Rate this book

Civil War Of 1812: American Citizens, British Subjects, Irish Rebels, & Indian Allies (2014)

by Alan Taylor(Favorite Author)

3.78 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

1299013171 (ISBN13: 9781299013179)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Vintage Books

review 1: I struggled over whether to give this three or four stars. The writing is excellent and the research is exhaustive and impressive. This book is not a full picture of the War of 1812; it alludes to (but does not explore in depth) most naval battles, the southern theater of war (Andrew Jackson and various Native American wars) or the Napoleonic Wars. I did eventually need to consult wikipedia in order to grasp the full picture. However, I greatly enjoyed the book's point of view that the war settled the issue American independence and its northeastern borders, and helped to forge a Canadian identity in a manner similar to how the French & Indian War did with the U.S. I took great interest in the superiority of British troops over the Americans, a reversal of the War of ... moreIndependence. I also enjoyed reading about Tecumseh's great leadership and appreciate being introduced to Isaac Brock, a great military leader who possessed the ability to adapt, strategize and cooperate with his allies. However, the book was overlong for my more casual interest. But I believe that this book will satisfy a good many people with its breadth and detail. For those people, this will definitely be a five star book.
review 2: If I could give this three and a half stars, I would. Parts of this book merit at least four stars. Ultimately, it was a very good book, very poorly written. Taylor's basic premise - that the War of 1812 was essentially a 'civil war for North America' is an interesting one and in the end he does, I think, prove his point. The problem is that he proves it in the most round-about, repetitive, and convoluted way possible.Taylor's writing style is not particularly fluid. Some paragraphs are just a string of quotations, from which we draw our own conclusions. He mentions a great many people and places, both well-known and obscure, and does not seem to make any effort to help the reader keep them all straight. He jumps around in time just enough to be massively confusing at points. Despite its flaws, I would still recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the War of 1812, especially anyone who has always wondered why everyone involved seems to think they won. less

Download links for: Civil War of 1812: American Citizens, British Subjects, Irish Rebels, & Indian Allies

Advertising