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.