- Hardcover: 574 pages
- Publisher: Harvard University Press (4 Sep 2007)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0674025849
- ISBN-13: 978-0674025844
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 15.8 x 4.2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 659,047 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
| |||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Product Description
Review
any books have been written about the War of 1812 in the last few years, but none quite like Jon Latimer's "1812: War with America." The author of histories of British arms in the Burma and North African campaigns in World War II, Latimer has written the first book on the the War of 1812 from the British perspective since nearly two centuries ago. The result is a thorough and elegantly written account that squarely places the conflict in the context of the Napoleonic Wars..."1812: War with America" covers all aspects of the conflict, including diplomacy, finances, atrocities perpetrated by and against the Indians, the naval campaigns at sea and on the Great Lakes, and the land campaigns in the Old Northwest, the South, and Canada...With wit and pathos, [Latimer] has drawn wonderful capsule sketches of the participants, and his staggering research as led to illuminating first-hand accounts of marches and battles from leading generals to lowly sergeants..."1812: War with America" is a de
Product Description
In the first complete history of the War of 1812 written from a British perspective, Jon Latimer offers an authoritative and compelling account that places the conflict in its strategic context within the Napoleonic wars. The British viewed the War of 1812 as an ill-fated attempt by the young American republic to annex Canada. For British Canada, populated by many loyalists who had fled the American Revolution, this was a war for survival. The Americans aimed both to assert their nationhood on the global stage and to expand their territory northward and westward.Americans would later find in this war many iconic moments in their national story - the bombardment of Fort McHenry (the inspiration for Francis Scott Key's "Star Spangled Banner"); the Battle of Lake Erie; the burning of Washington; the death of Tecumseh; Andrew Jackson's victory at New Orleans - but their war of conquest was ultimately a failure. Even the issues of neutrality and impressment that had triggered the war were not resolved in the peace treaty. For Britain, the war was subsumed under a long conflict to stop Napoleon and to preserve the empire. The one lasting result of the war was in Canada, where the British victory eliminated the threat of American conquest, and set Canadians on the road toward confederation.Latimer describes events not merely through the eyes of generals, admirals, and politicians but through those of the soldiers, sailors, and ordinary people who were directly affected. Drawing on personal letters, diaries, and memoirs, he crafts an intimate narrative that marches the reader into the heat of battle.
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 19 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This is the first British account of the Anglo - American war of 1812 written fot a long time. It was very readable and honest. It clearly sets out to change the opinion of the war (largely American - it is even less well known outside of America) as another War Of Independence and a conflict that was a clear American victory against British aggression. The author shows that the war was started by the Americans and their aims to improve their naval / sailors rights and to grab land of Canada were both failures. The British got v little out of the war either - apart from a lot of casualties and a lot of debt. The Americans put up some pretty stuiff resistance against the British and Canadians - Britain herself was embroiled in the latter stages of the Napoleonic War at the time - a conflict that must have seemed like a 20th century world war. The author puts the War of 1812 in the much wider contect of the Napoleonic Wars and treats it as an interesting sideshow to that event. The American navy did particularly well against its much more powerful adversary.
Up to now I have read several books on the War of 1812 - all I beleive written by Americans - some general books on the entire conflict and one about the British defeat at New Orleans. This book has redressed the balance that I got from these books which tended to hero worship the Americans - particularly the futurer President Andrew Jackson who comes across in this book as not altogether pleasant and a bit of a war monger.
This is a great book and I hope it is read by a lot of Napoleonic / War of 1812 ehthusiasts.
Up to now I have read several books on the War of 1812 - all I beleive written by Americans - some general books on the entire conflict and one about the British defeat at New Orleans. This book has redressed the balance that I got from these books which tended to hero worship the Americans - particularly the futurer President Andrew Jackson who comes across in this book as not altogether pleasant and a bit of a war monger.
This is a great book and I hope it is read by a lot of Napoleonic / War of 1812 ehthusiasts.
9 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Let's put these points right first, The Americans got nothing out of this war not even the issues they went to war for were given to them, Britain got to retain Canada, all fishing rights, all sea rights including still stopping Yankee ships to search for deserters, they burned the white house down and won far more victories them the America's could dream about. All at a time when we were fighting for our lives against France and Napoleon and his allies. The American army was driven out of Crown lands 10 times and they did not control any of the British territories at the end of the war. This is embarrassing to say the least!
All they can go on about is one battle when the war ended, a fire and light show that gave birth to there national anthem, and a lake battle of old ships, the truth. Yet again propaganda for the American masses. Sad really. This could have been a good book, but agin came up short, money talks truth does not.
All they can go on about is one battle when the war ended, a fire and light show that gave birth to there national anthem, and a lake battle of old ships, the truth. Yet again propaganda for the American masses. Sad really. This could have been a good book, but agin came up short, money talks truth does not.
0 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I am quarter way into book when I got Swine Flu, just getting over it now, and going to start to read the book again.
Whilst reading the book i had to keep note of who is who, as you forget who is on who side. The ships get confusing as well, thankfully sometimes the author state HMS before the Ship Name.
The author sometimes jumps from one period of history to another period, when he wants to introduce another element to the story.
I am enjoying the book as this is a period of English history that I do not know much about. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the book.
Whilst reading the book i had to keep note of who is who, as you forget who is on who side. The ships get confusing as well, thankfully sometimes the author state HMS before the Ship Name.
The author sometimes jumps from one period of history to another period, when he wants to introduce another element to the story.
I am enjoying the book as this is a period of English history that I do not know much about. I am looking forward to reading the rest of the book.
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > History > Britain & Ireland > Peninsular War
- Books > History > Europe > Napoleonic Wars
- Books > History > Military History
- Books > History > North America
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
