This was the first book I have read about the War of 1812. I didn't know much about the details of the war, and this book was at best an introduction. It read more like a textbook in that it only really covered the larger moments of the war and never in too much detail. The background of the major players was glossed over at best, and the chapters bounced from major incident to major incident, leaving a lot of the inbetween time unaccounted for. Not one of my favorits, but a good start if this time period excites you.