Books on the War of 1812
Arranged alphabetically by author.


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    :  Public Documents, Containing Proceedings Of The Hartford Convention of Delegates [bookplate of Henry Cabot Lodge].  Boston: By order of the Senate of Massachusetts, 1815. . Very good+ in 1/2 dark brown, leather and marbled paper covered boards with gilt text on the spine. A small quarto of 9 1/8 by 5 5/8 inches with rubbing and wear to the leather front joint, and rubbing to the leather over the tips of the boards and with a prior owner's book plate on the front paste down and another early prior owner's name written in ink at the upper edge of the title page. The book plate on the front paste down is that of Massachusetts Senator and historian, Henry Cabot Lodge a plate engraved by the Tiffany & Co.for Lodge with his family's coat-of-arms. 54 pages of text. The Hartford Convention was an outgrowth of discontent about the War of 1812 by Federalist Party members of the New England States. Twenty-six representatives from five New England States (Maine at the time was a territory of Massachusetts) met in closed sessions for three weeks in December 1814 to mid- January, 1815 to debate and write various proposed amendments to the Constitution to limit control of the Federal Government. Due to the secrecy of the meetings rummers spread about the members discussing secession from the United States. That was not the case. Secession had never been discussed. Nonetheless, the Hartford Convention became an extremely unpopular cause for the Federalists and it led to the eventual decline and ruin of that party. (Sabin, 45959)
    TB32881  $200.00



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    A New England Farmer [Lowell, John] :  Perpetual War, The Policy of Mr. Madison.  Boston: Printed by Chester Stebbins, 1812. First Edition. Very good- in stab sewn wrapper with Bowdoin College and the name of an early prior owner (Ezra Abbot, Jr.) written across the upper edge of the front page. An octavo of 9 by 5 7/8 inches with the fore edge and lower edge rough cut and shallow chipping to the fore edge of the front page. Written in pencil is the author's name surrounded in brackets just above the word "Boston". The contents are spotted with foxing throughout, but primarily in the margins. 117 pages of text. The author, John Lowell (1769-1840) was a Massachusetts lawyer, agriculturist, philanthropist, and a well known Federalist who wrote many pamphlets in support of his point of view. He was often at odds with the Democratic Party and published many unsigned pieces critical of President James Madison's efforts to build a standing army and navy and the War of 1812. (DAB)
    TB29956  $150.00



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    Babcock, Louis:  The War Of 1812 On The Niagara Frontier.  Buffalo, New York: Buffalo Historical Society, 1927. First Edition. Very good in its original blind embossed, dark blue cloth covered boards with gilt text on the spine. A small quarto of 9 by 6 inches with the cloth at the head and heel of the spine worn, two, narrow vertical stains down the spine, rubbing to the cloth at the tips of the boards and a prior owner's name written in flow pen on the front paste down. Marginal notations in pencil are noted. 385 pages including an index and text. Illustrated with a frontispiece from a black and white photograph, several maps (one of which is a fold-out map) and black and white images from photographs at the rear of the book. Dwight L. Smith in his The War Of 1812 An Annotated Bibliography states of this title: "Narrative of the entire war in this theater, interlarded with relevant documents." (Smith, 381 p.90)
    TB33241  $75.00



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    Brown, Roger H.:  The Republic In Peril: 1812.  New York: Columbia University Press, 1964. First Edition, First printing. Fine in red cloth covered boards with a gilt on black title block on the spine. A small quarto measuring 9 1/4" by 6". Without its issued dust jacket. 238 pages including an index, chapter notes, manuscript sources and text. The author provides "An Analysis of congressional and presidential motivation for and against the war." from Dwight L. Smith's The War of 1812 An Annotated Bibliography, page 77. (Smith: The War of 1812, 328)
    TB24836  $30.00



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    Coggeshall, /George:  History Of The American Privateers, And Letters-Of-Marque, During Our War With England In The Years 1812, '13 and '4. Interspersed With Several Naval Battles Between American And British Ships Of War.  New York: Self-Publisher, 1856. First Edition. Very good+ in its original, blind embossed, brown cloth covered boards with gilt text and gilt decorations on its spine and blind embossed designs on the front and rear boards. A small quarto of 9 by 5 3/4 inches with the cloth at the head and heel of the spine rubbed and worn down to the edge of the text block and with a 1/4 inch square piece of the cloth missing from the lower fore corner of the front board. Without a dust jacket. 438 pages including an index and text. Illustrated with a color frontispiece from an engraving and seven plates. According to Dwight L. Smith's: The War Of 1812 An Annotated Bibliograpy, "The author commanded two privateers during the War of 1812" and captured nine British prize ships. (Coggeshall) "believed the war was justified as one of self-defense." (Howes, C-542; Smith, 1098)
    TB32865  $300.00



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    Crisman, Kevin J., Editor:  Coffins of the Brave Lake Shipwrecks of the War of 1812.  College Station, Tx: Texas A & M University Press, (2014). First Edition, First Printing. Fine in illustrated paper covered boards with bold white text on the spine. A quarto of 11 by 8 1/2 inches. Without a dust jacket as issued. The contents are clean and tight and without any prior ownership markings of any kind. 415 pages including an index, bibliography, appendices and text. Illustrated throughout with images of earlier works of art, maps, line drawings and images from photographs and with two sections of color images from photographs.
    TB32920  $80.00



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    [Dallas, Alexander J.]:  An Exposition Of The Causes And Character Of The Late War Between The United States And Great-Britain.  Middlebury, Vermont: William Slade, Jun., 1815. First Edition. Very good in early light brown leather (calf) covered boards with a more recently applied cloth back strip to the spine. The pages of the text block are rough cut and uniformly tanned with age. 59 pages of text. This title, although written without attribution, recognizes its authorship on the copyright page as Alexander J. Dallas. Dallas was the U.S. secretary of the treasury under James Madison. During his tenure as treasury secretary he realized that the War of 1812 was going to bankrupt the country so he took definitive steps to save the country financially by advocating the end of the war and recommending an increase of taxes. Considered "mildly scarce" by Howes. (Howes, D-25; only the Boston printing noted by Sabin, 18130)
    TB26698  $200.00



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    de Kay, James Tertius:  The Battle of Stonington Torpedoes, Submarines, and Rockets in the War of 1812.  Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1990. First Edition. Fine in red cloth covered boards with gilt text stamping on the spine. An octavo of almost 9 inches by 5 7/8 inches. In a near fine dust jacket with no price clipping with a 1/4" long closed tear at the upper edge of the front panel which is barely visible. (Note: first printings of books published by the Naval Institute Press have no price on the dust jacket flap. Reprints do however.) 216 pages including an index, list of sources, appendices, text with photographs, illustrations and maps.
    TB29218  $30.00



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    De Kay, James Tertius:  A Rage for Glory The Life of Commodore Stephen Decatur, USN.  New York: Free Press, (2004). First Edition, First Printing. Fine in 1/4 brown cloth and tan paper covered boards with gilt text on the spine. An octavo of 9 by 6 inches. In a fine, unclipped dust jacket. 237 pages including an index and a section on notes and comments. Due initially to his daring feat of bravery during the Barbary Wars, Stephen Decatur (1799-1820) was one of the most popular and well respected naval commanders in America. He added to his fame with several naval victories during the War of 1812. His unfortunate death in 1820, a result of a duel with another naval commander, occurred near the height of his career with the then fledging Navy.
    TB29302  $20.00



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    Dudley, William S. and J. Scott Hamon:  The Naval War of 1812 America's Second War of Independence.  Virginia Beach, Vir.: The Donning Company Publishers, (2013). First Edition. Fine in dark blue cloth covered boards with gilt text stamping on the spine and on the front board. A quarto of 12 by 10 inches with printed end sheets. In a fine, unclipped (no price) dust jacket. 264 pages including an index, bibliography and text. Lavishly illustrated in color throughout from photographs of earlier works of art, model ships, maps and objects from the U.S. Naval Academy Museum.
    TB32922  $75.00



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    Forbes, Lieut. Col. [James Grant]:  Report Of The Trial Of Brig. General William Hull;Commanding The North-Western Army Of The United States By A Court Martial Held At Albany On Monday, 3d January, 1814 And Succeeding Days.  New York: Eastburn, Kirk, and Co., 1814. First Edition. Good in its original 1/4 vellum and blue-green, paper covered boards with a printed, paper label on the spine. A small quarto of 9 1/8 by 5 1/2 inches with the spine cracked down the middle allowing the text block to in two roughly equal pieces, the front board is loose as is the first free end page. The top edge of the title page is signed in ink by an early prior owner which appears to be "Wm. Montague". The record of the trial against the commander of American troops for surrendering Fort Detroit to the British and their native allies within the first two months of the War of 1812. 119 pages of text followed by an appendix of 29 pages of text. In his bibliography The War of 1812 An Annotated Bibliography by Dwight L. Smith, he states of this trial: "Hull was charged with treason, cowardice, neglect of duty, and unofficer-like conduct in the Detroit campaign in 1812. The court felt that Hull had not committed treason, but that it had no legal jurisdiction in such matters. On the other charges he was found guilty and sentenced to death. But the court recommended him to the mercy of the President of the United States." He was pardoned by President James Madison. (Smith, , 532;
    TB32875  $300.00



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    Hammersley, Sydney Ernest:  The Lake Champlain Naval Battles of 1776-1814.  Waterford, New York: Self-published, 1959. First Edition, First printing. Fine in green cloth covered boards with gilt text stamped on the spine and front board. An octavo measuring 9" by 6". Without a dust jacket (probably as issued); however, the covers are protected by a thick acetate jacket. Laid-in is a mimeographed, one page advance ad by the author for this book. Additionally, the book is signed by the author on the title page. 28 pages of text including a list of references and bibliography. Illustrated with black and white photographs.
    TB25170  $85.00



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    Hammersley, Sydney Ernest:  The Lake Champlain Naval Battles of 1776-1814.  Waterford, New York: Self-published, 1959. First Edition, First printing. Fine in green cloth covered boards with gilt text stamped on the spine and front board. An octavo measuring 9 by 6 inches. There is a dated ("June 1959") gift inscription on the front free end page. The book is in otherwise perfect condition. Without a dust jacket (probably as issued); however, the covers are protected by a thick acetate jacket. 28 pages of text including a list of references and bibliography. Illustrated with black and white photographs.
    TB22631  $40.00



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    Hickey, Donald R.:  The War of 1812 A Forgotten Conflict.  Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1989. First Edition, First Printing. Fine in dark blue cloth covered boards with gilt on brown title block on the spine. an octavo measuring 9" by 6". In a near fine dust jacket with light rubbing to the corners of the front panel. Not price clipped as there is no price on the front flap. The author spent 20 years of time researching to produce this history of the United States' second war with Great Britian. 457 pages including an index, chapter notes, a list of sources, text and illustrated with reproductions of contemporary art.
    TB28397  $35.00



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    Langguth, A. J.:  Union 1812 The Americans Who Fought the Second War of Independence.  New York: Simon and Schuster, 2006. First Edition, First printing. Fine in tan paper covered boards with metallic red text stamped on the spine. In a fine, unclipped dust jacket. 482 pages including photo credits, index, bibliography, chapter notes and text. Illustrated with a frontispiece, maps and reproductions of contemporary works of art.
    TB22833  $20.00




  • Lemmon, Sarah McCulloh:  Frustrated Patriots North Carolina and the War of 1812.  Chapel Hill: University of N.C. Pres, 1973. First Edition, First printing. Fine in charcoal gray cloth covered boards with silver colored text stamping on the spine. In a near fine dust jacket with a price clipped flap and very faint rubbing on the front panel. 223 pages containing an index, bibliography and text. The author presents the history of North Carolina's motivations for joining the war and its participation.
    TB11675  $28.00



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    Malcomson, Thomas, and Robert Malcomson:  HMS Detroit The Battle For Lake Erie.  Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, (1990). First Edition, First Pringint. Fine in black cloth covered boards with gilt text on the spine. A quarto of 11 1/2 by 8 1/2 inches. In a fine, unclipped (no price) dust jacket with a minor 1/4 inch closed tear at the upper edge of the spine area. 151 pages containing picture credits, index, bibliography, chapter notes and text. Illustrated with maps, line drawings, images from black and white photographs and earlier works of art.
    TB31328  $40.00



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    Nevin, David:  1812.  New York: Tom Doherty Assoc., 1996. First Edition, First printing. Fine in 1/4 blue cloth and paper covered boards with bold gilt text stamping on the spine. In a near fine unclipped dust jacket with only a hint of rubbing to the upper edge of the spine area. Warmly inscribed to a prior owner by the author and dated in the year of publication on the title page. Author of the bestseller, Dream West. The jacket contains very favorable reviews by John Jakes, James Michener, Thomas Fleming, Philip B. Kunhardt and Edmund S. Muskie.
    TB23320  $35.00




  • Nevin, David:  1812.  New York: Tom Doherty Assoc., 1996. First Edition, First printing. Fine in 1/4 blue cloth and paper covered boards. In a near fine dust jacket with just a hint of rubbing at the ends of the spine area. Author of the bestseller, Dream West. The jacket contains very favorable reviews by John Jakes, James Michener, Thomas Fleming, Philip B. Kunhardt and Edmund S. Muskie.
    TB10465  $21.00



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    Pack, James:  The Man Who Burned the White House Admiral Sir George Cockburn 1772-1853.  Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, (1987). First Edition, First printing. Fine in black paper covered boards with gilt text stamping on the spine. An octavo measuring 8 1/2" by 5 1/4". In a fine unclipped dust jacket. A biography of the man who planned and executed the burning of Washington, D.C. in 1814, and later became the gaoler of Napoleon at St. Helena and eventually First Naval Lord.
    TB30032  $35.00



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    Perkins, Samuel:  A History Of The Political And Military Events Of The Late War Between The United States And Great Britain.  New Haven, Conn.: S. Converse, 1825. First Edition. Very good+ in a contemporary, full leather binding with a red leather label on the spine with gilt text and with gilt rules to simulate raised bands on the spine. An octavo of 8 1/2 vy 5 1/8 inches with light wear and rubbing to the edges of the boards and with the front joint starting which has been professionally reinforced. There is an early prior owner's name in pencil on the first free end page and the first 72 pages of the text block show a dampness stain to the lower fore corner of the pages. 512 pages of text. Perkins, a native of Connecticut, studied theology at Yale, became a preacher, but later switched to law. He wrote three books on history. This title was his first and more famous of the three. (Howes, P-236; Sabin, 60972)
    TB32880  $175.00



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    Roberts, Kenneth:  Lydia Bailey (Limited Edition).  New York: Doubleday & Company, 1947. First Limited Edition. Fine in white cloth covered boards with gilt text stamping on the spine and a gilt top edge. The cloth on the spine is very slightly tanned. The book is contained within a very good+ original, paper covered slipcase with minor wear at the corners. Signed by the author and numbered 191 out of 1,050 copies. What makes this limited edition particularly unique is that laid-in at its front is a page from Robert's, typewritten working manuscript complete with his penciled annotations and corrections. This particular page is quite unique. The typewritten side is completed crossed-out in pencil and the verso side of the page is entirely in pencil by the author which is quite unusual! An extremely attractive copy with a very unusual page from his manuscript.
    TB24345  $200.00



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    Roberts, Kenneth:  Captain Caution.  Garden City: Doubleday Doran, 1934. First Edition, First Printing. Very near fine in blue cloth covered boards with gilt text on the spine and with a pattern to the cloth and a gilt eagle on the front board. A 12mo of 7 7/16 by 5 1/8 with the cloth at the head and heel of the spine is very lightly rubbed. In a very good, unclipped dust jacket with 1/4 inch deep chips at the upper and lower edges of the spine area and two closed tears at the lower fore edge of the front panel. Signed and inscribed by the author on the title page with "With Best Wishes | Kenneth Roberts". An historical fiction novel which takes place during the War of 1812. 310 pages of text followed by ads from the publisher.
    TB31422  $200.00



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    Roberts, Jerry:  The British Raid on Essex The Forgotten Battle Of The War of 1812.  Middletown, Conn.: Wesleyan University Press, (2014). First Edition, First Printing. Fine in 1/4 black cloth and blue paper covered boards with gilt text on the spine. An octavo of 9 by 6 inches with map end sheets. In a fine, unclipped dust jacket. 197 pages including an index, bibliography, notes and sources, appendices and text. Illustrated throughout with maps, photographs and reproductions of both contemporary and current works of art. At the time Essex was called "Pettipaug". It was and is on the west bank of the Connecticut River upstream of Long Island Sound by roughly five miles. As such it was a major port and ship building center. During both the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812 many ships were constructed in its harbors for American privateers. In 1814 the British made a surprise attack on Pettipaug burning 27 vessels either under construction or at moorings making it a major maritime loss of the war.
    TB29226  $40.00



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    Roberts, Kenneth:  Captain Caution.  New York: Editions for the Armed Services, Inc., 1934. Armed Forces Overseas Edition. Very good+ in printed, heavy paper wraps over a stapled binding. An oblong 32mo of 4 1/2 by 6 1/2 inches with light rubbing to the edges of the front cover and a stamp of the "Army War College Washington, D." stamped on the front cover and the second to last page of the text. An historical fiction novel which takes place during the War of 1812. 285 pages followed by a page of acknowledgments by the author and a list of other volumes in the Armed Services Editions.
    TB30869  $35.00




  • Roberts, Kenneth:  Lydia Bailey.  Garden City: Doubleday & Company, 1947. First Edition, First printing. Very good in decorated black cloth covered boards with bright gilt text stampings on the spine and front board with map end papers. The outer margins of many of the pages show a dampness stain that fortunately does not impact on the printing on the pages. In a good+ unclipped dust jacket with heavy wear to the ends of the spine area. An historical fiction novel which takes place in 1800 during America's Quasi-War with France and extends on to the slave rebellion in Haiti and then moves on to Tripoli to witness the U.S. war with the pirates from the Barbary States.
    TB22970  $20.00




  • Robotti & James Vescovi, Frances Diane:  The USS Essex and the Birth of the American Navy.  Holbrook, MA: Adams Media Corporation, 1999. First Edition, First printing. Fine in green paper covered boards with gilt text stamping on the spine. In a fine dust jacket with the price intact on the front flap. 302 pages including an index, glossary, appendices, bibliography, text with illustrations.
    TB14105  $15.00




  • Shepard, Betty:  Bound for Battle The Cruise of the US Frigate Essex in the War of 1812.  New York: Harcourt, Brace & World, 1967. First Edition, First printing. Fine in light gray cloth covered boards with dark blue text on the spine. In a very good- dust jacket with the price intact on the front flap, the spine area is faded and with shallow chips at the corners of the spine area and rubbing at the folds. The captain of the Essex, Captain David Porter, orginally wrote this journal which was edited and condensed by Ms. Shepard. 221 pages containing a glossary text & illustrations.
    TB13066  $17.00



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    Smith, Zachary F.:  The Battle of New Orleans Including The Previous Engagements between the Americans and the British, the Indians, and the Spanish which let to the Final Conflict on the 8th of January, 1815.  Louisville, Kentucky: John P. Morton & Company, 1904. First Edition. Near fine in heavy printed wraps with a sewn binding and untrimmed fore edge to the text block. A quarto of 12 1/2 by 9 3/4 inches. The heavy gray-green wrap shows minor fading of the spine area and two shallow chips at the corners of the heel of the spine the fore edges are rough matching the uncut fore edge of the text block. Without a dust jacket as issued. A Filson Club Publication numbered 19. 209 pages including a seven page index, appendices listing the Kentuckian participants in the battle and text. Illustrated with maps and photographic reproductions of contemporary works of art. "A narrative account of the campaign including rationale for the Kentuckian participants who left the fight on the West Bank of the MIssissippi. Appended with a roster of participants from Kentucky." (Smith: The War of 1812 An Annotated Bibliography, 946) A very clean and handsome copy.
    TB31325  $175.00



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    Updyke, Frank A.:  The Diplomacy Of The War of 1812.  Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins Press, 1915. First Edition. Very near fine in its original blue cloth covered boards with gilt text on the spine. A small octavo of 7 1/2 by 5 1/4 inches with hints of rubbing to the cloth at the ends of the spine area and at the tips of the boards and with a prior owner's name neatly written on the first free end page. Without a dust jacket. 494 pages including an index and text. This is one of the volumes in The Albert Shaw Lectures on Diplomatic History.
    TB32867  $100.00






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