First and foremost, it is commendable that Mr. Langguth offers up a historical narrative which attempts to address a time in our nation’s history that is sadly overlooked.  Many people think that once the British surrendered at Yorktown in 1781, they packed up and went home and we went on our merry way.  Of course, that was not quite how things transpired. 

Mr. Langguth first addresses the climate preceding this war, while providing insight into the significant events that transpired before it as well (e.g.,  Jefferson’s Louisiana Purchase in 1803, Napoleonic Wars, etc.) – all of which effectively operated as “links” in the chain which lead to the War of 1812.  Mr. Langguth spends a great deal of time detailing the events leading up to the war; an amount of time which almost becomes exhaustive.  Yet, as exhaustive as this portion of the book is, it is perhaps this pre-war discussion which is the book’s only redemptive aspect.

The problem is that when Mr. Langguth actually attempts to address the issue of the War of 1812 itself, he does so with character portraits of the participants of the war (which, granted, I suppose his subtitle clearly discloses “…the Americans who fought…”), by Reader’s Digest versions of stories, events, incidents; in other words, by cursory glimpses.  It is very journalistic prose, thumbnail sketches and continual skips, jumps, flashbacks, flashforwards, foreshadows, snaps, crackles and pops.  While that treatment may work very well in the field of journalism, it does not lend itself to an appropriate treatment of history.  Furthermore, even the jumbled, convoluted passing glances Langguth pays are fraught with mistakes and inaccuracies that are, frankly, embarassing.  Truthfully, the mistakes become so glaring, so replete, it is amazing that they made it past not only the author, but the editor(s) as well.  See addendum below.

All things considered, this book is perhaps good for those seeking a less than in-depth review of this War.  It is rather  jumbled and unorganized and, most importantly, erroneous treatment that should not be relied upon as an accurate discussion of the War of 1812,  and there are in fact far-more in-depth alternatives available; texts which are more fluid, scholarly, better written and better researched.  One such book that comes to mind is Henry Adams’s “The War of 1812” (which addresses the war itself in far greater and more accurate detail).  In addition, one cannot go wrong with perhaps the greatest single-volume treatment of this war, Donald Hickey’s “The War of 1812:  A Forgotten Conflict.”  One would also be well-advised to read the outstanding book by Winston Groom (yes, the Winston Groom - a former neighbor of mine in Point Clear, Alabama – who wrote “Forrest Gump”)  ”Patriotic Fire:  Andrew Jackson and Jean Laffite at The Battle of New Orleans.”

ADDENDUM -

For those who often neglect to read the “comments” sections of blog-postings, Professor Langguth stopped by and advised that the errors discussed above were contained within his first edition of this book and they have since been corrected.  In light of Professor Langguth’s statements, I felt obliged to point this out herein and amend my review accordingly.