Hickey looks carefully at how the War of 1812 was fought between 1812 and 1815, and how it was remembered afterwords, looking at the many misconceptions about the War.

Prologue : the United States and Great Britain in a war-torn world -- The causes of the war -- Battles and campaigns -- The maritime war -- Soldiers, sailors, and civilians -- The mechanics of waging war -- The end of the war -- The legacy of the war -- Appendix A : "the hunters of Kentucky" -- Appendix B : "the bold Canadian" -- Appendix C : shipwrecks and rebuilt ships -- Appendix D : the name of the war.