John K. Mahon (1912–2003)

Anyone who undertakes to write about the War of 1812 deserves significant credit.

This is, after all, the "forgotten" war -- the war that produced nothing much except a bunch of songs. And even those, apart from "The Star-Spangled Banner," are mostly forgotten. The war ended with both sides pretty much back where they started, but with a lot of lives lost on both sides and much damage to the American continent. The British had trapped the American navy in its harbors, but their half-hearted attempts on land had mostly been unsuccessful. The only way the British could win was to invest more -- and it just wasn't worth it to them. Not after the Napoleonic Wars.

That makes it a struggle to find a coherent thread to tell the tale of the war. And John K. Mahon, it seems to me, falls just a little short.

Some of that is style; some of it may even be the typeface -- this book looks older than it is. But some of it is the focus. This is too tactical -- a lot of details, not much overall picture. There isn't enough emphasis on the European situation, for instance, which is crucial to understanding why the British did what they did. And the Canadian situation is viewed from a perspective that is far too Canadian.

This is not a blanket condemnation. Because the War of 1812 was such a far-flung, disorganized thing, different authors have covered different aspects, and it is good to have several books on the subject. But if you're going to read only one, this probably shouldn't be the one.… (mer)