 First edition dustcover (1972) | |
| Author | Walter Lord |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Published | 1972 |
| Publisher | W. W. Norton, 1972 Johns Hopkins University Press, 1994 and 2012 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | |
| Pages | 384 |
| ISBN | 0-393-05452-7 |
The Dawn's Early Light is a 1972 non-fiction book by Walter Lord about the War of 1812 Battle of Baltimore and the events leading up to it. Lord said he wrote the book because of the event's significance in American history.[1] It is one of his 13 bestsellers.[2]
Lord recounts the conflict between Great Britain and the United States in the summer of 1814, when the British mounted a coordinated attack on Baltimore, Maryland, and its environs by land and sea. Having already suffered a humiliating defeat at the Battle of Bladensburg and the resulting burning of Washington by the British, the American forces were able to repulse the British advance on Baltimore. The climax of the battle was the Royal Navy's bombardment of Baltimore's Fort McHenry on the night of September 14, 1814. The American stalwart defense of the fort would prove decisive, forcing the British to withdraw. The battle inspired the writing of the "Star-Spangled Banner" by Francis Scott Key.
- ^ Lord, Walter (1972). The Dawn's Early Light. New York: W. W. Norton. ISBN 0-393-05452-7., p. 15
- ^ Rasmussen, Frederick N. (May 21, 2002). "Baltimore-born author dies, wrote classic Titanic book". Baltimore Sun. Retrieved July 7, 2020.