Union 1812: The Americans Who Fought the Second War of Independence

by A.J. Langguth

By the author of the acclaimed The Men Who Started the American Revolution , a gripping narrative that tells the story of the second and final war of independence that secured the nation's independence from Europe and established its claim to the entire continent.

The War of 1812 has been ignored or misunderstood. Union 1812 thrillingly illustrates why it must take its place as one of the defining moments in American history.

Genres: History, American History, Nonfiction, War, Audiobook, Military History, Military Fiction

503 pages, Paperback

First published November 7, 2006

About the author

A.J. "Jack" Langguth was a Professor at the School of Journalism at the University of Southern California and an American author and journalist. In addition to his non-fiction work, he is the author of several dark, satirical novels. A graduate of Harvard College, Langguth was South East Asian correspondent and Saigon bureau chief for "The New York Times" during the Vietnam war. He was awarded a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship in 1975, and received the The Freedom Forum Award, honoring the nation's top journalism educators, in 2001.
A nonfiction study of the Reconstruction Era, is scheduled to be published in 2013.

Reviews

[Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

The War of 1812 gets only minor attention it seems. Thinking back to high school, all I can really remember is that it had something to do with the British taking sailors off of American ships by force, some battles on the Great Lakes, and Andrew Jackson kicking some serious Brit bootie at New Orleans. Oh yeah, and the great Johnny Horton song about the Battle of New Orleans. When I decided to read Langguth's book on the War of 1812 I wasn't sure what I would learn. The answer is "a lot". And not only that, it was a very enjoyable read.

Langguth tells the story of the War, rather than just writing a history. He focuses on about 20 different key figures, American and British, with a Frenchman or two for good measure, and their role in the war. It is a technique used by many popular historians, Ambrose and McCullough for example, and it works very well for Langguth also.

I recommend this informative and entertaining history to people interested in early 19th Century America.

[Jeremy Perron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Union 1812 is a very well done narrative about the War of 1812, which is probably the most misunderstood conflict that the United States had ever engaged in. It was a conflict that bridged the last of the founding generation with the first the second generation. It was the only time an enemy has captured Washington D.C. and burnt the White House and Capitol to the ground. It would launch the career of Andrew Jackson who would reshape the country. The war would start over something already settled--British Impressment--and its last battle--New Orleans--would be fought after the war was technically over. Langguth most eloquently recaptures the essence of the conflict.

It is always dangerous to ask any historian for `a little bit of background.' That statement is true here. Despite being a book about the War of 1812, this book really begins at the end of the American Revolution. Since Langguth had already written an earlier work about the American Revolution, I feel that he just never stopped writing and kept on going. Nevertheless, I did not feel overwhelmed with information. He just calmly takes the reader through the Constitutional Convention, the Washington, Adam, and Jefferson administrations covering everything from the Genet affair to the Louisiana Purchase to the trial of Aaron Burr. The book also covers how this conflict affected the Native American nations both leading to and after, Tecumseh trying to establish a confederacy to challenge the expanding American Union leads to an alliance with the British and unfortunately for them it would help usher in an end to aboriginal power in North America.

"During the next year, tensions mounted when Indians murdered four white men on the Missouri River and when the Prophet's braves seized an entire boatload of salt, rather then the five barrels their government agreement entitled them to have. Summoned by Harrison once again, Tecumseh claimed the murders had not been under his jurisdiction and dismissed the dispute over salt. To Harrison's repeated warnings against uniting the Indians, Tecumseh replied that, after all, he was only following the American example. To win independence from Britain, the colonists had once joined into a confederacy of Thirteen Fires--the Indian term fro comparing American states to their tribal councils. In recent years, Tecumseh said, the Americans had added four more such councils--Vermont, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Ohio--until the United States now consisted of Seventeen fires." p.166-7

When the war does come, it comes in a dramatic fashion. We, the Americans, perform well at sea but horrible on the ground. The most embarrassing moment of the war is not when Washington burns but rather when General Hull in Detroit surrenders to a force inferior to his own. This war, not the American Revolution, is where we get our national anthem. The shock of having our nation invaded and damaged against an enemy would create a new sense of urgency and union in the American people helping cement a national American identity.

I highly recommend this book it is an exciting look into one of the most forgotten chapters in American history: The War of 1812. Readers who give this book their time will enjoy it.

[Milton Soong · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking for a title that would give me a good introduction on the War of 1812. A brief search on Audible (audiobook is the requirement in this case) came up this one. It got a lot of recommendation for being a good narrative history.

After I am done I thought the title is very misleading. The book is a collection of vignettes about various personalities before (sometime WAY before), and during the conflict. The narrative is not organized about how and why the war started -> the conduct of the war -> what happens after, which is what I am expecting. Instead it is a loosely chronological account of the personalities, such as Washington and Jefferson (who were not really main actors in the conflict), as well as more relevant personalities like Madison.

Each vignette is interesting in their own right (our founding fathers are interesting people), but the transition is not well organized the change in the flow of narrative can be jarring. Events happen without proper explanation about the why.

I enjoyed the moments, but can not really recommend the book if you are looking for information on the War of 1812.

[Nadienne Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you're looking for a book that explains exactly what the ill-named War of 1812 is/was and what it is/was about...this is not the book for you.

If, however, you are looking for a book which provides insight into the various actors involved in the United States of America from it's inception, to the War of 1812, to the post-1812 United States, then this is exactly the book for you.

Even after reading this, I'm still not sure that I really understand what the War of 1812 was really about, other than a United States with delusions of grandeur believing it could own the entire continent, versus Great Britain who dismissed the United States as a barely deserving backwater hardly worth the effort to fight...and the end result was...well, nothing...aside from, perhaps, a smidgen of prestige. But the nascent United States trampled all over its "cherished values and beliefs" in the process, e.g. The Alien and Sedition Acts, etc.

As a historical text, I really do feel like I learned things that I previously did not know, which is always a benefit. And with the author's desire to tell the story chronologically, with little vignettes starring various characters and what they were doing during that time frame, one could easily see this broken up into an episodic series (with Dragons and Boobs to make it entertaining, of course). :)

[Caleb Hintze · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only knew a few things about the War of 1812 before reading this book, and this book presented the timeline and characters in an interesting and memorable way. The military leaders were fascinating, the sea fights on Lake Erie were interesting, and the storming of Washington as well as the Battle of New Orleans were fascinating.

The author didn’t try to slant the characters one way or another. But he did not shy away from talking about US leaders’ relationship with slavery or Native American nations.

The book bridges the time period from the revolutionary war to the civil war very well, which is something I didn’t have the full picture on before.

Seeing that our country made it through those leaders gives me greater hope that our country will still make it through the nonsense we see from our elected leaders now.

[H.R.R. Gorman · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off: the Southern Theater was well-known to me. I was already very aware of the feud between Jackson and Wilkinson, how Jackson pretty much just made his own army and took matters into his own hands, and how the slaughter was pretty crazy. If you want to read about (white) American successes in the war of 1812, this is the theater you should read about.

And Langguth did a pretty fair job of it. He did describe the slaughter in a negative light, and that's something I've found lacking in other works (Remini *cough*). He showed a clearer connection between Jackson's raising an army and keeping the army loyal to him moreso than to the cause. He did have a bit of a lax description of New Orleans and the tactical nonsense leading up to it, but I'll forgive him due to space constraints.

But the Northern Theater?

What a fricking mess.

I hadn't studied the Northern theater nearly as much, so my knowledge was pretty much limited to "burning of the capitol" and "Tippecanoe and Tyler Too". And Lord Have Mercy (lord have mercy), that's about all that went well for the Americans. Though the Americans often had larger forces, their forays into Canada were absolute garbage, their tactics horrible nonsense, and their training absolutely negligible. I'm glad I found out how absolutely bad the Northern Theater was, because it makes Jackson's victory and subsequent fame a lot more sensible.

Also, the real hero of the Northern Theater was probably Dolly Madison. You go, Dolly.

[Lee Harrington · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent review of an often neglected topic in American history; the War of 1812. The writer takes us from the conclusion of the Revolution and the creation of the Constitution through the events that caused the escalating tension between the USA and England.
The narrative is greatly enhanced by several wonderful anecdotes about the fascinating characters that participated in these events. It makes the story much more human and approachable. I myself have read extensively on both the Revolution and the Civil War but very little about those intervening years.
Overall this appears to be a very good summary of this war which in many ways established America as an influential player in international relations.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good tale of the War of 1812. The narrative starts well before the war and goes into detail many of the events that led up to the war and the actions of some of the major players in the War, Madison, Jefferson, Adams Jackson etc. It goes thru the various actions and battles of the War of 1812, the political maneuverings in and out of the United States and the peace negotiations. In the afterword it tells what happened to many of the major players after the war. Good read

[Ben Denison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book about the War of 1812, but also a lot of the political wrangling before and after of our nation’s hero’s and notable leaders.

A lot of things detailed that I’d forgotten about as the Louisiana purchase, old Ironsides, the early careers of Andrew Jackson, Sam Houston, and Davey Crockett.

Very much enjoyed the book and learned a lot about the War of 1812 which we’re historically not had a lot of info on or teaching about.

Good book.

[Cam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good overview of the era between the Revolution and the Monroe administration, focusing on the build-up and the conduct of the War of 1812. So many of the people were deeply involved get more in-depth treatment here than you might remember from survey courses. Various navy and army figures, Tecumseh, Andrew Jackson, President Madison, and younger men who went on to become important figures like Davey Crockett or Sam Houston. In an afterword, the author quotes a peer about the art of history writing along the lines of the best works know when to treat small items shortly and large events more lengthy. I'm not sure the author succeeds at that level, but this will fill in a lot of the gaps you might have about the adult years of the younger Revolutionary participants and the formative years of those who succeeded them.

[Two-fisted History · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic. There are never enough books about the War of 1812, which made me grab this one as soon as I saw it. I wasn't disappointed! It starts with a great introduction to the Early Republic Period following the War for Independence, and a concise afterward from the period following the War of 1812 until 1861. The description of the War is very detailed and interestingly recounted. My only complaint was the lack of information of the Burning of Buffalo.

On a depressing note, the first few fascinating chapters about the Early Republic show that the thoroughly nasty party politics and mudslinging media we endure today are new ceations, but have been with us since the beginning.

[Josh Liller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got this as a Christmas gift.

It wasn't quite what I expected: less biographical than I expected, many of the chapters are less focused on the people who's names they bear than one would expected, and some notable persons go unmentioned (David Dixon Porter in particular comes to mind).

That said, the author writes well, it gives a more in-depth and sympathetic portrayal of William Hull, and I really enjoyed the early parts of the book about the time from the end of the Revolutionary War through Washington's presidency. I also enjoyed the foreshadowing appearances in minor roles of people who would later play larger roles.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was in college, one of my professors (RIP Dr. Barbara Akin) who had spent a good bit of time in England during her studies related a story of a family she stayed with. In the story, the father of the house related that he sensed that there seemed some resentment among Americans for the British. Dr. Akin said that Americans did not like the fact that the British had burned Washington. The gentleman turned to his wife and said, "Did we burn Washington? I knew we burned Joan of Arc but I did not realize we burned Washington."
This ignorance of the facts of the War of 1812 is pervasive. Most Americans, if they know anything at all about the war, probably would mention Francis Scott Key and "The Star Spangled Banner" without having any clue about the context that led to the writing of the poem that was set to the tune of an English drinking song (which leads me to believe that perhaps singing it drunk would be an improvement for many people. But I digress). With that in mind, A.J. Langguth brings this book which goes into a great deal of detail about the prelude, events, and aftermath of what has been referred to as The Second War of Independence. Langguth focuses on the the notable personalities of the war, primarily James and Dolley Madison, Andrew Jackson, Oliver Perry, and James Monroe although many other famous names make appearances including Sam Houston, Davey Crockett, and Stephen Decatur. Langguth takes his time getting to the actual events of the war; he is actually more than 100 pages in before war is declared. Instead he opens with a brief history of the American republic from the Constitutional Convention. Although seemingly initially superfluous, it does give the reader the necessary background to understand the causes of the war. He then brings us through the events - military, diplomatic, and political - of the war itself and then wraps things up with an extensive epilogue explaining the fates of all the major and minor characters. Langguth does this in a style which is designed to be accessible to the general reader. One of the blurbs states that "this is popular history at its best" and I would tend to agree. One pet peeve I have with a book like this is the lack of adequate maps to understand the text. That is one area in which I would give this book a "D". There are maps but they are generally not very useful. Overall, however, if someone is looking for a book to find out why we needed to fight the British a secnd time only 30 years after independence, I would recommend this.

[Steven Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anecdotal histories of people that were around when the War of 1812 was fought. It is written in an easy-to-read style. It is organized with selective bios of famous people affected at the time. It is not necessarily about the war's participants, but about certain people and human interest stories that pertain to them. Unfortunately, the author is a former journalism professor, and not a historian, so while it is interesting, it is also of questionable historical value. The author does select both men and women for his excerpted bios. For example, the author is very kind to President Andrew Jackson, and omits much of his egregious behavior. The text thoroughly avoids any mention of his deep racism, and actually implies that he respected the American Indians, which is absurd. There is also no mention of Jackson's hunting and capture of escaped African-American slaves for bounty money, which is a standard part of Jackson's personal history, or his history as a major slave-owner. But he wasn't just a slave owner, he was a slavery enforcer and used his ability to attract fellow American mercenaries to enforce the slave laws. This happens during the time period the author covers, so it should be included in the book, but it is not. Some of the stories were interesting, although the details that he provides for many instances, are very likely embellishments of fiction the author added, to make the narrative more interesting. I obtained the book for research purposes, which itself is questionable, but the author, Langguth, does provide Notes and References for further investigation. If you are interested in the historical accounts of this period, the notes and references he provides for further research are useful. It is just his tendency to embellish the details, and his omission of others that were important to the War of 1812, that make this book a questionable reference source, in and of, itself. But if you want to read it for entertainment, it works on that level.

[Andrew Balog · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just a disjointed attempt at telling the story of the War of 1812. This book tries to be multiple things at one time, without doing any of them well.

As a historical account of the War of 1812, it meanders from the 1780s up to the start of the war, covering the Constitutional Convention and the first 3 presidencies. Obviously, things that occurred then would shape the War of 1812, but it does such a poor job of linking these strands together (or even talking about the most important events!). For example, the Northwest Territory gets a passing mention, despite much of the conflict being based over tensions occurring there.

The most damning thing I could say about this book is that, if you asked me what caused the War of 1812, I couldn't tell you. As you read, you turn a page and just suddenly end up with war being declared. The story is so poorly woven together. Normally, you can understand why a nation might declare war. But with the way this was written, I felt no passion or understanding of the cause.

As a biographical account of the generals and politicians involved, this also falls flat. Each chapter is supposed to be focused on a different person, but in many of the chapters, those characters take a back seat to the action occurring elsewhere. Why have a chapter titled about John Armstrong, and then barely talk about him in that chapter? This book also botches the actual biographical work - at no point did I feel like I got to know the characters, their backstories, their passions, and their motivations. It's all very cut and dry.

[Steve Barrera · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great read that instructs in the nuts and bolts of the political and military history of the War of 1812, while also bringing the historical participants to life in all of their humanity. In fact, the book focuses on describing events through life stories; most of the chapter headings are names of people. It begins with George Washington and the Constitutional convention, providing background history going back to the creation of the Republic, and continuing through the subsequent Presidential administrations, all the while introducing new players. The perspective of the British and the American Indian participants is included. Overall, the book edifies the reader on what was at stake for the young United States in its choice to declare war, within the context of its position on the continent of America, and of global affairs, particularly Britain's Great War with France. It also gives detailed accounts of the well known events from the war, including famous ones such as the destruction of the capital, the shelling of Fort McHenry, and the Battle of New Orleans, as well as less well-known ones such as the Great Lakes campaigns and the Creek Wars. It concludes with the aftermath of the war, and the fates of the many famous participants already introduced. Some of them became future Presidents, and many lived well into the 19th century, having fought in the war as very young men. An excellent and engaging work recommended for any history buff.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is not about the War of 1812. The title is very accurate it is about the Americans .... but it is not about the war. I stopped reading after about 15 pages into George Washington, who was dead over a dozen years before the war. As I read my way through the Presidents and am now reading Ketcham's "James Madison" I wanted to read more on the war of 1812. If you just want quick biographies of several Americans who were alive from 1778 to the early years of the 1800's this would be an excellent book to read, as Languth does his homework and packs in information I did not find other places. (Like the name of the man who made Georges false teeth)
But if you want to know about the War of 1812 you should look elsewhere. Henry Adams book on "The history of the United States During the Administration of James Madison" Has about 900 pages on the war of 1812 (pgs 342-1237). If a hundred pages on the War of 1812 is more to your liking Page Smith's marvelous 8 Volume popular history of America (Vol 3; pgs 579 - 653) will do an excellaet job. That is where I plan to go.
I may return to Union 1812 When I want to know more about Zebulon Pike, Isaac Brock or William Hull. It's a fine book, just not on the War of 1812.

[Joshua Chipchase · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like his first book ("Patriots") this is well written history that keeps your interest. The War of 1812 was something I was not at all familiar with so it was good to learn a little bit about the conflict. Not many people died (in comparison to most U.S. wars), it seems like the war was started for dumb reasons, and the U.S. got whacked around a bit in the war. The political parties were interesting to see in action....a lot of propaganda and nonsense like we have today.

Interesting to read about duels (can you imagine if that happened today....Ted Cruz and Nancy Pelosi facing each other with 9mm handguns? The Democrat Party would cease to exist....) which sadly caused some unnecessary deaths.

[Al Berry · Rating 3 out of 5]

A strange book deals with a brief look at early American history, a more in depth though still shallow look at the war of 1812, and then its aftermath; probably the most interesting anecdote that I hadn’t heard was Aaron Burr’s remark on battle of San Jacinto / Texas Independence.

‘See, I was right, only 30 years too early, what was treason in me, is Patriotism today’

[Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

A solid narrative political and military history of the new republic, starting with the end of the American Revolution and running through the Civil War but, as the title indicates, with its main focus on the War of 1812. Langguth paints vivid pictures of the most important political and military leaders on the US side, with some attention to their Canadian and British opponents.

[Nikademus Cuellar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thorough, with considerable coverage of the precedent and legacy of the conflict. This early test of the Union strained early sectarianism while testing the nation's survival amidst the established world powers.

[Raving Redcoat · Rating 4 out of 5]

The War of 1812 is often neglected, and truth be told the history itself is actually often confusing. This does a good job of looking at the issues leading up to, involved with, and coming out of this event in American history. Highly readable.

[Ellison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Begins with profiles of Presidencies to Madison. due to distaste for a standing Army locals with guns were expected to fight British soldiers. Initially doe not go well. Battles along Canada border. British eventually come and burn Washington, with nobody to stop them. Occasional insight.

[Jami Fultz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deep dive that includes biographical anecdotes for each individual mentioned in the narrative and their role in the second war for American Independence. Intricately woven with direct quotes from remarkable research.

[Gerry Connolly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Union 1812 is A.J. Langguth's cogent history of America's second and troubled war of independence. Wonderful narrative and fascinating detail. The clearest US victory occurs after the war ended.

[Glenn Hammer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book but I removed a star for several writing errors.

[Lorie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this one. Very good narrative and time lines.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting.

[Casey · Rating 3 out of 5]

An ok book but a better title would have been From Washington to Lincoln: A Time Period That Includes 1812.

[Henry Kline · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good history of the early US, taking the main players up to our civil war.