America at War: Concise Histories of U.S. Military Conflicts From Lexington to Afghanistan - Softcover

Finn, Terence T.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0425268586 ISBN 13: 9780425268582

Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group, 2014

Synopsis

War—organized violence against an enemy of the state—seems part and parcel of the American journey. Indeed, the United States was established by means of violence as ordinary citizens from New Hampshire to Georgia answered George Washington’s call to arms.

Since then, war has become a staple of American history. Counting the War for Independence, the United States has fought the armed forces of other nations at least twelve times, averaging a major conflict every twenty years. In so doing, the objectives have been simple: advance the cause of freedom, protect U.S. interests, and impose America’s will upon a troubled world. More often than not, the results have been successful as America’s military has accounted itself well. Yet the cost has been high, in both blood and treasure. Americans have fought and died around the globe—on land, at sea, and in the air. Without doubt, their actions have shaped the world in which we live.

In this comprehensive collection, Terence T. Finn provides a set of narratives—each concise and readable—on the twelve major wars America has fought. He explains what happened, and why such places as Saratoga and Antietam, Manila Bay and Midway are important to an understanding of America’s past. Readers will easily be able to brush up on their history and acquaint themselves with those individuals and events that have helped define the United States of America.

About this title

About the Author

Educated at Williams College and the University of Sussex, Terence T. Finn holds a PhD from Georgetown University. His career encompasses the National Aeronautics and Space Administration as well as staff positions on Capitol Hill. Finn is the author of two novels, The Best of Times and To Begin Again, as well as When Europe Went Mad, an account of the First World War.

From School Library Journal

Gr 8 Up—Twelve of the wars in which the United States fought are discussed here in a manner that is thorough yet concise. Finn—When Europe Went Mad (Pentland, 2009)—discusses the events, the reasons why the war was fought, and how the outcome was important to the United States. In order for a war to be included, it had to meet the following criteria: it was large in scale, the enemy was a sovereign state, and the outcome had to influence the future of the U.S. significantly. Though the Cold War, French and Indian War, and the Panama Incursion are not included, each of the following has a chapter dedicated to it: the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican/American War, War Between the States, Spanish/American War, World War I, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Persian Gulf, Iraq, and Afghanistan. While the technology and participants have changed throughout the years, it is clear that war is still a conflict of organized violence, the necessity of which many will disagree. A victory depends greatly on who is in charge and the available resources. Even though the trade title reads like a textbook, the pacing of Sean Pratt's narration makes it easy to understand and tolerable. Best for students looking for an in-depth picture of wars in the history of the U.S. or for those who are teaching the subject. The audio is easy to takes notes from with major points emphasized throughout.—Karen Alexander, Library Media Specialist, Lake Fenton High School, Linden, Michigan

Edition details

• Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 0425268586
• ISBN 13: 9780425268582
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 400