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Title: The Battle of New Orleans: Andrew Jackson and America's First Military Victory by Robert V. Remini ISBN: 0-14-100179-8 Publisher: Penguin Books Pub. Date: 01 May, 2001 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.14 (21 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Brisk, exciting account of the battle
Comment: I bought and read this book while visiting New Orleans which made the book a very enjoyable read. Remini starts with Jackson's early War in the South. A forgotten American war hero, Jackson manages to win decisive victories in the Creek war, repulse the British at Mobile, and capture Pensacola from the Spaniards before scurrying over to New Orleans to save the city from an ignominious fate at the hands of the Duke of Wellington's army.
The story itself is fantastic - Jackson's few regulars and Tennessee, Mississippi, and Kentucky militiamen, allied with New Orleans society men, free blacks, and Lafitte's pirates wind up outfighting the finest and most disciplined army in the world (who defeated Napoleon, by the way). The book includes helpful campaign maps and is well written even if some of the author's claims are a bit overblown (?America's first military victory?).
Rating: 5
Summary: Well Written, Concise, Stiring Account of Battle
Comment: Remini has filled a gap for lovers of American history. The War of 1812, which the Battle of New Orleans ended convincingly (allowing the previously negotiated Treaty of Ghent to be accepted by both the British and our side as negotiated), has had too few treatments in recent years.
Yet the Battle of New Orleans, as the author argues, perhaps was the event that convinced hostile Europeans that America was here to stay as a free nation. I would not completely agree with Remini's contention that the Battle of New Orleans was America's first major victory over European arms (he dismisses Yorktown and Saratoga as mere surrenders doing in my opinion a disservice to the aggressive American commanders and troops who did fight and convincingly beat the British at Saratoga). The author makes a case that this neglected Battle of a forgotten war earned our country the grudging respect it would need to grow unmolested over the next few decades.
That having been said, the book is a very well written account of a stirring and fascinating story. General Andrew Jackson, after defeating the Creek Indians and punishing Spanish Florida for aiding that foe as well as the British, leads his American volunteers to Louisianna to defend against the expected British move on New Orleans.
The British proceed to the bayous of the Mississippi delta and engage in another European style campaign against wiley American back country fighters. One wonders why the English high command did not learn the lessons of Gen. Braddock's defeat in the French and Indian War or numerous defeats during the American Revolution. Doctrinaire plans and rigid troop handling along the lines of European war were not very successful against citizen soldiers who know how to use their weapons with skill and fight from behind cover.
Using first person sources to illustrate the events in December 1814 to January of 1815, Remini gives voice to the events and people who helped make New Orleans a stirring American victory. Unsurprisingly, this biographer of Jackson paints a good portrait of the man whose talents and traits were sorely needed by our side in facing British regiments who had recently faced down Napolean's best troops. The hodge-podge of defenders are given colorful treatment. The pirate Laffite brothers and their outlaw band who manned our artillery, backwoodsmen in buckskin (giving the name the British used for our troops -- 'dirty shirts'), freed blacks, Creols and New Orleans first citizens all manned the barracades to await the onslaught.
The British, with their straight ahead determination, poor avenue of attack and lack of planning aided the American cause. But Jackson earned much of the glory that surrounded his victory. He cajoled troops and supplies, built a well fortified line, attacked before the British were all up and ready and worked to keep together an army that in reality was more like today's UN peacekeeping forces than a coherent American corps.
The battle scenes are well told, particularly the Jan. 8th main assualt in front of New Orleans. Remini's writing is good enough that the unfamiliar (to most) details of an unknown battlefield come alive in the reader's mind. So do the personalities on both sides. His descriptions are aided by three very good maps that allow one to fully picture the terrain.
This book is a quick read. The author tells just enough of the main charactors to separate them from one another in the story without bogging it down with a lot of background. The battles themselves come alive and are given a full description and dramatic rendering. You'll enjoy this book.
Rating: 4
Summary: Fine account of a forgotten battle and war
Comment: "In 1814, we took a little trip, along with Colonel Jackson down the Mighty Mississipp"... whoops! I may have been channeling the spirit of Johnny Horton there, but remembering that song causes one to remember the battle it commemorates and the all-too-forgotten war in was a part of. All that most people know of the War of 1812 was that it was the second time we fought and defeated the British. Some may know that that was the war when our great national anthem "The Star Spangled Banner" was penned (though most think it was written during the Revolution or Civil War). Few realize or understand just how important the War of 1812 was to the future of the United States, or just how close this fledgling country came to having its livelihood destroyed. Even those who know a little more about the war may view the Battle of New Orleans as an unnecessary skirmish coming well after the signing of the peace treaty between Britain and America. Fortunately, Robert Remini's book, "The Battle of New Orleans", puts the war into its proper perspective and shows us how important military victory the Battle of New Orleans was.
For those not familiar, the War of 1812 began because the British would not recognize the sovereignty of the United States and kept conscripting its sailors to assist in Britain's war with France. In addition, Britain, along with all other European nations, did not respect the United States in general. The U.S. government believed it needed to take action to secure the safety of its own ships while also sending a loud statement to Europe that this was not a country to be trifled with. So, they declared war on Britain. Aside from a few skirmishes, though, the war was not much of note before the parties met to negotiate a peace treaty. The most notable happenings were the failed U.S. invasion of Canada (still a British colony), the British invasion and burning of Washington D.C., and the famed bombardment of Fort McHenry where the fort's resiliency caused Francis Scott Key to pen our anthem. While the terms of peace were be negotiated, though, the British forces sensed and opportunity to strike a crippling blow the United States by attempting to capture New Orleans, which would give them control of the Mississippi and essentially end all of the U.S. expansion hopes and keep this nation at only a third of its current size and likely would have slowly choked it to death. The U.S., recognizing this threat, sent a ragtag force commanded by General (not Colonel, as from the song) Andrew Jackson to fortify and defend the city against British aggression.
It is Remini's assertion that the ensuing conflict, which at one point included a skirmish where over 1000 British soldiers were killed to only 8 for the U.S., was the first true military victory for this young nation. He contends that the key battles of Saratoga and Yorktown during the Revolution were more surrenders than decisive military victories and, for that reason, Britain still did not respect the United States because they did feel that they had truly lost. Even most of the War 1812 was devoid of any decisive engagements. While Remini's opinion of those last battles of the Revolution are highly debatable, there is no doubting his claim that the resounding victory at the Battle of New Orleans was landmark achievement in the development of United States as a legitimate nation and a fledgling world power. Remini does a fine job setting up the battle and chronicling all the dramatic twists and turns that took place. Reading this book is essential to understanding the importance of the Battle of New Orleans and, on a greater scale, the War of 1812. At just 240 pages, it is a quick read. Yet, it gives the reader a wealth of detail regarding that battle. It's a definite must for any history buff.
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Title: Chalmette : The Battle for New Orleans and How the British Nearly Stole the Louisiana Territory by Charles Patton ISBN: 0970910401 Publisher: Hickory Tales Pub Pub. Date: 09 April, 2001 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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Title: Andrew Jackson and His Indian Wars by Robert V. Remini ISBN: 0142001287 Publisher: Penguin Books Pub. Date: 25 June, 2002 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
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Title: The Life of Andrew Jackson (Perennial Classics) by Robert V. Remini ISBN: 0060937351 Publisher: Perennial Pub. Date: 01 September, 2001 List Price(USD): $18.00 |
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Title: Lafitte the Pirate by Lyle Saxon, E.H. Suydam ISBN: 0882893955 Publisher: Pelican Publishing Company Pub. Date: 01 October, 1989 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: The Naval War of 1812 (Modern Library War) by Theodore Roosevelt, Caleb Carr, John Allen Gable ISBN: 0375754199 Publisher: Modern Library Pub. Date: 01 May, 1999 List Price(USD): $15.95 |
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