For Honour's Sake: The War of 1812 and the Brokering of an Uneasy Peace

Mark Zuelke writes a fast moving detailed blow by blow account of the War of 1812 and the subsequent negotiated peace treaty at Ghent, swiftly describing personalities, relationships and strategies and misteps on both sides. The account of the battles for Lake Erie and Lake Ontario kept me on the edge of my seat as did the failed campaign on Montreal and the battle for the Niagara Peninsula. The story of Laura Secord alas is not quite verifiable. (Secord's warning on Tanglefoot's album Captured Alive (IMPORT) and other of their albums is a personal favorite.) Oddly enough the War was only an echo of the Napoleonic Wars and the Americans are shown to have greater reason to grieve against the French, yet they decided to side against and attack the British. My only complaint is that the constant change of viewpoints and the sheer number of people referenced in the space of a few paragraphs made the narrative confusing and might be boring for the younger reader but the book had no problem holding my attention. There are also incredible parallels for our own time - the Raisin River massacre where the British left a group of natives to guard American prisoners; the fascinating account of how the Americans due to the advocacy of men like Henry Clay pushed the country into war that they were not prepared to fight and their mistaken notion that the Canadians would welcome their advance. There is also the lesson of a military advantage not used is no advantage at all when held by overly cautious officers such as the British Prevost and the American General Henry "Granny" Dearborn. A similar example is related when American ships which have superior canon to the British are held back by a sandbar on Lake Erie. And even though the focus of the book is on the military campaign it also records the political pressures of external concerns such as taxes and elections on the outcome of negotiations. The coverage of the peace negotiations at Ghent was a treat. I was astounded and impressed to discover that one of the primary British demands in was the formation and recognition of an Indian buffer nation in Ohio and Michigan, not only to contain American expansion and protect Upper Canada but also in respect of native support and native claims. The primary British negotiator Ghoulburn had strong feelings on that point, only to be undermined by lack of interest or obligation of its importance by Wellington who wanted the matter wrapped up as quickly as possible. North America was just a side show and wrapping up the Concert of Europe after Napoleon was the main event. Indeed Wellington's historical lustre drops by the revelation of his sending a letter to the American lead negotiator Albert Gallatin the content of which would be considered no less than treason. Canadian children learn a short version about the War in middle school, though I remember learning more than my children were exposed to. American children seem to know