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Pierre Berton's War of 1812
To commemorate the bi-centenary of the War of 1812, Anchor Canada brings together Pierre Berton's two groundbreaking books on the subject. The Invasion of Canada is a remarkable account of the war's first year and the events that led up to it; Pierre Berton transforms history into an engrossing narrative that reads like a fast-paced novel. Drawing on personal memoirs and diaries as well as official dispatches, the author has been able to get inside the characters of the men who fought the war - the common soldiers as well as the generals, the bureaucrats and the profiteers, the traitors and the loyalists. The Canada-U.S. border was in flames as the War of 1812 continued. York's parliament buildings were on fire, Niagara-on-the-Lake burned to the ground and Buffalo lay in ashes. Even the American capital of Washington, far to the south, was put to the torch. The War of 1812 had become one of the nineteenth century's bloodiest struggles.Flames Across the Border is a compelling evocation of war at its most primeval - the muddy fields, the frozen forests and the ominous waters where men fought and died. Pierre Berton skilfully captures the courage, determination and terror of the universal soldier, giving new dimension and fresh perspective to this early conflict between the two emerging nations of North America.
1059 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 1, 2011
61 people are currently reading
598 people want to read
About the author
Pierre Berton
177 books202 followersFrom narrative histories and popular culture, to picture and coffee table books to anthologies, to stories for children to readable, historical works for youth, many of his books are now Canadian classics.
Born in 1920 and raised in the Yukon, Pierre Berton worked in Klondike mining camps during his university years. He spent four years in the army, rising from private to captain/instructor at the Royal Military College in Kingston. He spent his early newspaper career in Vancouver, where at 21 he was the youngest city editor on any Canadian daily. He wrote columns for and was editor of Maclean's magazine, appeared on CBC's public affairs program "Close-Up" and was a permanent fixture on "Front Page Challenge" for 39 years. He was a columnist and editor for the Toronto Star, and a writer and host of a series of CBC programs.
Pierre Berton has received over 30 literary awards including the Governor-General's Award for Creative Non-Fiction (three times), the Stephen Leacock Medal of Humour, and the Gabrielle Leger National Heritage Award. He received two Nellies for his work in broadcasting, two National Newspaper awards, and the National History Society's first award for "distinguished achievement in popularizing Canadian history." For his immense contribution to Canadian literature and history, he has been awarded more than a dozen honourary degrees, is a member of the Newsman's Hall of Fame and a Companion of the Order of Canada.
Born in 1920 and raised in the Yukon, Pierre Berton worked in Klondike mining camps during his university years. He spent four years in the army, rising from private to captain/instructor at the Royal Military College in Kingston. He spent his early newspaper career in Vancouver, where at 21 he was the youngest city editor on any Canadian daily. He wrote columns for and was editor of Maclean's magazine, appeared on CBC's public affairs program "Close-Up" and was a permanent fixture on "Front Page Challenge" for 39 years. He was a columnist and editor for the Toronto Star, and a writer and host of a series of CBC programs.
Pierre Berton has received over 30 literary awards including the Governor-General's Award for Creative Non-Fiction (three times), the Stephen Leacock Medal of Humour, and the Gabrielle Leger National Heritage Award. He received two Nellies for his work in broadcasting, two National Newspaper awards, and the National History Society's first award for "distinguished achievement in popularizing Canadian history." For his immense contribution to Canadian literature and history, he has been awarded more than a dozen honourary degrees, is a member of the Newsman's Hall of Fame and a Companion of the Order of Canada.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
January 10, 2020
As the blurb indicates, this edition is an amalgam of two books that were originally published separately. Taken together they total 928 pages, but this was one of the quickest reads I’ve ever made of a 900+ page book. The author’s reputation as a superb storyteller is fully justified. His narrative makes extensive use of primary sources and the book is one of those told mainly from the perspective of those who were there. It’s presented as a “social history” of the war, although there is plenty in here to keep the military historian interested. Each of the battles fought along the Canadian border is described in detail, with maps, although in my Kindle edition some of the maps were of poor quality. One other oddity is that although this edition includes the source notes, for some reason these weren’t numbered in the text. That was annoying!
Berton suggests that the war arose out of miscalculations on both sides. The British thought the Americans were a weak nation who could be pushed around without fear of consequences. The Americans (understandably infuriated by the British practice of press-ganging American sailors into the Royal Navy) thought that the conquest of Canada would be a walkover, since in 1812 it was almost undefended and most of the small population had little loyalty to Britain. French Canadians had only been under British rule for around 50 years, and 60% of the population of Upper Canada were recent migrants from America, opportunists lured to Canada because the British Government offered cheap land and low taxes to anyone willing to turn forest into farm. In Jefferson’s famous quote, the conquest of Canada looked like “a mere matter of marching”. Berton makes it clear that the confederation of native tribes put together by Tecumseh was a major factor in why this didn’t happen. The tribes allied with the British in a desperate attempt to stem the onrush of American settlers. The American generals of 1812 also displayed startling ineptitude. As the war progressed they were replaced with (generally) more effective commanders.
The book recreates the background vividly. The war was fought at a time when Buffalo was a village of 500 inhabitants. Some American officers were educated in the European style but others from “backwoods” states were barely literate. The author comments that “The reports of the general officers often read like the contents of a six-year-old’s exercise book.” Much of the fighting took place along the Detroit and Niagara rivers, where villages lined the banks on both sides. “Before the war people moved freely between the two countries, buying and selling, owning land, operating businesses without regard to national affiliations” and “Almost everyone had a friend or relative on the other side of the border.” The conflict was often more like a civil war than a clash between rival nations, especially in its early stages. To begin with it was fought in chivalrous fashion, but as with all wars, it grew more bitter and vicious as it went on, something that the author thinks had a long-lasting impact. The strategic situation changed markedly with the defeat of Napoleon in 1813. The British then had an entire army they could turn on the Americans, and it also rendered moot the issue of impressment. Suddenly the British had too many sailors and no need to press-gang anyone.
I would say the book tells the story from the Canadian perspective, as it concentrates on the conflict along the borders of Upper and Lower Canada. The burning of Washington gets a shortish chapter, but I had the impression that Berton was less interested in events away from the border. The legacy of the conflict is also assessed in terms of its impact on Canada. The conflict famously finished with an agreement to apply the “status quo ante-bellum”, which makes a good argument for saying the war was amongst the most pointless ever fought. Berton though highlights that in 1812 Americans made up most of the population of Upper Canada. Had migration continued at the same rate, the US might well have absorbed Ontario by osmosis. By 1815 though, no-one in Upper Canada could or would express pro-American views. The author argues that a new nationalism grew out of the conflict, ensuring that the Canadian way would be something different from the American way.
An excellent read.
Berton suggests that the war arose out of miscalculations on both sides. The British thought the Americans were a weak nation who could be pushed around without fear of consequences. The Americans (understandably infuriated by the British practice of press-ganging American sailors into the Royal Navy) thought that the conquest of Canada would be a walkover, since in 1812 it was almost undefended and most of the small population had little loyalty to Britain. French Canadians had only been under British rule for around 50 years, and 60% of the population of Upper Canada were recent migrants from America, opportunists lured to Canada because the British Government offered cheap land and low taxes to anyone willing to turn forest into farm. In Jefferson’s famous quote, the conquest of Canada looked like “a mere matter of marching”. Berton makes it clear that the confederation of native tribes put together by Tecumseh was a major factor in why this didn’t happen. The tribes allied with the British in a desperate attempt to stem the onrush of American settlers. The American generals of 1812 also displayed startling ineptitude. As the war progressed they were replaced with (generally) more effective commanders.
The book recreates the background vividly. The war was fought at a time when Buffalo was a village of 500 inhabitants. Some American officers were educated in the European style but others from “backwoods” states were barely literate. The author comments that “The reports of the general officers often read like the contents of a six-year-old’s exercise book.” Much of the fighting took place along the Detroit and Niagara rivers, where villages lined the banks on both sides. “Before the war people moved freely between the two countries, buying and selling, owning land, operating businesses without regard to national affiliations” and “Almost everyone had a friend or relative on the other side of the border.” The conflict was often more like a civil war than a clash between rival nations, especially in its early stages. To begin with it was fought in chivalrous fashion, but as with all wars, it grew more bitter and vicious as it went on, something that the author thinks had a long-lasting impact. The strategic situation changed markedly with the defeat of Napoleon in 1813. The British then had an entire army they could turn on the Americans, and it also rendered moot the issue of impressment. Suddenly the British had too many sailors and no need to press-gang anyone.
I would say the book tells the story from the Canadian perspective, as it concentrates on the conflict along the borders of Upper and Lower Canada. The burning of Washington gets a shortish chapter, but I had the impression that Berton was less interested in events away from the border. The legacy of the conflict is also assessed in terms of its impact on Canada. The conflict famously finished with an agreement to apply the “status quo ante-bellum”, which makes a good argument for saying the war was amongst the most pointless ever fought. Berton though highlights that in 1812 Americans made up most of the population of Upper Canada. Had migration continued at the same rate, the US might well have absorbed Ontario by osmosis. By 1815 though, no-one in Upper Canada could or would express pro-American views. The author argues that a new nationalism grew out of the conflict, ensuring that the Canadian way would be something different from the American way.
An excellent read.
January 22, 2016
Pierre Berton's The War of 1812 is a compilation of two of his history texts; The Invasion of Canada and Flames Across the Border. Both of these books together cover the entirety of the War of 1812, a conflict between the United States of America and the United Kingdom of Britain and Ireland, mostly fought in the border regions of the Northern USA and Canada. This is a complex war, as much of the history is anecdotal, personal or unwritten. Berton handles this well, giving each conflict a highly personal feeling, and engaging the reader in both the overarching history and strategy and the individual perspective of each area of the conflict.
Berton is one of Canada's most well respected historians, and as such, this book has a particularly Canadian flavour and possibly bias. That's ok for me because I am Canadian myself, and enjoy reading about things from this perspective (as it is often so rare).
Berton delivers a well done narrative history, which ties in the detailed accounts of battle, supply lines and defences with journal entries and anecdotal stories passed down from generation to generation. Although a small war, compared to the Napoleonic War going on in Europe, which often featured campaign specific casualty numbers higher than the population of Upper Canada, the War of 1812 was still a brutal affair. Family often fought family, as loyalists and US patriots square doff in set piece battles, guerilla warfare and ship to ship combat. Both Upper Canada and the United States had portions of their capital cities burned to the ground.
This is war where two ideas, the Patriotism and "Liberty" expressed in US propaganda, and the Loyalty and Steadfastness in that of the British Empire. Even so, their are remarkable similarities between the two nations. These similarities often endeared each combatant to each other, and led inevitably to the close friendship and alliance that both nations eventually shared.
The conflict is widely believed to have ended in a stalemate, although this is slightly controversial, with Americans believing they won due to the retracement of the UK's impressment and mercantilist policies. The Brits/Canadians may have won because they achieved their wartime objective, status quo. These are both bull theories, however. Little was gained or lost by both sides, except pride and a lot of good men and women.
The real losers of this conflict were the Aboriginal tribes. Led by the great Tecumesh, who united warriors from many tribes into a confederation, the Aboriginals were imperative to the UK's war time strategy, often striking fear and panic into the Americans ranks just by their mere presence. It was often these tribes that stole the show, as they wished to revenge themselves on the "Long Knives" for massacres against native peoples, and take back their stolen land. This made them highly unpopular with American soldiers, who often massacred Native prisoners at the end of each victorious battle. This was reciprocated by many Aboriginal tribes.
All in all, the War of 1812 was a conflict which helped build two national myths. One in the US and one in Canada. Both areas benefited at an ideological level, with the Americans trumpeting there ability to hold their own on an international level, and expanding the influence of the War Hawk's in the US political sphere. In Canada, it birthed the myth of the militia, Canada's ability to hold it's own against a much larger nation through sheer force of will. Both myths are goofy in a sense, but both have helped shaped the national ideology and bilateral relationship of two nations.
I highly recommend this book both as a classic Canadian history text and an excellent look at the War of 1812. Pierre Berton continues to receive recognition of his extraordinary contribution to Canada's national history, and deservedly so. The War of 1812 is well written, well researched and quite readable.
Berton is one of Canada's most well respected historians, and as such, this book has a particularly Canadian flavour and possibly bias. That's ok for me because I am Canadian myself, and enjoy reading about things from this perspective (as it is often so rare).
Berton delivers a well done narrative history, which ties in the detailed accounts of battle, supply lines and defences with journal entries and anecdotal stories passed down from generation to generation. Although a small war, compared to the Napoleonic War going on in Europe, which often featured campaign specific casualty numbers higher than the population of Upper Canada, the War of 1812 was still a brutal affair. Family often fought family, as loyalists and US patriots square doff in set piece battles, guerilla warfare and ship to ship combat. Both Upper Canada and the United States had portions of their capital cities burned to the ground.
This is war where two ideas, the Patriotism and "Liberty" expressed in US propaganda, and the Loyalty and Steadfastness in that of the British Empire. Even so, their are remarkable similarities between the two nations. These similarities often endeared each combatant to each other, and led inevitably to the close friendship and alliance that both nations eventually shared.
The conflict is widely believed to have ended in a stalemate, although this is slightly controversial, with Americans believing they won due to the retracement of the UK's impressment and mercantilist policies. The Brits/Canadians may have won because they achieved their wartime objective, status quo. These are both bull theories, however. Little was gained or lost by both sides, except pride and a lot of good men and women.
The real losers of this conflict were the Aboriginal tribes. Led by the great Tecumesh, who united warriors from many tribes into a confederation, the Aboriginals were imperative to the UK's war time strategy, often striking fear and panic into the Americans ranks just by their mere presence. It was often these tribes that stole the show, as they wished to revenge themselves on the "Long Knives" for massacres against native peoples, and take back their stolen land. This made them highly unpopular with American soldiers, who often massacred Native prisoners at the end of each victorious battle. This was reciprocated by many Aboriginal tribes.
All in all, the War of 1812 was a conflict which helped build two national myths. One in the US and one in Canada. Both areas benefited at an ideological level, with the Americans trumpeting there ability to hold their own on an international level, and expanding the influence of the War Hawk's in the US political sphere. In Canada, it birthed the myth of the militia, Canada's ability to hold it's own against a much larger nation through sheer force of will. Both myths are goofy in a sense, but both have helped shaped the national ideology and bilateral relationship of two nations.
I highly recommend this book both as a classic Canadian history text and an excellent look at the War of 1812. Pierre Berton continues to receive recognition of his extraordinary contribution to Canada's national history, and deservedly so. The War of 1812 is well written, well researched and quite readable.
August 21, 2013
This book was superb. Mr. Benton's work reads like a fast passed piece of fiction but the in depth information he has uncovered leaves with a wonderful understanding of the events, characters, and politics of one of the most senseless wars ever fought.
As an American I was always curious about a this "little" war which covered at the most two pages in our history books. After reading this compendium I can understand why. It was a miserable fail at expansionism under the guise of ending British impressment of sailors and blockading of US ships from trading with Napoleon's Allies.
In the end there were no measurable gains for the US and only two or three battles with clear victories with many blundered engagements with horrific loss of life and property to both sides. This is a a must read for anyone who appreciate North American history, particularly around the area of the Great Lakes where the majority of the war took place.
As an American I was always curious about a this "little" war which covered at the most two pages in our history books. After reading this compendium I can understand why. It was a miserable fail at expansionism under the guise of ending British impressment of sailors and blockading of US ships from trading with Napoleon's Allies.
In the end there were no measurable gains for the US and only two or three battles with clear victories with many blundered engagements with horrific loss of life and property to both sides. This is a a must read for anyone who appreciate North American history, particularly around the area of the Great Lakes where the majority of the war took place.
October 27, 2015
No one brings Canadian history to life like Pierre Berton.
February 16, 2013
The first book Invasion of Canada was more compelling than the second book Flames Across the Border. Toward the end I was tiered of the war and just wantd it to be over, so much suffering for so little purpose. Helped me better understand loyality, security and order from a Canadian perspective.
July 22, 2013
This is a challenge - trying to brush up on my Canadian history ... Pierre Berton was an incredible man, any way you cut it.
July 3, 2024
While Europe was busy dealing with Napoleon, otherwise friendly neighbours were shedding blood along the shores of the North American Great Lakes. One of the definitive works on the subject, Canadian literary legend Pierre Berton takes the reader through the moving and terrible events that marked the War of 1812 between the USA and early Canada (Turtle Island). A must read for anyone interested in the region and time period.
February 24, 2025
An excellent account, based on the participants’ recollection of events, of the last time the U.S. tried to annex Canada. They failed, but the British failed to honour their commitments to their various allies from the First Nations, who were thereafter abandoned to their fate to the U.S. desire to grab all their lands.
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July 6, 2025It has been over a decade since I've read this book, but many lessons learned still stand out. Berton was a constant on television when I was growing up. I only discovered his books, though, as an adult. His writings on the war of 1812 left an impression on me, especially his conclusion regarding the 2 countries involved in the fight.
April 3, 2018
Amazing history of the War of 1812, often from the perspective of people on the ground. Very well researched and enjoyable to read.
December 28, 2015
If you are only ever going to read one book of Canadian History, this should be it. This is a fast-paced, thrilling story of larger than life characters, heroes, villains, and ordinary people all caught up in a war that shaped the destiny of a continent. Berton is a brilliant story-teller, he writes his history in a way that reads much more like a novel, which includes dialogue, except it is all taken straight from the actual documents and journals of the people he quotes. This book is actually two books: the first one covers the first half of the War of 1812, and is largely centred on the personality of Sir Isaac Brock and the Shawnee chief Tecumseh (both of whom are killed in the war). The second half picks up the story in 1813 and continues it until the war ends with the Treaty of Gent in 1815. Both books are excellent; but the first is probably slightly better; Berton's treatment of the Battle of Queenston Heights is the highlight of it all. Historians will quibble about minor details or errors in Berton's books, but overall they are peerless in the field of Canadian history.
November 3, 2014
I'm a huge fan of Pierre Berton's approach to writing history. It's people-centred, focussing on anecdotal accounts of regular people caught in big events.
I've read many of his books, and found this one (or these two) very hard to read. That's not Berton's fault--his style is as engaging as ever--but history's. There are too many characters, popping up briefly, the disappearing. His balanced account of both sides has one constantly flipping to the cast of characters to recall who is British and who American. The only truly engaging individuals--Tecumseh and Isaac Brock--are of course snuffed out early on.
It was a messy, confused, and pointless war that helped define two national characters. That Mr. Berton was able to give it any sort of sense is commendable. A tough read.
I've read many of his books, and found this one (or these two) very hard to read. That's not Berton's fault--his style is as engaging as ever--but history's. There are too many characters, popping up briefly, the disappearing. His balanced account of both sides has one constantly flipping to the cast of characters to recall who is British and who American. The only truly engaging individuals--Tecumseh and Isaac Brock--are of course snuffed out early on.
It was a messy, confused, and pointless war that helped define two national characters. That Mr. Berton was able to give it any sort of sense is commendable. A tough read.
October 29, 2012
Book 1 - Invasion of Canada - who knew our history was so interesting... great time to be ready about events that took place 200 years ago - I can picture it better since the fall weather seems to be the same wet & cold. I'm just glad I'm in a warm house reading and not starving and cold trying to fight a war nobody wanted.
Book 2 - Flames Across the Border - During 1813 and 1814 the story continues with a series of battles and more incompitance by the leaders of Britain and the USA... With thousands dead, whole villages burned down (include Washington DC) both side are at a stand-still. And once the Treaty is finally completed the entire war was to no gain or benifit to eith side.
Book 2 - Flames Across the Border - During 1813 and 1814 the story continues with a series of battles and more incompitance by the leaders of Britain and the USA... With thousands dead, whole villages burned down (include Washington DC) both side are at a stand-still. And once the Treaty is finally completed the entire war was to no gain or benifit to eith side.
November 22, 2012
The 2 books encompassed in Berton's War of 1812 have to be my favourite non-fiction reads of all time. Berton had a way of writing true history that felt so different from other literature like it. It is a history that is not a plain factual retelling of events, it is a history that engages you with stories of real people whom you empathize with. A History that truth be told, makes me proud to be a Canadian.
January 17, 2015
A great book to get a good, detailed account of the War of 1812 from almost everyone's perspective. It almost reads like a novel, switching back and forth between lots of historical figures, both famous and virtually unknown, telling many personal stories of Canadians, Americans, British, and Natives involved in the war. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in history.
September 10, 2013
Very well written. Detailed, Berton's narrative was easy to read and wasn't dry like many history books are. A great account of a relatively unknown and understood chapter in Canadian and American history.
January 30, 2013
Everything you want to know about the war in detail.
August 5, 2013
It is great book and easy to read. And it is well researched.
October 25, 2014
A book that makes Canadians smile from ear to ear!
December 9, 2015
I wanted to read this for a long time, just to understand what actually happened. Gripping look at a horrific war that ultimately changed nothing.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews