The Civil War of 1812

The Civil War of 1812
Alan Taylor

And why was the War of 1812 a civil war? Because, in the analysis of Alan Taylor, it was only as a consequence of the war that national differences hardened to the point where Canada and the United States could be described as truly separate nations. Given his focus on shifting identities – British subjects, American citizens, Irish rebels, and Indian allies – what Taylor provides is not a general account of the conflict but rather a “borderlands history” that sticks mainly to the action on the frontiers of Lakes Erie and Ontario. A thorough exploration of many important themes, only slightly flawed by the author’s weird conclusion that the United States won.