Now marking its bicentennial, the War of 1812 remains the least understood of America’s wars. Neither side gained a clear triumph, but in truth it was our second war of independence, settling once and for all that America would never again submit to Britain. It featured humiliating disasters --- Washington was attacked, the White House burned --- and stirring successes, like the Battle of Lake Erie, one of the greatest naval victory in American history. Here Hugh Howard, acclaimed for his vivid historical narratives, brings a forgotten conflict alive, and offers a vivid portrait of two key figures at its center, President James Madison and his charismatic, courageous first lady Dolley.