumptuously illustrated with period illustrations and modern impressions of the soldiers. Photographs of the battleground also help give the reader the impression of the area where the battle was fought. The book is rounded out with ample and interesting footnotes and complete rundowns of the weapons and personnel involved in the battle. In all, the book is a very welcome addition to any War of 1812 library."
Christopher T. George, Journal of the War of 1812,
January 2002 "Donald Graves is "the preeminent military historian of the war" of 1812. "Graves's account of this campaign is superb. He presents a fine description of the leaders, men, and weapons, and a clear account of the battles and their aftermath. ... This work fills a significant gap in 1812 studies, and it is a pleasure to read."
Donald Hickey, Journal of Military History, February 2001
"Graves has a marvelous ability to marshal many facts without interrupting the flow of his narrative. For history buffs, everything he writes is well worth reading."
Chris Raible, Beaver, August/September 2000
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"Donald E. Graves may be the most competent of the modern Canadian military historians. His preference, as shown in his earlier works, has been to bore into a single battle and relate it in great detail. Having completed a study of the battle of Lundy's Lane, Graves now turns to a more obscure battle at Crysler's Farm in November 1813. Because it is obscure, Graves spends a lot of time setting the stage for the battle until the battle (he does not get to the actual battle until the second half of the book). Graves ... pays great attention to details, both in his narrative and in appendices, relating to organization, ammunition and weapons, order[s] of battle, and strength of each side. While the average reader might find some of the details tedious, military buffs will be delighted. ...... [Graves's work is ] an excellent account in the finest traditions of military history. [It is] replete with maps and illustrations. {The] coverage is comprehensive but perhaps on some occasions excessively detailed. ...... This is, however, only a minor complaint. Scholars particularly will welcome [Field of Glory] as will readers who have a strong interest in military history. "
C. Edward Skeen, Journal of American History, March, 2002
"Based on extensive research ... this work should remain the definitive account of the Battle of Crysler's Farm, it can be enjoyed by general readers as well as scholars."
Wesley Turner, Canadian Book Review Annual, June 2001
"In the hands of a lesser historian, such an utter defeat might prompt a certain amount of chauvinistic gloating, but Donald Graves, who owns the War of 1812, knows facts loom larger than any posturing and simply tells the story. But what a story it is! ...... Two decades of 1812 research have given Graves astoninishing command of his material and he brings that erudition to Field of Glory. It's a remarkably dense carpet he weaves. Each page brimming with detail and considered insight. ...... The battle sequences are crisp and logically presented without impeding the dramatic flow of the conflict, leaving readers with the real sense they've been afforded an almost cinematic view of events. ...... Graves "is an historian at the peak of his powers and there are certainly no shortage of battle that could do with his intellectual searchlight."
James Elliott, Hamilton Spectator, 26 February 2000
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