1812: The Navy's War

By: George C. Daughan

Narrated by: Marc Vietor

Length: 18 hrs and 49 mins

Publisher's summary

At the outbreak of the War of 1812, America's prospects looked dismal. It was clear that the primary battlefield would be the open ocean, but America's war fleet, only 20 ships strong, faced a practiced British navy of more than a thousand men-of-war. Still, through a combination of nautical deftness and sheer bravado, the American navy managed to take the fight to the British and turn the tide of the war: on the Great Lakes, in the Atlantic, and even in the eastern Pacific.

In 1812: The Navy's War, prize-winning historian George C. Daughan tells the thrilling story of how a handful of heroic captains and their stalwart crews overcame spectacular odds to lead the country to victory against the world's greatest imperial power. A stunning contribution to military and national history, 1812: The Navy's War is the first complete account in more than a century of how the U.S. Navy rescued the fledgling nation and secured America's future.

©2011 George C. Daughan (P)2011 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"The War of 1812 was America's first great naval war, and George Daughan tells the story, from the coast of Brazil to the Great Lakes, from election campaigns to grand strategy to ship-to-ship combat. Sweeping, exciting and detailed." (Richard Brookhiser)

"A solidly researched, well-crafted account of U.S. sea power in the War of 1812… Daughan’s achievement is contextualizing the effect of [the U.S. Navy’s] victories…. What kept the peace, Daughan argues provocatively, was America’s post-war commitment to 'a strong navy, an adequate professional army, and the financial reforms necessary to support them' - in other words, an effective deterrent." ( Publishers Weekly)

"Vietor’s timing and pacing are perfectly aligned with the narrative style of the text." ( Audiofile)

Exciting Naval Battles

Good account of how a young America showed it's navy was one to be respected. Interesting how Napoleon's war in Europe affected how the British fought the Americans.

Well worth listening to

What made the experience of listening to 1812: The Navy's War the most enjoyable?

The exciting sea battles. This book really gives a sense of what they were like, as well as their significance.

What was one of the most memorable moments of 1812: The Navy's War?

The victories of Decatur, Hull, Porter, Biddle, etc. at sea. But two moments that touches me most were the disappearance of the Essex after its victories and the Epervier carrying the Moroccan peace treaty and two newly-wed lieutenants Decatur was sending home so that they could join their wives. Through this book, I became more aware of the hardship of being at sea in those days as well as the horrors of sea battles (officers had a very good chance of being killed or wounded in every encounter). I was particularly impressed by the atrocious way seamen in the British navy were treated, something which led to widespread desertion and the impressing of American seamen that was one of the major reasons for the war. The bad treatment was not restricted to the Royal Navy; the detestable Admiral Bainbridge who was the highest ranking officer in the American navy also made himself hated by his men. But by and large the US seamen fared much better (depending on the captain), and I take a personal pleasure in imagining that this played a part in England's failure to beat the Americans whom the English politicians and military held in such contempt.

Any additional comments?

The book gives an excellent, thrilling (for the most part), and very detailed account of the war, its circumstances and its significance. I hesitated between 4 and 5 stars but opted for the latter.

Excellent read...details not covered before

I thought I had exhausted the War of 1812 having read many...many other books on the subject. I was pleasantly surprised to have many new and previously unknown facts and anecdotes presented in this work. Highly recommended.

Infomation everyone should know.

If you could sum up 1812: The Navy's War in three words, what would they be?

They sved America!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Admeral Parey

Have you listened to any of Marc Vietor’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Not shure

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

It saved what was rhen the North West..

Any additional comments?

Pay atention to it.

loved it.

This book is heavy on ship lingo and names that are hard to keep straight, but it doesn't get in the way of the story. You get used to it and lean a thing or two about ships and the captains that sailed them.

Good but not Great

Without a doubt this is a very comprehensive overview of the War of 1812. Despite the subtitle, much of this piece is about the land war around the great lakes. The performance left me feeling like I was being lectured to. The story, while detailed, seemed to jump around needlessly; no doubt due to the decision to keep each chapter focused on one specific topic. If you are a fan of the Master and Commander series, you will enjoy this a lot. The author assumes a deep understanding of sailing fighting ships and their tactics. The personality sub-plots, of which there are several, are not particularly illuminating. Madison is an imbecile. Decatur a caricature. Tecumseh, a paper doll. It was worth the time reading and will also appeal to political and economic interests. In the end, there was no regret it was over, and the message remained somewhat obscure.

After this book I am amazed that America made it

If you could sum up 1812: The Navy's War in three words, what would they be?

Growing Up Fast

Who was your favorite character and why?

I enjoyed all of them but Madison's wife is a real trooper Madison only made it by the grace of God

What does Marc Vietor bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Mr Vietor is a great reader who puts his heart into his readings Most enjoyable

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

America Tested in Battle

Any additional comments?

After reading this I am very surpised America survived Our leaders weren't really qualified to lead on an international stage Man did they make some whopper mistakes that cost alot of lives But we got it together in the end

learned a lot

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

yes, anyone who is interested in history will enjoy this,

Any additional comments?

While the intent of the book was for a detailed history of this event, sometimes it was too detailed for me, but those sections were short. Overall I would recommend it, I learned a lot, it gave facts to some things I had learned differently. I think understanding history is important.

History and not much more.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?

Not the greatest book about Napoleonic naval war fare. You would be much better off with the less detailed but better written CS Forester Naval War of 1812.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

Love the time period- read everything I can get my hands on. The least interesting aspect of the book was the way the detail was introduced and discussed- historical but uninspired.

What do you think the narrator could have done better?

I thought the narration was fine, but about as aspiring as the text.

If this book were a movie would you go see it?

No.

Fact-oriented.

What did you love best about 1812: The Navy's War?

The book is written in a factual style that always explains how many men were on both sides of a battle, how many and what kind of guns, the direction of the wind and currents, etc. There's very little editorial commentary which would actually be my only criticism because I really have no clue about sailing.