The War of 1812 in the Age of Napoleon

From the publishers:
The War of 1812 is etched into American memory with the burning of the Capitol and the White House by British forces, The Star-Spangled Banner, and the decisive naval battle of New Orleans.
 
In The War of 1812 in the Age of Napoleon, Jeremy Black provides an account of the war framed within a wider political and economic context than most American historians have previously considered. In his examination of events both diplomatic and military, Black especially focuses on the actions of the British, for whom the conflict was, he argues, a mere distraction from the Napoleonic War in Europe.
 
Black describes parallels and contrasts to other military operations throughout the world. He stresses the domestic and international links between politics and military conflict; in particular, he describes how American political unease about a powerful executive and strong army undermined U.S. military efforts. He also offers new insights into the war in the West, amphibious operations, the effects of the British blockade, and how the conflict fit into British global strategy.

From napoleon.org:
This book is an exceedingly detailed account of a very complicated story. It is packed full of information and has a useful selection of additional reading at the end. The three maps are, what is more, admirably clear. It professes to offer an American market a less parochial and more international context for this almost forgotten conflict. The introduction and first chapter, entitled the “Paths to war”, cover fifty-seven pages (more than a fifth of the book). Its dense pages try to guide the reader through the labyrinth of American history, from the Seven Years' War, through the American War of Independence up to the beginning of the War of 1812. The central part of the book (chapters two and three) is more classically, militarily historical, dealing with the American attacks of 1812 and 1813. Chapter four discusses the war at sea, and chapter five gives an account of the British counterattack. Two concluding chapters unpack the consequences of the war and give conclusions.
 
The overwhelming feeling in this book is the perceived need to cover a great deal in few pages. The atmosphere is as a result breathless, and the reader is left longing for development. There also seems to be confusion in the style. On the one hand the writing is very professorial (as if for an audience of professional historians), and yet on the other the book also offers explanations aimed at general public. It thus appears to fall between two stools. There is furthermore none of the clarity or amusing style of Hill's Napoleon's Troublesome Americans (Washington 2005), nor any of the verve of Malcolmson in his telling of the Battle of Queenston Heights (A Very Brilliant Affair: The Battle of Queenston Heights, 1812, Toronto 2003). One solution would have been more frequent inter-titling simply to help the reader follow the account. It could also have led the author to be more vigorous in his selection of the most important parts of the story. One final grumble: the title is most annoying; as if there were a war of 1812 not in the age of Napoleon. Might this be a cynical attempt to get Napoleon on the cover in order to improve marketing potential?
P.H.