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Rating: 
Summary: finest book on the subject
Review: I have read "Dawn's Early Light" several times and have found it to be the single most readable and understandable writing on a subject that is suprisingly not well known to most American readers. Lord uses numerous primary sources- diaries, letters, and memoirs of the participants, as well as thorough research and a tightly written narrative to tell the story of the British invasion of 1814. Especially effective are his characterizations of the British and American leadership. Walter Lord has managed to convey effectively the professionalism and cockiness of the British forces and the hopelessly chaotic and desperate American defense. It reads very much like a novel.
Rating: 
Summary: Exceptional!
Review: Most of us are taught to believe that the War of 1812 was an American fiasco. Walter Lord's The Dawn's Early Light is an exceptionally well written work which depicts just how America sent the Brits packing for a second time and along the way earned not only international respect but also forged a sense of true national identity.This is quite a fine work. Starting with the British burning of Washington, DC, Lord follows through to the defeat of the same army at Baltimore and the subsequent annihilation of the Duke of Wellington's finest troops, those that defeated Napoleon at Waterloo, at the Battle of New Orleans. While the battle sequences are extremely well done, the behind the scene negotiations are covered equally well. This book delivers what most historians often forget. By defeating Great Britain twice, a very young nation, one whose ideas of self government were so uncertain that some of its own citizens though it would not work, developed a sense of self, one that was to set the tone for the rest of the world to follow. This is a remarkably well written and structured work, sure to please all but the British!
Rating: 
Summary: Concise & interesting account of this campaign.
Review: This book is the first I have read concerning the War of 1812. In this book the author covers the period from August 1814 with the British marching onto Washington. Walter Lord offers a spendid account of the fighting at Bladensburg, the burning of Washington and the subsequent campaign against the British. The use of first hand account offers a splendid insight into the people, soldiers, sailors and politicians caught up during this period of history. A well researched and finely told account of this dramatic time in America's past. An excellent story!
Rating:
Summary: Detailed & Exciting Account
Review: This is the first book I have read on the War of 1812 and I found it to be an excellent refresher. The book presents the battles and troop movements with striking detail. The author manages to avoid boring the reader with cumbersome details. His mixture of personal accounts & interesting details results in an enjoyable read. For a history book, it is rather exciting. I highly reccommend this book to any history buff.
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