{"product_id":"9780571273201-challenge","title":"The Challenge","description":"\u003cmeta content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\" http-equiv=\"Content-Type\"\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBritain Against America in the Naval War of 1812\u003cbr\u003eIn that dark hour  America saw its chance to challenge British dominance: her troops  invaded Canada and American frigates attacked British merchant shipping,  the lifeblood of British defence.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWar polarised America.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the summer of 1812 Britain stood alone, fighting for her very  survival against a vast European Empire. Only the Royal Navy stood  between Napoleon's legions and ultimate victory. In that dark hour  America saw its chance to challenge British dominance: her troops  invaded Canada and American frigates attacked British merchant shipping,  the lifeblood of British defence.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWar polarised America. The  south and west wanted land, the north wanted peace and trade. But  America had to choose between the oceans and the continent. Within weeks  the land invasion had stalled, but American warships and privateers did  rather better, and astonished the world by besting the Royal Navy in a  series of battles.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThen in three titanic single ship actions the challenge was decisively met. British frigates closed with the \u003ci\u003eChesapeake\u003c\/i\u003e, the \u003ci\u003eEssex \u003c\/i\u003eand the \u003ci\u003ePresident\u003c\/i\u003e,  flagship of American naval ambition. Both sides found new heroes but  none could equal Captain Philip Broke, champion of history's greatest  frigate battle, when HMS \u003ci\u003eShannon \u003c\/i\u003ecaptured the USS \u003ci\u003eChesapeake \u003c\/i\u003ein  thirteen blood-soaked minutes. Broke's victory secured British control  of the Atlantic, and within a year Washington, D.C. had been taken and  burnt by British troops.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rarewaves","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":30321677992033,"sku":"9780571273201","price":14.4,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0092\/7504\/8033\/files\/orig_36327371.jpg?v=1768474286","url":"https:\/\/www.rarewaves.com\/products\/9780571273201-challenge","provider":"Rarewaves.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}