1812 [Mass Market Paperback]

David Nevin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 15, 1997

The war of 1812 would either make America a global power sweeping all the way to the Pacific--or break it into small pieces bound to mighty England. It was a second revolution of sorts to prove to the British that America had to be taken seriously. The principal actors in this drama were James and Dolley Madison, and Andrew and Rachel Jackson. Their courage and determination would shape America's destiny.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Ten bestselling authors have contributed blurbs to Nevin's second novel (after the bestselling Dream West, 1983)?among them fellow historical novelists Gary Jennings, James Michener and John Jakes. Nevin incorporates traits of all three in his re-creation of the War of 1812: Jennings's intense detailing, Michener's sweep and Jakes's passion for America all surface here at times, though what results is less a glorious work of historical art than an insistently intriguing animated tableau. The narrative can be terribly talky, especially in the beginning. An early scene in the White House featuring President James Madison and a visiting General Andrew Jackson, who wants to take Canada by force from Britain, crams enough political, military and cultural information into dialogue between the two to fill a history lesson?no surprise, since Nevin writes history books for the Time-Life series. Yet, in this very scene, Jackson and Madison, modeled with care, come to some sort of virtual life. As war begins between Britain and the U.S., culminating in the writing of the "Star Spangled Banner" and the burning of Washington, D.C., Nevin, helping himself with particularly vigorous battle scenes, conveys a kind of grandeur. This is, in essence, a patriotic pageant, but it's one crammed with color and captivating characters, and a good bet to follow in Dream West's footsteps as a TV miniseries. $150,000 ad/ promo; author tour.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

This sprawling historical novel, with colorful characters ranging from Andrew Jackson to Winfield Scott, will certainly have some guaranteed appeal. Nevin's (Dream West, 1983) ability to sum up historical events in readable prose serves to bring to life a somewhat obscure corner of U.S. history, the War of 1812. Especially well executed are the battle scenes, which are narrated from the field and manage to retain a clear picture of the overall events. Nicely drawn maps of battles and troop movements lend an added air of authority and clarity to the proceedings. Some of Nevin's attempts to make full-blooded human beings of his characters?from Dolley and James Madison to Andrew and Rachel Jackson?by giving them a love life are less than effective. Still, this is recommended wherever there is interest in historical fiction.
-?David Glenn Dodd, Univ. of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Forge Books; First Edition edition (July 15, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0812524713
• ISBN-13: 978-0812524710
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #836,219 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best History Book I've Ever Read, August 12, 2003

By 

James A. White (Cookeville, TN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: 1812 (Mass Market Paperback)

This is quite simply the best history book I've ever read, whether it's non-fiction, a textbook, or historical fiction (as this one is), regardless of the time period or country involved. The book goes very in-depth on the War of 1812 and hits you with constant facts, but you'll never be bored. It's all presented in story format with lots of dialogue that isn't really very stilted or different from our own. It sounds more like ours when we're just trying to sound good. The descriptive passages are exciting and easy to read.

Six main people make up the fabric of this novel: Pres. James and Dolly Madison are in Washington, D.C., running the country and throwing Dolley's famous political balls. The excitement as Dolley runs from the burning White House is tangible. Next, is Andrew and Rachel Jackson, first at home in Nashville, TN, and then with Andrew on the warfront. First, he battles the Seminole Indians in Florida and eventually takes on the British in New Orleans. Finally, Winfield Scott leads his troops in amazing land victories while getting occasional visits from his Washington girlfriend, the daughter of a newspaper magnate and the only main fictional character in the novel.

This book makes you realize, for the first time, what war truly is. It isn't dropping bombs from the air on nameless and faceless people. It's seeing your enemy eye-to-eye, and occasionally fighting him hand-to-hand for the sake of your country's survival, amid political turmoil and threat of secession. Remember: War is hell! This book is heaven!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Fine Denouement for a War That Never Had One!, April 16, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: 1812 (Mass Market Paperback)

At times absorbing, at times uneven. Nearly always well researched and smacking of authenticity.

This novel has a lot of ground to cover. The author divides time, nearly evenly, between private lives, diplomacy, and combat for all the key players of the war. He also divides the time evenly between conflicts in the North and in the South. Nevin treads between history documentary and steamy mini-series innuendo and nearly pulls it off entirely. These two areas are difficult to bring together. Alternately, I would long to return to the combat theater while the author waxes on the domestic trials of Rachael Donnelson Jackson, or wish to read more about Sally McQuirks early femminist character while the author was steeped in documenting Jackson's sweep of the south. Oh well.

None the less the novel was engrossing and a pleasure. Its biggest downfall was that the Treaty of Ghent was completely ignored! There was quite a group of personalities involved in that roe. They would would have fit in well with Nevin's saga. Perhaps his next historical novel can examine the picadillios that occurred in that lowlands city.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't put it down., October 20, 1999

By 

Kevin P. Schultz ""The sun now rose upon ... (Ashburn, VA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: 1812 (Mass Market Paperback)

I rank this book ALMOST as good as The Killer Angels, and right up there with Gods and Generals and The Last Full Measure. Nevin did an excellent job of making a page-turner novel based on a segment of American history that I think most Americans don't know much about. I've lent the book out to friends who have also loved it.