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Title: The War of 1812: A Forgotten Conflict by Donald R. Hickey ISBN: 0-252-06059-8 Publisher: Univ of Illinois Pr (Pro Ref) Pub. Date: December, 1990 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $21.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.75 (8 reviews)
Rating: 3
Summary: A political history, entirely from the U.S. point of view
Comment: Hickey's history of the War of 1812 is easily readable - to the casual reader like myself. Likewise, the academic is likely to find the book extremely useful due to the index and footnotes - the author has done his homework! Remarkably, his discussion of bills/laws and the actions of Congress are not too boring to read - this feat in itself deserves a 4-star rating. However, I've only given it three stars because of three things that struck me as I got about 40 pages into the book:
#1. It is told completely from the point of view of the U.S. - the lawmakers, the generals, the civil reactions, etc. Not once is there any mention of the very substantial "fifth column" in the Canadas that openly supported the annexation of the Canadas into the U.S. It was not until Brock's victories at Detroit and Queenston (and to a lesser extent, the seizure of Makinac Island) that the civil authorities in British North America felt they could rely on the civilian population at large to fight the invaders. Likewise, the unification of the native peoples under Tecumseh and the Prophet is given as a fait accompli, without any background into the years of treaties and effort put in by these two native leaders.
#2. It is heavily political - there are 20 pictures of people in the book but only three maps - strategic ones, showing the location of cities and forts, without a single tactical map describing a campaign or battle. Likewise, the text heavily emphasises congressional debates and gives only a cursory description of battles. Even discussions of generals are given in terms of their personalities and links to politicians, rather then their tactics on the battlefield.
#3. On the positive side, it is heavily referenced and indexed, and it is a very useful and readable account of the War of 1812, the previous two caveats notwithstanding.
Interestingly, as the book progressed, I started seeing some parallels between this war and George W. Bush's war in Iraq - both deeply unpopular to a large constituency, both initially declared by the U.S. (although not without provocation), both started on dubious legal pretexts. Sailors' rights, the putative cause of the War of 1812, are not even mentioned in the eventual peace treaty, while Weapons of Mass Destruction have been all but forgotten in Dubya's Iraqi war.
But back to the book. I don't want to sound negative - what the book sets out to do, it does very well. It presents the facts clearly and without bias. It rightfully debunks the notion that it was a Second War of Independence (ultimately it was a War of Independence of British North America from the U.S. that allowed the current nation of Canada to be formed). He also rightfully points out that the U.S. can be fairly said to have won the peace - Great Britain never again interfered in the U.S.'s wars (with Spain, in the Civil War, etc.). It ultimately defined the direction of U.S. expansion westward to the Rockies and southward into Mexico and Florida (and simultaneously doomed the Native peoples in those areas). It created everlasting peace on the U.S.'s northern border. And so, in the ultimate analysis, the War of 1812 is an important milestone in North American history, and this book helps fill in the very considerable knowledge gap about the war. It basically falls from 4-star status to 3-star status by representing itself as a comprehensive history of the entire war, not a specific civil examination of the U.S. government during the war.
Rating: 4
Summary: Great Single Volumne History
Comment: Hickey's War of 1812: a forgotten conflict is an excellent single volume history of an early American conflict poorly understood by most people. Indeed, I suspect most people know little more than that the Star Spangled Banner was written during the war of 1812, and possibly that the British burned Washington.
Hickey does a good job of portraying the early U.S. as a small country whose common sense was overcome to some extent by its own nationalism. The early Americans saw themselves as world players, and they weren't. The war started for a variety of reasons, but the two main ones were trade restrictions by Britain imposed during the Napoleonic Wars, and Britain's policy of impressement, or boarding American ships looking for British nationals for the Navy. The joke is that the British conceded the offensive trade policies just prior to the war, but news reached the U.S. too late. As a result, the war proceeded with poorly defined objectives, a weak military and without firm economic support. The net results were military defeats and economic distress.
Hickey does a good job of mixing political and social history with military history. Indeed, the military aspects of the book get the least amount of coverage. There are no battle maps, or detailed maps to track the battles. Most of these would be mere skirmishes by today's standards, but I wish Hickey went into more depth in battle history. The political policies and differences are covered in great depth, and reading some of the quotes one can't help but get the impression that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
This book is a good single volume history of the war of 1812. This war has more of interest in it than the national anthem and the last attack (prior to 9-11) on the mainland U.S. by a foreign power. Hickey did an excellent job of giving a political/social history of the war with just enough coverage of military events to give the book a complete, balanced approach.
Rating: 5
Summary: The Difinitive volumn of the War of 1812
Comment: As an author and film producer of a battle in the war of 1812, I must acknowledge that Dr. Don Hickey has produced the difinitive work on the war. If one could only read one book on this pivotal event in American history, Hickey's book is the one to choose.
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Title: The War of 1812 by Henry Adams, John R. Elting, Harvey A. Deweerd ISBN: 0815410131 Publisher: Cooper Square Press Pub. Date: October, 1999 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
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Title: So Far from God: The U.S. War With Mexico, 1846-1848 by John S. D. Eisenhower ISBN: 0806132795 Publisher: Univ of Oklahoma Pr (Trd) Pub. Date: September, 2000 List Price(USD): $21.95 |
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Title: The War With Spain in 1898 by David F. Trask ISBN: 0803294298 Publisher: Univ of Nebraska Pr Pub. Date: January, 1997 List Price(USD): $29.95 |
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Title: The Naval War of 1812 by Theodore Roosevelt ISBN: 0375754199 Publisher: Modern Library Pub. Date: 04 May, 1999 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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Title: The Incredible War of 1812: A Military History by J. Mackay Hitsman, Donald E. Graves, Christopher, Sir Prevost ISBN: 1896941133 Publisher: Robin Brass Studio Pub. Date: September, 2000 List Price(USD): $18.95 |
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