Attack on Montreal

Kelly L. Green is editor of the Canadian Book Review Annual’s
Children’s Literature edition.

In this seventh volume of the War of 1812 series, Berton captures both
the futility of the entire war and the foolishness of the American
attempt to mount an ill-planned attack on a moving target (the
commanders couldn’t decide whether they should attack Kingston or
Montreal) with soldiers who did not want to and in some cases could not
be forced to fight, and who frequently consorted with the enemy to the
point of treason.

Berton deftly maps out the battles and skirmishes (including
Crysler’s Farm) in a way that maintains both the reader’s interest
and focus. He spends considerable time on the outside elements that
influenced the military leaders in their decisions, from the weather to
personality conflicts. He thoroughly details the life of the everyday
soldier, who might sacrifice a precious blanket to make pants, spend
days living outside in the freezing rain, or get dysentery from eating
bread made with fecally contaminated water. As with the Canada Moves
West series, I wish Berton had provided a bibliography, or at least a
list of further reading, including some primary sources. As narrative
history that successfully presents the War of 1812 as a real event with
enormous consequences for all Canadians, this series for young people
has no equal. Highly recommended.