Today, the War of 1812 is all but forgotten. But as two recent books show, its legacies -- helping professionalize the U.S. military, planting the seeds of manifest destiny, and laying the groundwork for a long-standing Anglo-American alliance -- endure today.

The most talked-about global economic trend in recent years has been “the rise of the rest,” with Brazil, Russia, India, and China leading the charge. But international economic convergence is a myth. Few countries can sustain unusually fast growth for a decade, and even fewer, for more than that. Now that the boom years are over, the BRICs are crumbling; the international order will change less than expected.