I was at Goerings Book Store last night for a talk by James G. Cusick, author of one of my favorite history books: The Other War of 1812--The Patriot War and the American Invasion of Spanish East Florida.

Dr. Cusick made a point of saying that even the best of the histories of the War of 1812 focus on four things, almost exclusively: War with Canada, The burning of Washington, the naval battles, and the Battle of New Orleans. None of them talk about the war on the Southern frontier, as Georgia invaded Florida and tried to overthrow the Spanish government and make East Florida part of the United States.

His book is well written and fascinating, and best of all, is finally out in paper. The original copies cost $50, so I just kept checking it out from the library. Now I've got my own signed edition. Dr. Cusick is also curator of the Library of Florida History at the University of Florida, and was a huge help to me, answering my emails to the UF Library when I was writing The Bride and the Buccaneer. Oddly enough, he did not ask to be credited in my spicy pirate romance novel.

The 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 is approaching. It's an excellent time to bone up on what was truly the war that established us as a sovereign nation as we took on and held off the military leader of the 19th C.

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