The Naval War of 1812

First published in 1882, “The Naval War of 1812” is the first book by future United States president Theodore Roosevelt. Written two years after he graduated from Harvard, this seminal study of naval strategy was the culmination of several years of research by Roosevelt that he began while a college student. The book examines the naval battles between the United States and Great Britain during the War of 1812 and presents the facts in an unbiased and objective manner. Roosevelt starts by exploring the political and social climate in each country at the beginning of the war and compares the commanders, crews, and vessels of the American and British forces at each naval battle. The result of Roosevelt’s meticulous and exhaustive research is a stunning achievement in the study of naval strategy by a young man who had to learn everything about naval technology and terminology on his own. The book was well-received when it was published and went on to greatly influence the growth of the United States Navy, so much so that a copy was ordered to be placed on every Navy ship. Roosevelt’s remarkable “The Naval War of 1812” remains one of the most important and significant histories ever written on naval warfare. This edition includes a biographical afterword.