The Naval War of 1812

Description

The Naval War of 1812 is the first book published by Theodore Roosevelt, written at the age of 23 when he was still a college student. Covering the military conflict between the United States of America and the United Kingdom, the book was highly appreciated by historians and the general public as well and it is considered seminal work about the history of the War of 1812.

Roosevelt not only describes the armed conflict and its landmark events, but he also discusses the political and the socio-economic climate that brought about the outbreak of the war. In Roosevelt’s view, the U.S. was not sufficiently prepared to enter a war of this magnitude and blames President Thomas Jefferson for the condition of the army. He goes on to provide a detailed and very accurate account of the events of the war on all the waters that served as battlefields, including both sides of the Atlantic Ocean and the lakes in America. He also analyses the opponent parties in terms of strengths and weaknesses, he evaluates the decisions made by the commanders of both armies as well as the performance of the armies and he manages to stay objective all the time, praising both parties when they deserve praising.

Theodore Roosevelt’s account of the Naval War of 1812 is excellently written and very dense, so be prepared that the book is no quick and easy afternoon read. Whatever detail is mentioned in the book, it is backed up with reliable sources such as ship logs, statistics and technical documents and this extraordinary accuracy is paired with well-founded conclusions – a combination that makes The Naval War of 1812 is a book that had a huge impact on the way the war is today viewed by historians and has also contributed to the formation of the modern U.S. Navy.
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