Book Description: The War of 1812 is typically noted for a
handful of events: the burning of the White House, the rise of
the Star Spangled Banner, and the battle of New Orleans. But in
fact the greatest consequence of that distant conflict was the
birth of the U.S. Navy. During the War of 1812, America’s tiny
fleet took on the mightiest naval power on earth, besting the
British in a string of victories that stunned both nations.In
his new book, Ships of Oak and Guns of Iron: The War of 1812 and
the Birth of the American Navy, author Dr. Ronald Utt not only
sheds new light on the naval battles of the War of 1812 and how
they gave birth to our nation’s great navy, but tells the story
of the War of 1812 through the portraits of famous American war
heroes. From the cunning Stephen Decatur to the fierce David
Porter, Ships of Oak and Guns of Iron relates how thousands of
American men and boys gave better than they got against the
British Navy. The great age of fighting sail is as rich in
heroic drama as any epoch