"A gripping narrative of an unpopular and badly fought war--a century and a half before Vietnam--that will shock the uninformed reader."--Military History Begun in ignorance of the military reality, the War of 1812 was fought catch-as-catch-can with raw troops, incompetent officers, and appallingly inadequate logistics. The odds against the American fighting forces-woefully unrealistic preparations and expectations, British military might, a feckless Congress and administration, the treason of many citizens who fed and praised the enemy-were overwhelming. American soil was invaded along three frontiers, the national capital was occupied and burned, and the secession of the New England states loomed as a definite possibility. Amateurs, to Arms! examines in succession the campaigns of "Mr. Madison's War": the U.S. invasion of Canada; the key naval battles on Lakes Erie and Champlain; the British invasion via the Chesapeake Bay and its repulse at Baltimore; and the campaign leading to the American victory at New Orleans, fought and won after the war was over. Elting describes the planning and preparations (or lack of them) for the campaigns, tells how they were fought, and analyzes the battlefield performance of both sides. Specially prepared maps and numerous illustrations complement Elting's vivid, penetrating account of how the young republic fought and nearly lost its "Second War for Independence."

"A gripping narrative of an unpopular and badly fought war--a century and a half before Vietnam--that will shock the uninformed reader." --Military History Begun in ignorance of the military reality, the War of 1812 was fought catch-as-catch-can with raw troops, incompetent officers, and appallingly inadequate logistics. From a feckless Congress to the treason of many citizens who fed and praised the enemy, America faced overwhelming odds. The young country was invaded along three frontiers, the national capital was occupied and burned, and the secession of the New England states loomed as a definite possibility. In Amateurs, to Arms!, military historian John R. Elting examines the war from both the British and American points of view. With expert analysis and lively prose, he recounts the campaign of "Mr. Madison's War": the US invasion of Canada; the key naval battles on Lakes Erie and Champlain; the British invasion via the Chesapeake Bay and its repulse at Baltimore; and the campaign leading to the American victory at New Orleans, which was ironically fought and won after the war was over. Specially prepared maps and numerous illustrations complement Elting's vivid, penetrating account of how the young republic fought and nearly lost its "Second War for Independence." "This is a lively, well-written account of one of America's long-forgotten, but decidedly major wars." --Publishers Weekly

Begun in ignorance of the military reality, the War of 1812 was our "most unmilitary war," fought catch-as-catch-can with raw troops, incompetent officers, and appallingly inadequate logistics. American soil was invaded along three frontiers, thte nation's capital was occupied and burned, and the secession of the New England states loomed as a possibility. In Amateurs, to Arms! distinguished military historian Colonel John R. Elting shows how the young republic fought and almost lost its "Second War for Independence," and how it was saved by the handful of amateur soldiers and sailors who survived, masters their deadly new professions, and somehow battled Great Britain to a standstill along our wilderness borders and on the high seas.

Begun in ignorance of the military facts of life, fought with raw troops, mostly incompetent officers, and inadequate logistics, the War of 1812 was a near disaster for the fledgling United States. This new volune in Algonquin's Major Battles and Campaigns series tells how our country's most unmilitary war was fought and almost lost.