From the Battle of Chippawa to Lundy’s Lane, A Crucible of Fire focuses on the period of the War of 1812 leading up to the siege on Fort Erie in September 1814.
Following their invasion at Fort Erie and decisive victory at the Battle of Chippawa, an American army of over 5,000 men seemed poised to sweep across the Niagara frontier to Lake Ontario, link up with the American fleet, and complete the final expulsion of the British allied forces from Upper Canada. However, only a month later, the shattered remnants of this force were firmly on the defensive and feverishly digging in as the British advanced to begin the siege of Fort Erie.
The fifth book in the Upper Canada Preserved series examines this pivotal period in the course of the War of 1812–1815 with particular emphasis on the events that led up to and took place at the Battle of Lundy’s Lane on July 25, 1814.
Excerpts from original accounts, letters, and diaries and a series of new highly-detailed maps place readers on the field where they can follow the action as each phase of this decisive combat took place in the darkness of the night and within earshot of the Great Falls of Niagara.

Richard Feltoe was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and holds a degree in economics from the University of London. He is the curator and corporate archivist for the Redpath Sugar Museum and is active as a living history reenactor, portraying the life of a Canadian militia soldier from the Incorporated Militia of Upper Canada regiment in the War of 1812-1815. His other publications include Redcoated Ploughboys. He lives in Brampton, Ontario.

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A high point in this series is the graphics. Period paintings, photographs of re-enactors and excellent maps (with detailed legends and explanations) all illuminate the narrative.

Waterloo Record

…A Crucible of Fire is the best volume in the series, making it a rudimentary introduction to the events it describes…

War of 1812 Magazine Online