The American Military Tradition

From Colonial Times to the Present, Second Edition

Edited by John M. Carroll and Colin F. Baxter - Contributions by Owen Connelly; Kevin Gannon; Jerome A. Greene; Christopher C. Harmon; Walter L. Hixson; Pierce C. Mullen; William Garrett Piston; David Valaik; H P. Willmott and David R. Woodward

In The American Military Tradition historians John M. Carroll and Colin F. Baxter gather an esteemed group of military historians to explore the pivotal issues and themes in American warfare from the Colonial era to the present conflict in Iraq. From the reliance on militia and the Minutemen of the American Revolution to the all-volunteer specialized troops of today, these twelve essays analyze the continuities and changes in the conduct of war over the past three centuries. In this completely revised second edition, new essays explore Napoleonic warfare, the American Civil War, the Plains Wars in the West, the War against Japan, the nuclear arms race, and the War on Terror. The book, while not avoiding the nature of battle, goes beyond tactics and strategy to include the enormous social and political impact of America's wars.

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Pages: 342 •

978-0-7425-4427-7 • Hardback • August 2006 • $146.00 • (£112.00)

978-0-7425-4428-4 • Paperback • August 2006 • $63.00 • (£48.00)

978-1-4616-4410-1 • eBook • August 2006 • $59.50 • (£46.00)

Subjects: History / Military / United States

The American Military Tradition

From Colonial Times to the Present, Second Edition

Hardback

Paperback

eBook

Summary

In The American Military Tradition historians John M. Carroll and Colin F. Baxter gather an esteemed group of military historians to explore the pivotal issues and themes in American warfare from the Colonial era to the present conflict in Iraq. From the reliance on militia and the Minutemen of the American Revolution to the all-volunteer specialized troops of today, these twelve essays analyze the continuities and changes in the conduct of war over the past three centuries. In this completely revised second edition, new essays explore Napoleonic warfare, the American Civil War, the Plains Wars in the West, the War against Japan, the nuclear arms race, and the War on Terror. The book, while not avoiding the nature of battle, goes beyond tactics and strategy to include the enormous social and political impact of America's wars.

Details

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Pages: 342 •

978-0-7425-4427-7 • Hardback • August 2006 • $146.00 • (£112.00)

978-0-7425-4428-4 • Paperback • August 2006 • $63.00 • (£48.00)

978-1-4616-4410-1 • eBook • August 2006 • $59.50 • (£46.00)

Subjects: History / Military / United States

Author

John M. Carroll is Regents' Professor of History at Lamar University, Beaumont, Texas. Colin F. Baxter is chair of the Department of History at East Tennessee State University.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Chapter 1: The Colonial Wars and the American Revolution
Chapter 2: Napoleonic Warfare
Chapter 3: The Wars of 1812 and 1846: The Leadership Factor
Chapter 4: The American Civil War, 1861–1865
Chapter 5: Indian Wars of the Trans-Mississippi West, 1850s–1890s
Chapter 6: The Military Role of the United States in World War I
Chapter 7: The United States, World War II, and the Grand Alliance
Chapter 8: The Second World War: The War against Japan
Chapter 9: The Korean Conflict and the Cold War
Chapter 10: America in Vietnam
Chapter 11: Proliferation: The United States and the Nuclear Arms Race
Chapter 12: Counterterrorism and the U.S. Military after 9/11
Afterword

Reviews

The twelve essays in this volume combine in a comprehensive, well-integrated and economically presented overview of America's military heritage from the colonial era to the present day. Analytical rather than narrative in approach, never shying from controversial issues, the work is admirably suited to undergraduate and graduate classes, and should appeal to general readers as well.
— Dennis E. Showalter, Colorado College; author of Patton and Rommel: Men of War in the Twentieth Century

An exciting, readable, and thought-provoking study.
— Johnson City Press

The contributors conscientiously summarize nearly all major viewpoints. . . . A useful commentary and analysis concerning some of the most pressing questions and issues in the nation's martial experience. (Previous Edition Praise)
— Journal of Military History

This book is a useful compendium to any student of military history. [It] provides great variety coupled with an expertise within the different subjects covered. (Previous Edition Praise)
— Military Chest Book Review

Carroll and Baxter hit their mark by accurately—and sometimes vividly—recounting major events, along with discussing the evolution of American warriors from citizen-soldiers to professional soldiers. (Previous Edition Praise)
— Air and Space Power Journal

The book should be required reading for the professional soldier interested in development of military traditions and heritage. The essays are clear, concise, and provide the reader with the essential history of each period. This book is important for anyone interested in understanding how the American Military developed over the past two hundred years. But more than that, it should be read in the light of how any army can emulate the military traditions of other nations to better their own. (Previous Edition Praise)
— Journal of the Royal Artillery

The American Military Tradition reads easily and should be a welcome addition to the military history literature. . . . Instructors faced with introducing undergraduates to American military history might well consider adopting this book for their classes. (Previous Edition Praise)
— Army History