The Enemy in Our Hands: America's Treatment of Prisoners of War from the Revolution to the War on Terror - Hardcover

Doyle, Robert C.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0813125898 ISBN 13: 9780813125893

Publisher: University Press of Kentucky, 2010

Synopsis

Revelations of abuse at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison and the U.S. detention camp at Guantánamo Bay had repercussions extending beyond the worldwide media scandal that ensued. The controversy surrounding photos and descriptions of inhumane treatment of enemy prisoners of war, or EPWs, from the war on terror marked a watershed moment
in the study of modern warfare and the treatment of prisoners of war. Amid allegations of human rights violations and war crimes, one question stands out among the rest: Was the treatment of America's most recent prisoners of war an isolated event or part of a troubling and complex issue that is deeply rooted in our nation's military history?
Military expert Robert C. Doyle's The Enemy in Our Hands: America's Treatment of Prisoners of War from the Revolution to the War on Terror draws from diverse sources to answer this question. Historical as well as timely in its content, this work examines America's major wars and past conflicts―among them, the American Revolution, the Civil War, World Wars I and II, and Vietnam―to provide understanding of the United
States' treatment of military and civilian prisoners. The Enemy in Our Hands offers a new perspective of U.S. military history on the subject of EPWs and suggests that the tactics employed to manage prisoners of war are unique and disparate from one conflict to
the next. In addition to other vital information, Doyle provides a cultural analysis and exploration of U.S. adherence to international standards of conduct, including the 1929 Geneva Convention in each war. Although wars are not won or lost on the basis of how EPWs are treated, the treatment of prisoners is one of the measures by which history's conquerors are judged.

About this title

From the Inside Flap:

Winston Churchill once remarked, "A prisoner of war is a man who tries to kill you and fails, and then asks you not to kill him."

Discovery and exposure of the U.S. military's inhumane treatment of detainees at Baghdad's Abu Ghraib prison and the Guantánamo Bay detention camp generated a media frenzy that many argue irrevocably damaged America's reputation as a world leader. Worldwide scrutiny of the photos and descriptions of the abuse of enemy prisoners of war, or EPWs, from the war on terror incited allegations of human rights violations and possible war crimes and left many wondering whether the mistreatment of these prisoners was an isolated set of circumstances or, conversely, one example among many of atrocities rooted in our nation's history.

Drawing from diverse primary sources, military historian Robert C. Doyle illuminates America's prisoner of war policies from the founding era to the present. A work of history with direct relevance to contemporary events, The Enemy in Our Hands: America's Treatment of Prisoners of War from the Revolution to the War on Terror examines every major war and conflict, from the American Revolution through the Civil War, both world wars, Vietnam, and Afghanistan, to provide a comprehensive understanding of American treatment of EPWs.

Doyle offers a nuanced interpretation of American military history, suggesting that the treatment of EPWs in each conflict was a unique reflection of the prevailing political attitudes of the day. The military's incarceration practices with prisoners, particularly its methods used for interrogation, have evolved dramatically since the prisoner exchanges of the American Revolution. Using graphic details of the experiences of captured enemy combatants and civilians, The Enemy in Our Hands explores each war's adherence to international standards of conduct, including the 1929 Geneva Convention.

The Enemy in Our Hands is a complete cultural analysis of a complicated issue the nation has struggled with since its inception. As the context of modern warfare continues to be shaped by current events, it is incumbent upon America to consider its treatment of EPWs and how that treatment defines national character.

Robert C. Doyle, professor of history at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, is the author of A Prisoner's Duty: Great Escapes in U.S. Military History and Voices from Captivity: Interpreting the American POW Narrative. He has been a historical consultant on multiple films and documentaries, including Hart's War (2002).

About the Author:

Robert C. Doyle, professor of history at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, is the author of A Prisoner's Duty: Great Escapes in U.S. Military History and Voices from Captivity: Interpreting the American POW Narrative. He has been a history consultant on multiple films and documentaries, including Hart's War.

About this edition

• Publisher: University Press of Kentucky
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0813125898
• ISBN 13: 9780813125893
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 488