Quick, well done and interesting treatment of the naval aspects of the War of 1812.. Forester, one of the earliest and best fictional authors for this fictional genre maintains the delicate balance of his dual allegiances. ( )

This is a colourful, and fairly open-handed account of the naval side of the War of 1812. There is an account of every encounter that was enlivened by gunfire, and the bok can be read with profit by either side. While the entire war was not very necessary, all points under discussion except the possession of Canada by the USA having been settled by negotiation prior to the actual fighting, it was a lively contest that had two principal effects: 1) Canada did not become a northern fringe of American states, and 2) American mercantile sea-borne commerce was so greatly reduced in this three year period that it did not recover until the American civil War period.
All in all, an entertaining look at an unnecessary conflict. ( )