Robert V. Remini is the great modern authority on Andrew Jackson, having written a majestic, award winning, three volume biography.  Now he has taken a lifetime of research and consideration and distilled it down into one slender volume examining the pivotal moment in Jackson's career and, he argues, one of the vital events in our nation's history.

If you're like me you know exactly three things about the War of 1812.  First, that Dolly Madison saved the White House portrait of George Washington from being burned by invading British troops.  Second, every kid who ever went to summer camp knows the great Johnny Horton song Battle of New Orleans.  Third, that the battle itself took place after the peace treaty had been signed ending the War, but before the combatants had been informed.  That was seriously all I knew until I read David Nevin's novel 1812 a couple of years ago (see review).  You may know more.  If so, more power to you.  Should we know more?  Remini makes a compelling case that we should.

In addition to doing an excellent job of narrating the events of the battle, he argues that the victory  was the moment that really made America a nation.  The elements he cites include not merely the fact that it produced a future President, but also the confidence building importance of a citizen army winning a battle against the professional troops of the great British Empire, as well as the fact that this overwhelming defeat made the nations of Europe begin to take the United States seriously as a player on the world stage.  In fact, he goes beyond this to argue that New Orleans was actually the nation's first military victory, discounting actions like Saratoga and Yorktown as mere surrenders.  It is, of course,  possible that he overstates this case a little, having such a vested interest in Jackson's career.

On the other hand, he raises an excellent and little understood point about the War.  It was one of only three wars in our history where our existence as a nation was truly threatened (obviously the Revolution and the Civil War were the others).  We've fought all kinds of skirmishes, minor brush wars and mopping up operations--Mexican, Spanish-American, WWI, Korea, Vietnam, Persian Gulf, etc.  And we like to kid ourselves about the threat that the Nazis posed in WWII, though by the time we got in, they were already toast.  But really there were only the three conflicts where the United States as we understand it could have perished.  If we understood that fact better, perhaps we would pay more heed to the events of 1812-1815.  As is, Remini has done his part to capture our attention with this excellent little book.

(Reviewed:14-Feb-00)

Grade: (B+) Orrin C. Judd

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