Biographical note:

Jane Sutcliffe is the author of Leonardo’s Monster, The Attack on Pearl Harbor, and Stone Giant: Michelangelo’s David and How He Came To Be, as well as nearly two dozen biographies for young readers. She lives with her family on a farm in Tolland, Connecticut.

Country of final manufacture:

CN

Excerpt from book:

Had it happened in modern times, it would have been called breaking news. Camera crews in helicopters would have covered it all, live and on the scene.
A nation would’ve gathered to watch the shocking images: A battle with enemy troops just outside Washington, DC. The humiliating defeat of American soldiers. Residents of Washington fleeing the city in terror. The last-minute evacuation of the First Lady from the White House. Then the unthinkable: foreign invaders marching into Washington, torching first the Capitol building, then the White House.

Main description:

In this "biography of a single day," the burning of the White House by the British during the War of 1812 is told from the viewpoint of the people who were there, including First Lady Dolley Madison, a British officer, and a nine-year-old slave. Jane Sutcliffe draws upon first-person accounts to recreate a compelling chronology of the events of August 24, 1814.

Table of contents:

Introduction
Chapter One: The Hours Before Dawn
Chapter Two: Dawn
Chapter Three: Morning
Chapter Four: Noon
Chapter Five: Afternoon
Chapter Six: Dusk
Chapter Seven: Night
Chapter Eight: The Day After
Chapter Nine: And After
Bibliography
Sources of Quotations