Flames Across the Border: 1813-1814 (Paperback)

~ (Author) "The Reverend Dr. John Strachan, schoolmaster, missionary, and chaplain of the York garrison, is in the act of drafting a letter to his mentor, the..." (more)
Key Phrases: Upper Canada, Fort George, Lake Erie (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"If history could be taught in the schools the way Berton writes about it, there wouldn't be a more popular subject on the curriculum." ? The Globe and Mail

"Berton has the storyteller's gift, the novelist's insight, the journalist's easy style and the historian's sense of time?He writes history as it should be written." ?Kingston Whig-Standard

"With the vividness of eyewitness reporting, Berton brings us the heroes and heroines of this 'bloody and senseless' conflict, as well as the cowards, the incompetents, and the eccentrics." ?Publishers Weekly

"Berton's style is bold, alive and engrossing. We smell the powder, look with horror on ravaged bodies and share the tragedy of those victimized by the conflict." ?Hamilton Spectator -- Review

Review

"If history could be taught in the schools the way Berton writes about it, there wouldn't be a more popular subject on the curriculum."
—The Globe and Mail

"Berton has the storyteller's gift, the novelist's insight, the journalist's easy style and the historian's sense of time…He writes history as it should be written."
—Kingston Whig-Standard

"With the vividness of eyewitness reporting, Berton brings us the heroes and heroines of this 'bloody and senseless' conflict, as well as the cowards, the incompetents, and the eccentrics."
—Publishers Weekly

"Berton's style is bold, alive and engrossing. We smell the powder, look with horror on ravaged bodies and share the tragedy of those victimized by the conflict."
—Hamilton Spectator

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Anchor Canada (August 14, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385658389
• ISBN-13: 978-0385658386
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #760,704 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The second part of a two volume history of the War of 1812., January 23, 2004

By	Kevin C. B. "Opportunistic reader" (Maryland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Flames Across the Border: The Canadian-American tragedy, 1813-1814 (Hardcover)

Pierre Berton's second volume of the history of the War of 1812 is as polished, accurate, and gripping as his first volume. In fact, he even goes into detail over the hardhships and difficulties endured by the US diplomatic delegation seeking an end to the war, and the internal turmoil the war causes in the New England states of the new republic. He details the rise of a younger and more competent officer corps, in both the US Navy and the US Army, which greatly improves US performance in period battles compared to the earlier military disasters of the war. He further details the improved performance of Canadian militia in upper Canada, and goes into some detail of the burning of Washington DC (and documents the reasons leading up to it in suitable depth). In summation, an excellent companion to the first volume, concentrating on relevant occurrences and facts, and using excellent narrative prose to hold the reader's interest throughout. Highly recommended.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quite simply....., May 8, 2004

By	Melvin Scott "MJS" (Toronto, Ontario Canada) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Flames Across the Border: The Canadian-American tragedy, 1813-1814 (Hardcover)

If you want to learn about the war of 1812, the books you should read are the two Pierre Berton offerings, Flames Across the Border and The Invasion of Canada, and two from Donald E. Graves on the battles of Lundy's Lane and Crysler farm. They are quite simply the best work out there.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The War Escalates Beyond the Border, September 12, 2004

By	Matherson (New York) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

The first years of the War of 1812 saw America fail to conquer Canada. The final years saw a number of battles that helped lay out the contours of a negotiated peace, but still constitute an essential stalemate in the one critical theater, the Northern Border.

Berton takes us through the brilliant naval victories scored by Oliver Perry on the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain, as well as the failed British invasion of New York State, foiled at the Battle of Lundy's Lane. He also show us how a series of cross-border raids in the Niagara area created the circumstances under which the British launched their attacks on Fort McHenry and Washington, D.C. These occurred towards the end of the war, by which time Canada's separate identity was a foregone conclusion, leaving the parties to negotiate a peace treaty that confirmed this. (Andy Jackson's successful defence of New Orleans against a British expeditionary force occurred after the parties had signed the peace accords and had no effect on the war's outcome).

Again a superb history of the only war ever fought between Canada and America.