Good historical novel about War of 1812, James Madison, Andrew Jackson

A fun readable account of a oft ignored part of American History. ( )

Very well researched, clear on all the issues and compelling. Definitely a good book on the big and small pictures. ( )

Having finished this, one can only think that reading the end of the story is much like the Battle of New Orleans and the end of the war. It was already over when the Battle took place. We had so many more pages to go, when the story really was over.

While I may not believe that some of the attributes he gives to the leading characters in the story, the Madisons, Winfield Scott and Andy Jackson, are correct, Nevin has done his homework. It is a large historical novel and telling us some of what happened is quite well done.

Some is not. When I studied this part of history, a long time ago, much was made of the causes for the war. I would think that we would have seen a great deal more of that from James Madison's viewpoint. We don't. Not enough to justify a war.

And then we get into the war and the fragmentation of having so many focal characters, makes it a difficulty to stay with any one aspect of the tale. With so much prestory to the actual events of the war, and preparing one with so many pages after the war is over for what comes next in American History, we don't get a tight tale at all.

Michener is quoted on the front of my copy, but his tales which often cover centuries, provide a better scope then we have with Nevin. This war was a very brief few years. A non-historical narrator near the great people who Nevin has made his protagonists, may have worked better.

For me, I shall not be able to pick up this volume again for a reread, it is not that kind of a story. And Nevin's handling of such pivotal characters may make me question them when I come across them in history or in fiction in the years to come. ( )

This was great. A nice bit of time I knew very little about, I learned who Dolley Madison was (other than being the Zingers lady) Looking for others by Nevin, he's my new Shara. ( )