Political History Of America's Wars - Hardcover

Alan Axelrod

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 156802956X ISBN 13: 9781568029566

Publisher: CQ Press, 2006

Synopsis

Political History of America′s Wars is the first reference work to explore the legislative, social, and policy aspects of America′s major wars, rebellions, and insurrections. This new volume weaves together important primary source documents, informative biographies, and in-depth essays to provide coverage of the political antecedents, events, and consequences of America′s wars, from the American Revolution to Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Political History of America′s Wars features:

• Chronological chapters on each of America′s approximately fifty wars, rebellions, and insurrections
• In-depth essays discussing America′s colonial period and the Indian Wars, the imperialist era of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the modern era of America as global policeman, and more
• Primary source documents and materials on relevant legislation and congressional resolutions, executive orders, proclamations, court cases, and constitutional amendments
• Vital coverage of war-time events and trends including elections and political parties, public opinion, propaganda, media coverage, foreign relations, diplomacy, and treaties and alliances

A helpful glossary, a comprehensive table of laws and treaties, and an index make Political History of America′s Wars a valuable research tool that will serve researchers in political science, U.S. history, sociology, journalism, geography, and more.

About this title

About the Author:

Alan Axelrod has written many works of military history, including The Real History of the Vietnam War (2012), The Real History of the Civil War (2013), A Savage Empire: Trappers, Traders, Tribes, and the Wars That Made America (2011), Selling the Great War: The Making of American Propaganda (2009), The Real History of the Cold War (2009), Patton’s Drive: The Making of America’s Greatest General (2009), Blooding at Great Meadows: Young George Washington and the Battle That Shaped the Man (2007), The Horrid Pit: The Battle of the Crater, the Civil War’s Cruelest Mission (2007), Miracle at Belleau Wood: The Birth of the Modern U.S. Marine Corps (2007), Bradley: A Biography (2006), and Patton: A Biography (2006). Among his reference books are Political History of America’s Wars (2007), Encyclopedia of Wars (2005), Encyclopedia of the United States Armed Forces (2005), American Treaties and Alliances (2000), and The Macmillan Dictionary of Military Biography (1998).

A former college professor and consultant to numerous museums and cultural institutions, Axelrod has been a featured speaker at the Conference on Excellence in Government (Washington, D.C.), the Leadership Institute of Columbia College (Columbia, South Carolina), and the Annual Conference of the Goizueta School of Business, Emory University (Atlanta, Georgia). He has been a creative consultant (and on-camera personality) for The Wild West television documentary series (Warner Bros., 1993), Civil War Journal (A&E Network, 1994), and The Discovery Channel, and he has appeared on MSNBC, CNN, CNNfn, CNBC, Fox Network affiliates in Philadelphia and Atlanta, and numerous radio news and talk programs, including on National Public Radio. Axelrod lives with his wife, Anita, an artist, in Atlanta and in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina.

From Booklist:

Written by prolific historian Axelrod, this unique and well-designed reference source "provides a survey of the most significant American wars, less from the point of view of the military course of these conflicts than from that of the politics associated with them." Covering approximately 50 conflicts, the book is arranged into 48 chronological chapters, three of which ("Introduction to the Indian Wars," "Reconstruction," "The United States as Peacemaker") offer additional background, as well as the context and themes, for each particular group of conflicts. Chapters vary in size according to historical significance and range from 4 pages for small insurrections such as the Moro Wars and U.S. intervention in Somalia to 40 pages for World War II. Many Indian wars and rebellions are included, such as Little Turtle's War, the Cheyenne-Arapaho War, the Boxer Rebellion, and the Whiskey Rebellion, as well as interventions in Lebanon, Nicaragua, and Honduras. Each chapter begins with a concise "at issue" statement followed by a military overview and an excellent chronology. Chapters include numerous sidebars containing pertinent legislation, court decisions, congressional resolutions, executive orders, proclamations, biographies, and more. The book contains few illustrations and no maps.

As an example, the chapter on "The American Revolution" is 40 concisely organized double-column pages including sidebar biographies of George Washington, Charles Cornwallis, and George III as well as sidebars referencing primary documents such as the Proclamation of 1763, the Virginia Resolves of 1765, and many others. All information in sidebars is indexed. The chapter's simple and readable narrative leaves few pertinent topics unexplored. The book is appealing, well indexed, and easily accessible.The only comprehensive chronological survey of its type available, it is recommended for academic and public libraries. Charles Becker
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About this edition

• Publisher: CQ Press
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 156802956X
• ISBN 13: 9781568029566
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 416