Tragedy and farce, bravery and cowardice, intelligence and foolishness, sense and nonsense - all these contradictions and more have characterized the War of 1812. The real significance of the series of skirmishes that collectively made up the war between 1812 and 1814 is the enormous impact they have had on Canadian and American views of themselves and of each other.

The publication of The War of 1812: The War That Both Sides Won in 1990 provided a contemporary look at the period, and included such developments as the 1975 discovery of the Hamilton and Scourge on the bottom of Lake Ontario, and the 1987 discovery of the skeletons of casualties at Snake Hill. Now, a decade later, Wesley B. Turner has updated The War of 1812 to include the volumes of new research that have come to light in recent years. All this new material has been incorporated into this interesting and informative overview of a crucial period in Canada’s history.

Dr. Wesley B. Turner is Associate Professor of History at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario. His previous publications include Life in Upper Canada (198); The War of 1812 in the Niagara Peninsula (1981); The War of 1812: The War for Canada (1982); and Album of Upper Canada (1987). He is also the contributor of several biographies in The Dictionary of Canadian Biography. Turner was president of the Ontario Historical Society (1983-84), and chairman of the Board of Trustees of the St. Catharines Historical Museum (1985).

Wesley B. Turner's profile page

"... readers from teenagers to adults will find Turner's balanced, broad and benevolent introduction to the War of 1812 sufficient unto itself, or a good base from which to spring into the extensive literature on the subject."

Reginald Stuart

"... the book is important in giving the American reader a full understanding of the war from the British/Canadian perspective."

Journal of the War of 1812

"The authors have done impressive research in order to fill the gaps with reliable ... details. The book is a useful recounting of neglected aspects of our colonial ... history."

The Beaver

"... The War of 1812 - The War that Both Sides Won will make compelling and informative reading."

The Recorder and Times

"Provides history teachers with a useful, and amply illustrated version of events."

The Canadian Historical Review

"This is a clearly written, well-organized introduction to the War of 1812. It will inform the young, satisfy the general reader, and provide a reliable launching pad for further reading and more searching analysis.

CBRA