1812: The Navy's War

By: George C. Daughan

Narrated by: Marc Vietor

At the outbreak of the War of 1812, America's prospects looked dismal. It was clear that the primary battlefield would be the open ocean, but America's war fleet, only 20 ships strong, faced a practiced British navy of more than a thousand men-of-war. Still, through a combination of nautical deftness and sheer bravado, the American navy managed to take the fight to the British and turn the tide of the war: on the Great Lakes, in the Atlantic, and even in the eastern Pacific.

In 1812: The Navy's War, prize-winning historian George C. Daughan tells the thrilling story of how a handful of heroic captains and their stalwart crews overcame spectacular odds to lead the country to victory against the world's greatest imperial power. A stunning contribution to military and national history, 1812: The Navy's War is the first complete account in more than a century of how the U.S. Navy rescued the fledgling nation and secured America's future.

©2011 George C. Daughan (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"The War of 1812 was America's first great naval war, and George Daughan tells the story, from the coast of Brazil to the Great Lakes, from election campaigns to grand strategy to ship-to-ship combat. Sweeping, exciting and detailed." (Richard Brookhiser)

"A solidly researched, well-crafted account of U.S. sea power in the War of 1812… Daughan’s achievement is contextualizing the effect of [the U.S. Navy’s] victories…. What kept the peace, Daughan argues provocatively, was America’s post-war commitment to 'a strong navy, an adequate professional army, and the financial reforms necessary to support them' - in other words, an effective deterrent." ( Publishers Weekly)

"Vietor’s timing and pacing are perfectly aligned with the narrative style of the text." ( Audiofile)

Thrilling tales of yesteryear (history too)!

Would you listen to 1812: The Navy's War again? Why?

Yes - great refresher on US history and international poitics.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Napolean - Catalyst for beginning and end of war.

Have you listened to any of Marc Vietor’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

NA

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No

Any additional comments?

This is the Rest of the Story for the Battle of New Orleans.

A Lot of History

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Yes, The book was good, but a lot of history and dry at times. I did learn many details about the War of 1812. This is one that I would listen to again because I missed some details during the first listening.

Would you be willing to try another book from George C. Daughan? Why or why not?

Yes, I love History.

Epic times

always love learning more facts about an epic period 👌 keep bring them to me

Good Book to Listen To

Provided an interesting portion of the war of 1812. I didn't know much about this war much less the naval aspects of it. Very informative.

An excellent history on a little-known war

Would you consider the audio edition of 1812: The Navy's War to be better than the print version?

N/A

What was one of the most memorable moments of 1812: The Navy's War?

The gritty detail of all the naval actions.

Any additional comments?

I came into the book only knowing of the war peripherally. By the end, I was glad with the decision to listen to this book -- it gives a very good sense of the time period, which was an extremely important one for the fledgling republic.

Fascinating subject that kept me wanting more

Great book and reader did well too. Makes me want more information on other wars to see what I didn't know about them, especially the smaller wars in 1800s.

Very Detailed

This is a fairly detailed description of battles. Nice to know the story of our Navy, but I found it hard to tell who was British and who was American in some parts.

1812: the navy war

I live in Michigan..it has a great story of our lakes..in that time of war

An Excellent & well written narrative of the War of 1812 & it’s aftermath.

Since I don’t care for very long reviews, with a few exceptions, I will keep this short.

Having read about the US Navy in the Second World War, I wanted to read about an early war that does not receive the attention it deserves.

“1812: The Navy’s War” is a standout narrative the the war’s beginnings, the war itself (w just the right balance of detail and overview) to satisfy most readers.

In my mind, some of the of the best aspects of this author’s insight becomes clear in three areas. First Daughan covers the Battle of New Orleans, then revisits it and shows it importance, and significance, after the war. Second, a chapter covers developments after the war, in particular the action taken in the Mediterranean, with new and larger ships finally funded by a Congress that finally saw the need for a permanent Navy. Lastly, he covers relationship between the British Empire & the United States after the peace treaty.

An outstanding book.

A lot of the same!

It sounded like they were getting too deeply enmeshed in the operation of the ships and much too many details. Also, very repetitive!