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The War of 1812 is a perfect example of how a war should not be conducted. Congress failed to supply sufficient revenue to support the ill-equipped, poorly trained militia. There was little effective coordination of the war effort from Washington. The American people themselves were sharply divided over the nation's involvement, and many states failed to mobilize their militias when directed by the government, declaring that the federal demands were unconstitutional. From the Battle of Tippecanoe to the Treaty of Ghent, John K. Mahon's War of 1812 is the definitive story of this blunder-filled episode in American history. Here are the exciting tales of Zachary Taylor's brave defence of Fort Harrison the massacre at Fort Mims the duel between the frigates Constitution and Java off the coast of Brazil the disaster at the River Raisin William Hull's loss of Detroit and his subsequent court-martial for treason and cowardice Francis Scott Key's composition of "The Star Spangled Banner" the contest for naval supremacy on the Great Lakes the burning of Washington and the Battle of New Orleans. Detailed enough for scholars, yet vivid enough for the general reader, Mahon's study will remain the standard source for anyone who wishes to gain a complete understanding of the War of 1812.
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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. (