Peter Snow (1) (1938–)

Peter Snow's book is a surprise : it's pacy, eventful and tells a good story well.

Describing a chapter in American/British history which is often overlooked, at least on the British side (that would be the war of 1812 and this, subsequent, act of revenge, the burning of the White House by British troops in 1814 and its aftermath), it tells the story of how the main protagonists on either side came to hold the positions they did - by chance, nepotism and also by demonstrating courage and show more leadership in previous battles, most notably against Napoleon's France - and then goes on to describe each of their their actions in the heat of battle and under the duress of war.

It's a rivetting tale, well-told. I was at first sceptical that a narrative so engaging didn't owe more to fiction than historical fact, but a glance at Snow's notes and references,bibliography and his list of acknowledgements, all of which are detailed at the end of the book, reveals that this is a very well researched piece of history.

All the more impressive then, that Snow manages to hold the reader's attention throughout and, whilst the book is not quite "unputdownable", it's not far off.

A well-deserved 4 stars show less

An interesting look at the Britain invasion of Washington, D.C. during the War of 1812, an event often consigned to the footnotes of history - and after reading this book, I understand why. The British invasion is certainly important in terms of the history of the American capital city and the White House and how the national anthem emerged, but significance and impact of the war itself ranks lower in American history. As the author himself points out, a number of the battles fought in this show more war were not overwhelming victories or defeats, but frustrating skirmishes and calculated retreats. Furthermore, the only resounding victory achieved by the Americans was largely irrelevant (to both sides) because a peace treaty had already been signed. Nevertheless, the author focuses on the military side of the war and highlights a few of the interesting personalities involved (First Lady Dolley Madison, Secretary of State James Monroe, the British admiral George Cockburn, Captain Harry Smith and his beautiful wife), but the narrative never really jumps fully to life. A good read for those interested in the War of 1812, but I imagine that may be a somewhat limited audience. show less

Peter and Dan Snow did a very nice job explaining some of the most critical battles from the 20th century. The thing I find great about this book is the way it is written: setting up the scene, then explaining the background of the conflict and then the outcomes and consequences. A very enjoyable read.

Decent nutshell summaries of many historical development. Text not well related to maps. Several errors or typos.