A gripping narrative of the second and final war of independence that secured the nation's permanence and established its claim to the entire continent, by the author of the enormously successful and acclaimed Patriots: The Men Who Started the American Revolution. This dramatic account of the War of 1812 fills a surprising gap in the popular literature of the nation's formative years. It is this war, followed closely on the War of Independence, that established the young nation as a permanent power and proved its claim to Manifest Destiny. Full of fascinating characters-Presidents Thomas Jefferson, John Quincy Adams, James Madison, James Monroe, and the future President Andrew Jackson, as well as Dolley Madison, Sam Houston, the great Indian chieftain Tecumseh, Francis Scott Key, Davey Crockett, and Oliver Perry, among others-Langguth's riveting account covers a vast panorama of battles, from the American sacking of Toronto and the British burning of the White House and the Capitol, to the thrilling war at sea and on the Great Lakes and the final spectacular American victory at New Orleans. Union 1812 will take its place on the history shelf of essential books on the young nation, alongside Langguth's Patriots.
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"I enjoyed this book, but once again am confronted with just how little US history I know and how little is actually taught. This is a good discussion that includes the role of indians relations in both US and British strategy as well as the influence of women on our founding fathers. " — Bill (4 out of 5 stars)
"I enjoyed this book, but once again am confronted with just how little US history I know and how little is actually taught. This is a good discussion that includes the role of indians relations in both US and British strategy as well as the influence of women on our founding fathers. "
“Never again after this masterly work will 1812 be a forgotten war. Langguth brilliantly restores the war to its rightful place in American history while at the same time giving us a rousing good story that holds our attention from beginning to end.”
“We are in Langguth’s debt for this vivid retelling of the story of a war that still has everything to do with who we are and how we got this way…Reading Langguth, one is reminded anew of how relevant and resonant the past can be.”
“Finely written…Besides being a good read, Union 1812 allows you to capture the second wave of our founders with a renewed sense of awe and surprise.”
" Too many dusty politicians, but the New Orleans chapter is good. "
" Starts with a brief history of the years between the revolution (1783), the reforming of the Constitution to the factors that lead up to the War of 1812. Not very put together summary of the major battles of the war and then a really brief "what did they do next" section as it takes the major players from 1815 to 1860. This is the barest scratch of an important conflict and this book is missing alot - no so much the details - but the "why". "
" pretty sweet. you get to find out what happened to all the dudes in the revolution. most of tem either killed themselves, or had super-gnarly illnesses... "
" Very good account of a war we learned very little of in school. Its truly a wonder this nation ever suceeded. "
" I enjoyed this book, but once again am confronted with just how little US history I know and how little is actually taught. This is a good discussion that includes the role of indians relations in both US and British strategy as well as the influence of women on our founding fathers. "
" Very well written, and lots of fantastic information. Not so much about the war itself as it was what drove the nations to war. "
" A nice book about the war. "
" Indepth look at the people who influenced and fought the war of 1812 "
" ood overview of the often neglected War of 1812. Helped clarify some things I was fuzzy about. Langguth also has a good Revolutionary War book, if you're interested in such things. "
" good accessible history of the War of 1812. "
" great description of how our young nation responded to threats from the large, established nations of Europe. "
" Great history on a very important and little taught part of US History. "
" It's amazing that the U.S. survived the war of 1812. 200 years down the line, it's worth reading about a baby nation's first and greatest challenge. That, and Andrew Jackson is a total badass. That is all. "
" I was good. It jumps around a lot which makes it sometimes hard to follow. The author did add a lot of information that is supposedly "hear say", but it was great to learn about a war I wasn't so clear on. The best part was the full fledged naval battles on Lake Erie. "
" An excellent discussion of the post revolutionary United States. It does highlight Jefferson's ineffectualness as a President. It also makes an excellent case for James Madison's greatness. The narrative of the war was riveting. "
" Kind of a boring war. "
A. J. Langguth is the author of a number of books of nonfiction and several novels. He was Saigon bureau chief for the New York Times and covered the civil rights movement. He taught at the University of Southern California for twenty-seven years and retired in 2003 as emeritus professor in the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism. He lives in Los Angeles.
Grover Gardner (a.k.a. Tom Parker) is an award-winning narrator with over a thousand titles to his credit. Named one of the “Best Voices of the Century” and a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine, he has won three prestigious Audie Awards, was chosen Narrator of the Year for 2005 by Publishers Weekly, and has earned more than thirty Earphones Awards.
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