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Customer Reviews (4)

Surprising
Given how old this book is I was surprised who well-done it is.He provides a useful overview of the historiography of the war up to that time, which I found to be quite good.

The War of Excuses
The War of 1812, seen through the eyes of Mr. Harry L. Coles, seems to be a war of lost victories, overblown ideas and swift retreats.The idea that the United States of America could win the war, in hindsight, seems down right sad.The US Navy had only 16 ships of any worth. The Army looked good, on paper, but in real life was mostly made up of ill-disciplined militia and untrained regulars who were directed, most of the time, by poor leaders and poor strategy.The government was not able to rise the funds or soldiers needed to carry out the large scale operations the military were dreaming of.
But the British and Canadian side had their own problems also.The European military system just did NOT work well in North America.Also, like the Americans, they had problems with communication, transportation and the rising of, training of and equipping of the militia.The British Navy, in the opening stages of the war, found their reputation much tarnished by the American victories.And even with peace breaking out in Europe the British Empire still had to keep an eye on the French and the Russians.
This book is a must for any American who wishes to understand how the nation, and government, changed in the early 19th Century.The only flaw, and this is my only issue with the work, is the lack of background for many of the major and minor players of this conflict.While many readers in the USA may know Oliver Perry, Andrew Jackson and Winfield Scott, I am ashamed to say I doubt many know who Henry Procter, Robert Ross or George Cockburn were.Mostly because they were on the other side of a conflict that we think of as a minor one.
While the time line and the maps were pretty helpful I think more time spent on filling out the people and places of the conflict would have been a greater help.

A great book about an interesting war
This short book does an excellent job of understanding the strategy and tactics that went into the War of 1812. While not the most detailed account of the war it is certainty the most useful.It clearly outlines what happened and the significance of each event. It covers the Indians, Detroit, war in the south, and the burning of the capital.It does an excellent job of understanding the Madison administrations failures and talking about the victory at Baltimore.Highly recommend.

A concise and valuable source.
I read this for a graduate course covering special readings in military history.Coles does an excellent job in relating the causes and consequences of an often overlooked war in the U.S. history.Coles praisesthe usual individuals associated with the War of 1812 (Scott, Jackson,Isaac Hull, Perry, Brock, Tecumseh) and castigates the usual suspects aswell (Wilkinson, Wm. Hull, Dearborn, Procter, and James Madison and hiscabinet save Monroe).There exists some errors of omission (Coles neverexplains why Laffite supported Jackson at New Orleans and barely coversthe war west of Lake Michigan save for one brief mention).Overall, aexcellent read, especially in regards to naval operations.For a moredetailed analysis, I would recommend Mahon's treatment on the war. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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Examines the causes, events, and results of the second war between England and America. ... Read more

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Title: History of the American War of 1812, From the Commencement, Until the Final Termination Thereof on the Memorable Eight of January, 1815, at New OrleansPublisher: Philadelphia : Published by Wm. M'CartyPublication date: 1817Subjects: United States -- History War of 1812. [from old catalog]Notes: This is an OCR reprint. There may be numerous typos or missing text. There are no illustrations or indexes.When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million books for free. You can also preview the book there. ... Read more

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In this deeply researched and clearly written book, the Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Alan Taylor tells the riveting story of a war that redefined North America. During the early nineteenth century, Britons and Americans renewed their struggle over the legacy of the American Revolution. Soldiers, immigrants, settlers, and Indians fought in a northern borderland to determine the fate of a continent. Would revolutionary republicanism sweep the British from Canada? Or would the British empire contain, divide, and ruin the shaky American republic?

In a world of double identities, slippery allegiances, and porous boundaries, the leaders of the republic and of the empire struggled to control their own diverse peoples. The border divided Americans—former Loyalists and Patriots—who fought on both sides in the new war, as did native peoples defending their homelands. Serving in both armies, Irish immigrants battled one another, reaping charges of rebellion and treason. And dissident Americans flirted with secession while aiding the British as smugglers and spies.

During the war, both sides struggled to sustain armies in a northern land of immense forests, vast lakes, and stark seasonal swings in the weather. In that environment, many soldiers panicked as they fought their own vivid imaginations, which cast Indians as bloodthirsty savages. After fighting each other to a standstill, the Americans and the British concluded that they could safely share the continent along a border that favored the United States at the expense of Canadians and Indians. Both sides then celebrated victory by forgetting their losses and by betraying the native peoples.

A vivid narrative of an often brutal (and sometimes comic) war that reveals much about the tangled origins of the United States and Canada. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

O Canada
Alan Taylor has written a well researched and very readable book on the War of 1812. It is a much overlooked war in the teaching of American history; so it was with much anticipation that I opened this volume. Unless you are able to read the editorial reviews, you might not have any idea that this book only covers the war on the Canadian border and frontier. That is the civil war of the title, one between Americans and their Canadian counterparts, not necessarily the British. There are only one or two minor references to the burning of Washington, the Battle of Fort McHenry or the naval battles and what their results were for the American nation. I would have preferred at least some sort of epilogue rather than a complete ignoring of the repercussions of, for example the sinking of the British HMS Guerriere, which was a major victory for a nation with no real navy. The peace talks are well recounted with the exception of leaving out what were some of these major factors in the war. There is some description of the Battle of New Orleans which was really after the fact.

Taylor's turn of phrasing and his writing style is marvelous, it is almost a forgotten art. He does build blocks of understanding, giving the background of social-political feelings pre 1812, explaining the feelings that were remnants of the revolution of 1776. He does well, also in presenting the Canadian view of the barbarous actions of some of the US patriots. International events that always add to the avalanche of wars, the French Revolution and British seizures of merchant ships and impressments of sailors are well described.
Part of the reasons for calling this a civil war were the elements of former Irish citizens fighting and the conflict of Anglican versus Catholic faith. The factor of the absolute terror of Americans of the `savage' Indians also is dealt with and its consequence on warfare.
There are maps and illustrations interspersed in the readings, which is much more helpful than just a section put in a group.

Alan Taylor is successful in proving his postulation that this was a civil war between what had been immigrants to the North American continent finally creating Canadians and Americans.I do wish his title would have been more explanatory that this was not a civil war between former British citizens - and therefore a broader view of the War of 1812; but instead a more focused examination into a part of the War of 1812. It is still a remarkable history of a Canadian/US war. ... Read more

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An invaluable record of the early days of American sailing ships

Coggeshall, the author of this work, is both well known and highly regarded by those interested in chronicles of the great days of sail during the early nineteenth century. Coggeshall's two volume work of his voyages as a crewman and officer of American schooners and his experiences with the navy of the United States are vital reading and are published by Leonaur in hard and soft cover editions. This book concerns the American privateers-a subject the author knew well by close personal experience. Coggeshall commanded two letters-of-marque during the War of 1812-David Porter and Leo. In this history he has attempted to embrace the fortunes of every ship, crew and commander and to describe the many battles at sea and the taking of 'prizes' that typified this engrossing conflict between the emergent American nation and the British. ... Read more

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The war of 1812 cost the United States about $200 million.A total of 2,260 Americans soldiers and sailors were killed.Battles of the War of 1812 examines key battles in the three-year conflict, from the first battle on the Detroit Frontier to the last battle in New Orleans.Battle maps, after action reports, and time lines show the importance of these battles in the Second War of Independence.The books in Americans at War: The War of 1812 describe what it was like during the War of 1812.Discover how soldiers lived on the front lines, how the war changed the lives of American merchant shippers, who the important people involved in the war were, and what key naval and land battles changed the course of the war.Primary source materials, maps, and period paintings bring the War of 1812 to life.

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Discusses the events and personalities that shaped this country, from the hotly contested election of 1800 which brought Thomas Jefferson into office through the westward expansion to the War of 1812 and James Madison's presidency. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more