THIS WEEK in the War of 1812 (February 22-28, 1815)

Waiting for the other shoe to drop.

Ink and watercolor by John Rubens Smith. [circa 1814]

The war of 1812 is officially over but there are still a few chess moves to complete before the game is up. For instance, British troops in Canada haven’t gotten the word yet about the Treaty of Ghent

However, none of these events occurred this week.

Instead, we thought we’d share the list of books that have informed this weekly blog post for nearly three years.

1812: The War that Forged a Nation by Walter R. Borneman, 2004. Making sense and nation-building in “Mr. Madison’s War.”

1812: The Navy’s War by George C. Daughan, 2011. Despite its title, a detailed account of the war on land and sea.

Union 1812: The Americans Who Fought the Second War of Independence by A.J. Langguth, 2007. Profiles of the war’s winners and losers.

The Dawn’s Early Light by Walter Lord, 1972. The firts book we read on the War of 1812, an accessible, popular history.

Through the Perilous Flight: Six Weeks That Saved The Nation by Steve Vogel, 2013.  A Washington Post writer brings a historian’s eye and a reporter’s writing to the story of the battles that didn’t destroy the United States.

Our Flag Was Still There: The Sea History Press Guide to the War of 1812 by William H. White, 2012. As one would expect, lots of naval history, but key incidents on land are not ignored. Very accessible and simple.

The Battle of New Orleans: Andrew Jackson and America’s First Military Victory by Robert V. Remini, 1999.  Simply the best book on this momentuous battle.

Andrew Jackson and His Indian Wars by Robert V. Remini, 2001. The Indians of the Southeast called him “Sharp Knife,” and it wasn’t a compliment.

Patriotic Fire, Andrew Jackson and Jean Laffite at the Battle of New Orleans by Winston Groom, 2006. Groom plugs some of the holes in Reminis ‘s battle narrative, and brings some insight — and interesting facts about the pirate who saved America.

This post isn’t the end of THIS WEEK in the War of 1812. There are still the formalities of war: turning over captured territory; determining the fate of captured privateers; seamen rioting in a notorious British prison, rising stars and shattered careers. And much more …!