Many Canadians – no matter what their age – are pretty fuzzy about the details of the War of 1812, beyond knowing that it’s a war for which both sides have claimed victory. Luckily, Toronto writer Steve Pitt has stepped in to close this information gap with a biography of the inspirational life of the black Upper Canadian military leader Richard Pierpoint.

Like all good biographies, To Stand and Fight Together weaves details about the life of its subject with larger narratives about the time in which he lived. Pitt traces the life of Pierpoint, from his birth in 1744 in Senegal, to his arrival as a slave in the New World, his formation of the unprecedented Coloured Corps of Upper Canada, and his participation in the War of 1812 and the 1837 Rebellions. In recounting Pierpoint’s unsuccessful bid to buy passage back to his homeland, the author brings alive the man’s dreams for freedom. At the same time, Pitt provides historical context, looking at slavery and the slave trade, the forces that inspired and opposed colonialism, racial attitudes toward Africans and native Canadians, and the causes and outcomes of the many wars in North America in the late 1700s and early 1800s.  

Pitt has done an excellent job in organizing his material, producing a book that young readers will find entertaining and useful for its “Fascinating Fact” pull-out boxes (with expansions of key topics and  personalities) and “Wordplay” definitions of key terms. As well, the book contains several good black-and-white photos, a helpful timeline, and a section on further reading and websites of interest. About the only thing missing is an index, which would have been useful in an information-packed book like this.  

To Stand and Fight Together is an excellent resource for young readers looking to supplement standard curriculum offerings on the War of 1812 or life in Upper Canada in general. It will also help students doing research on early Canadian attitudes to race, both in the military and in society as a whole.