The frontier town of York (Toronto) in 1813 was the capital of Upper Canada with weak defences even though it became the central depot and naval dockyard on the Great Lakes. This is an account of the battle that marked the future of Toronto and changed the course of the War of 1812.

Reprint. Originally published: Montreal : R. Brass Studio, 2008.

Introduction -- Dramatis Personae -- Part One: The Town and the War -- 1. Reared as if by enchantment. York, Upper Canada, 1812 - 2. Worth of being at the head of affairs. The Defence of Upper Canada - 3. We have now the command of the lake. Chauncey's 1812 Campaign. -- Part Two: Strategies and Armed Camps -- 4. Totally incompetent for the purpose. Winter Plans for Upper Canada - 5. A secondary, but still important object. American Campaign Goals for 1813. - 6. Never more secure. Fortifying York. - 7. Be always ready. The Army Gathers at Sackets Harbor. -- Part Three: The Battle - 8. Dashing evolutions. The Ways of War in 1813. 9. Foreboding of an attack. The Day Approaches. - 10. Disagreeable presages The Americans Land. - 11. The stars are going up. March to the Garrison. 12. Almost as bad as none. The Capitulation.-- Part Four: Repercussions -- 13. This disgraced city. The occupation of York. 14. great men in little things and little men in great things. Campaign Consequences. - 15 A true account of our proceedings. Legacies of the Battle of York. - 16. A place equal to this. York after the Occupation. -- Appendices -- Glossary --Endnotes -- Bibliography -- Index -- Maps and Aerial Photos