Why read The Civil War of 1812?

Book cover of The Civil War of 1812: American Citizens, British Subjects, Irish Rebels, & Indian Allies

Book description

In the early nineteenth century, Britons and Americans renewed their struggle over the legacy of the American Revolution, leading to a second confrontation that redefined North America. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Alan Taylor’s vivid narrative tells the riveting story of the soldiers, immigrants, settlers, and Indians who fought to determine the…

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Why read it?

2 authors picked The Civil War of 1812 as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Peter Francis Guardino

Author

I grew up in upstate New York near the Canadian border, and one of the crucial battles of this war was fought there. When I was growing up, we were told this war was a successful one for the United States, and Taylor shows how this was true in some ways but not very true at all in others.

This is a sprawling tale with a huge cast of characters, and it includes the perspectives of ordinary people from various groups.

From Peter's list on North America’s 19th century international wars.

Troy Bickham

Author

The bicentennial of the War of 1812 injected new life into a largely sidelined subject in early American history, drawing a variety of contributions from a range of historians. The Civil War of 1812 is the contribution of one of the leading historians of early America. Beautifully written, as are all of Taylor’s books, this book focuses primarily on the political, social, and cultural aspects of the conflict that transpired along the United States-Canadian borderlands. In so doing, he gives equal attention to divisions the war caused in Canadian, Native American, and U.S. communities.

From Troy's list on War of 1812 that were published recently.