The War of 1812: The War That Both Sides Won

John Kendle is a professor of History at St. John’s College,
University of Manitoba, and author of Ireland and the Federal Solution.

The War of 1812 is a revision of a school text aimed at the general
reader. It does not pretend to provide a wide analysis based on new or
reinterpreted materials. The author simply wishes to interest and inform
while being comprehensive and up-to-date, and he is faithful to his
objectives.

There are five chapters in all. The first provides a useful overview of
the background to the war; three, then, are devoted to the battles and
developments of 1812, 1813, and 1814. A final chapter examines the peace
treaty and its ramifications on the boundaries and peoples of Canada.
The emphasis throughout the book is on the military and naval aspects of
the war, although the author scatters brief sections on the war’s
socioeconomic dimensions. The book concludes with a chronology of events
and a reliable list of suggested readings.

This is a clearly written, well-organized introduction to the War of
1812. It will inform the young, satisfy the general reader, and provide
a reliable launching pad for further reading and more searching
analysis.