Taken collectively, these volumes present an effective, engaging account of the causes, personages, and battles of an all-too-often-forgotten American conflict. Occurring in the early years of the young nation, it tested the Republic’s mettle, fanned the flames of nationalism, and provided a proving ground for future leaders, such as Andrew Jackson. Each volume, covering a particular aspect of the war, presents readers with germane terminology and concepts critical to understanding the conflict and its role in American history. Brief sidebars, numerous photos and illustrations, and concise chapters all work to keep readers engaged with the diversity of information. While the writing leaves much to be desired and the addition of a few primary sources would have been helpful, these titles do provide eye-catching, well-captioned images and straightforward arrangements of facts to create serviceable additions for reports.—Brian Odom, Pelham Public Library, AL

The War of 1812 has been relatively overlooked in the area of historical scholarship. When compared with the literally tens of thousands of published works dealing with the American Civil War, the historical attention paid to the War of 1812 pales to insignificance. Yet, the War of 1812 did yield significant aftereffects and is worthy of both study and remembrance. The four-volume “Documenting the War of 1812” series aims at providing youngsters with a concise overview of the people, places, and battles that encompassed this all too forgotten conflict. In this book readers are given thumbnail biographies of critical military and political leaders who helped shape the events of the war. Some of these figures such as Andrew Jackson, President Madison, and Tecumseh may be familiar to many readers. On the other hand, people such as General Isaac Brock, Laura Secord, and Fanny Doyle may be unknown even to a serious scholar of the period. This blending of the renowned with the anonymous yet important people make this book one that will interest readers with a interest in history. As is the case with other books in the parent series, this particular publication is marked by good writing, solid research, and an eye toward storytelling. History is made up of innumerable intertwined stories. This book is based on that premise and serves its readers well. Reviewer: Greg M. Romaneck