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 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 ( )

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 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. ( )

autumn-2013, published-2013, nonfiction, history, north-americas, britain-england, washington
Recommended for: BBC radio listeners
Read from September 01 to 06, 2013

BOTW

BBC BLURB: Nearly 200 years ago, Britain attacked the heartland of the United States. The President and his wife had just enough time to pack their belongings and flee the White House before the British army entered and set fire to the building. From here, the British army turned its sights to Baltimore.

Peter Snow tells the story of this extraordinary confrontation between Britain and the United States, the outcome of which inspired America's national anthem. Using eyewitness accounts, Peter describes the colourful personalities on both sides of this astonishing battle - from Britain's fiery Admiral Cockburn, to the cautious but widely popular army commander Robert Ross and the beleaguered President James Madison whose nation was besieged by a greater military force.

In the first episode, the American watchman at Chesapeake Bay wakes one August morning to find fifty ships of the Royal Navy at anchor. The British have arrived to end, decisively, the war of 1812. In Washington, President Madison waits nervously to see where they will attack first.

Read by Jamie Parker

Producer: David Roper A Heavy Entertainment production for BBC Radio 4.

Wow, what a juicy bit of history that I hadn't come across before, and the comments lodged on status updates leans towards the British being uncouth. Got to laugh on this point, however in the bigger picture, it was a fine win in the end. What a fab inclusion to the history genre!

Dolly Madison
12 likes ( )