Rating: 
Summary: Remini's never-ending work on Andrew Jackson
Review: Remini's thesis is that the Battle of New Orleans was critical for the self-esteem of the young republic. The victory of New Orleans allowed Americans to once again hold their heads up with pride, and Andrew Jackson was crowned, national hero. Remini attributes the victory of American troops to Jackson's Charismatic leadership, and the British leadership's failures lack of intiative and understand of the logistical demands of their invasion plans. Remini evidence is persausive on tatical issues on field of battle, but is less convincing on issues of symbolic importance of the Battle of New Orleans to the American people. However, Remini use of primary sources is commendable. The use of journals of British officers and Jackson's personal letters add credibility to the work. This book is a good starting place for those interested in the Battle of New Orleans or want an introduction to Andrew Jackson.
Rating:
Summary: excellent little book
Review: Robert V. Remini is the great modern authority on Andrew Jackson, having written a majestic, award winning, three volume biography. Now he has taken a lifetime of research and consideration and distilled it down into one slender volume examining the pivotal moment in Jackson's career and, he argues, one of the vital events in our nation's history. If you're like me you know exactly three things about the War of 1812. First, that Dolly Madison saved the White House portrait of George Washington from being burned by invading British troops. Second, every kid who ever went to summer camp knows the great Johnny Horton song Battle of New Orleans. Third, that the battle itself took place after the peace treaty had been signed ending the War, but before the combatants had been informed. That was seriously all I knew until I read David Nevin's novel 1812 a couple of years ago (see review). You may know more. If so, more power to you. Should we know more? Remini makes a compelling case that we should. In addition to doing an excellent job of narrating the events of the battle, he argues that the victory was the moment that really made America a nation. The elements he cites include not merely the fact that it produced a future President, but also the confidence building importance of a citizen army winning a battle against the professional troops of the great British Empire, as well as the fact that this overwhelming defeat made the nations of Europe begin to take the United States seriously as a player on the world stage. In fact, he goes beyond this to argue that New Orleans was actually the nation's first military victory, discounting actions like Saratoga and Yorktown as mere surrenders. It is, of course, possible that he overstates this case a little, having such a vested interest in Jackson's career. On the other hand, he raises an excellent and little understood point about the War. It was one of only three wars in our history where our existence as a nation was truly threatened (obviously the Revolution and the Civil War were the others). We've fought all kinds of skirmishes, minor brush wars and mopping up operations--Mexican, Spanish-American, WWI, Korea, Vietnam, Persian Gulf, etc. And we like to kid ourselves about the threat that the Nazis posed in WWII, though by the time we got in, they were already toast. But really there were only the three conflicts where the United States as we understand it could have perished. If we understood that fact better, perhaps we would pay more heed to the events of 1812-1815. As is, Remini has done his part to capture our attention with this excellent little book. GRADE: B+
Rating: 
Summary: Myths Perpetuated Yet Again
Review: There has been much good scholarship that has come out on the War of 1812 in the last ten years or so. John Elting's Amateurs, To Arms!, the excellent work of Canadian historian Donald Graves on the fighting on the Niagara frontier, as well as reliable histories on the siege of Fort Erie, the Battle of Sackett's Harbor, the Battle of Lake Erie, and the war on Lake Ontario. Additionally, Henry Adams' The War of 1812, the definitive volume of the war, has recently been reprinted. This recent volume on The Battle of New Orleans, however, is just not up to that standard, and perpetuates myths of that battle that have been put to rest by some of the above mentioned histories. Now, they are rearing their ugly head again, after so much research and scholarship has been accomplished to find out the facts of the case. In that respect, the author of this volume has done the history of the War of 1812 a great disservice. Like the Revolution before it, the militia in the War of 1812 generally had a dismal record, yet the author seems to wallow in joy praising the 'citizen soldiers' who did so well at New Orleans. The Tennessee and Kentucky Volunteers did perform well, but were not in the strictest sense militia. The accomplishments of the regulars, both army and marines, he pushes to the background, although, especially in the night attack of 24 December, they incurred the most casualties. For the battle itself on 8 January 1815, the author makes a point that American rifle fire was a deciding factor in the American victory, when it was the American artillery and the musket that defeated and outshot the British. As John Elting succinctly states in Amateurs, To Arms! 'Though New Orleans has come down in American tradition as a victory for the Kentucky rifle, it was the American artillery that did most to crush the British attack. Next was the smoothbore musket with which regulars and most of the Louisians, Kentucky, and Tennessee militia were armed. Coffee's riflemen, being on the far left flank, were not heavily engaged. In fact, the musket's higher rate of fire made it superior to the rifle for such fighting.' Additionally, the author makes the ridiculous statement that New Orleans was 'America's first military victory' and that previous victories over the British such as Saratoga and Yorktown 'were simply surrenders, nothing more.' Nothing could be further from the truth. There had been American victories in the north against British regulars at Chippawa, Sackett's Harbor, Plattsburgh, Baltimore, the Thames, York, and Fort Erie, not to mention the strategic naval victories on Lake Erie and Lake Champlain. There were famous victories in the Revolution too, besides Saratoga and Yorktown: Cowpens, King's Mountain, and Greene's strategic victory in the Carolinas to name a few. To make a statement such as this in what is supposed to be a military history is ludicrous. Interestingly, neither John Elting's excellent history nor Henry Adams definitive work were used in the preparation of this volume. Neither was Robin Reilly's Enemy at the Gates, which is also an excellent history of the New Orleans campaign. In my opinion, not consulting them hurt this volume irreparably. This volume is not recommended as there are more scholarly and accurate volumes available, such as those mentioned above.
Rating:
Summary: Good account of an important battle
Review: This was a good book because it went into detail about a battle, while never underrated in importance, that is often written off as happening exactly as it is portrayed in the Johnny Horton song. This book is not bogged down with fancy jargon, making it very approachable to someone with minimal knowledge of the subject matter. The author is a famous Jackson scholar, and his account of the battle that made both Jackson and the U.S. should not be missed.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Historical Work
Review: Truth is "stranger" than fiction. This is a great book recapping the Battle of New Oreans. Like similar books it is "scary" to see how close history could have gone one way or the other based on decisions or mistakes of those who, inevitably, define history.
Andrew Jackson did us proud and this is a wonderful book.
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