It's not enough to have one published author in the family.
Tim recently participated in a year-long community history partnership between the Detroit Historical Society and Wayne State University that recently resulted in the publication of a new book that examines the War of 1812 in the Detroit River region.

Living so close to the Canadian border, we often take ease of crossing over from one country to another for granted, as did the residents of the region after the American Revolution and into the early 1800s.
The War of 1812 changed the ease of the relationship between the two countries as cross-border attacks and invasions occurred for several years. The War of 1812 ultimately ended without any clear "winners", although Canadians make a fairly convincing case that they won a renewed sense of national identity and unity after the conflict.
The book is a group of essays done for the project spearheaded by former Wayne State University professor Denver Brunsman, and Tim was one of the essay authors presenting their findings at a recent symposium hosted by the Detroit Historical Society.

Tim's essay told the story of the war as seen through the eyes of the Askins family; a family divided by a border, but not divided in their hearts. Even as members of the family professed divided loyalties to the American or British governments, they continued communicate and care for each other as the war raged on. This is an interesting story as it tells the tale of the war in more human terms, rather than in terms of generals who fought the battles or politicians who tried to negotiate the peace.
The quickest way to get your hands on the book is to pop into the gift store at the newly renovated Detroit Historical Museum or to try ordering it from the Wayne State University Press. It is also available through Amazon.
© Dominique King 2012 All rights reserved
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