Cambridge University Press, New York, 2012
216 pp., $24.95 paperback
A double review with Four Wars of 1812
by D. Peter Macleod
Douglas & McIntyre, Vancouver, 2012
96 pp., illus., $19.95 paperback
The rush to commemorate the two hundredth anniversary of the War of 1812 is bringing a concomitant rush to publish even more books on the subject. With so many excellent popular and scholarly works still in print, new books need something distinctive to recommend them. Fortunately, both of these titles have that.
J.C.A. Stagg’s The War of 1812 is a straightforward survey of events before, during, and after the conflict. Solid research and clear writing combine to create a helpful overview that’s perhaps most noteworthy for Stagg’s insights into the mindset and methods of wartime U.S. President James Madison, the subject of much of the author’s previous academic work.
Nearly one third of the book is given over to chapters titled “War” and “Peace” (the others cover one year of the war at a time), which allows Stagg to spend more time exploring areas that are often quickly dispensed with in order to focus on battles and personalities.
Sparer, more populist, and more visually appealing is Four Wars of 1812 by D. Peter Macleod, who curated the Canadian War Museum’s exhibition 1812: One War, Four Perspectives. The book features photographs of artifacts highlighted in the exhibition together with brief explanatory texts on facing pages.
The story of the writing of “The Star-Spangled Banner,” the bitter betrayal by Britain of its Aboriginal allies, and the ordeals undergone by Canadians living in the Niagara region are driven home through pictures of items as diverse as a contemporary painting, a medal bearing the likeness of King George III, and a book of sermons checked out of a library that would soon be burned to the ground.
It doesn’t pretend to be comprehensive, but Four Wars offers an engaging window into the American, British, Canadian, and Native American views on the war, as well as a welcome change from the standard chronological narrative.
— Nancy Payne (Read bio)
Nancy Payne is the editor of Kayak: Canada's History for Kids magazine.