American Military Technology: The Life Story of a Technology

by Barton C. Hacker, Margaret Vining

Overview

The growth of American engineering and science has affected military technology, organization, and practice from the colonial era to the present day—even as military concerns have influenced, and often funded, domestic engineering programs and scientific development. American Military Technology traces the interplay of technology and science with the armed forces of the United States in terms of what Hacker and Vining view as epochs: 1840–1865, the introduction of modern small arms, steam power, and technology, science, and medicine; 1900–1914, the naval arms race, torpedoes and submarines, and the signal corps and the airplane; and 1965–1971, McNamara's Pentagon, technology in Vietnam, guided missiles, and smart bombs.

The book is an excellent springboard for understanding the complex relationship of science, technology, and war in American history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780801887727
Publisher:	Johns Hopkins University Press
Publication date:	11/29/2007
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	232
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.25(h) x (d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Barton C. Hacker is the curator of military history at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. He has received the Leonardo da Vinci Medal of the Society for the History of Technology and several writing prizes. He has curated major military and naval exhibits at the Smithsonian.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Timeline
1. Before Industrialization: Through the Early Nineteenth Century
2. Transition to the Industrial Age: Mid-Nineteenth Century
3. The Military-Technological Revolution: Late Nineteenth Century
4. The Naval-Technological Revolution and the Rise of Navalism: Late Nineteenth and Early Twentieth Centuries
5. The Catastrophe of Industrial War: 1914-1918
6. From War to War: 1919-1941
7. The Climax of Mechanization: 1942-1945
8. Military Research Institutionalized: 1945-1951
9. Strategic Technologies Ascendant: 1952-1965
10. The Impact of Vietnam: 1965-1980
11. A New Era in Warfare? 1980-2000
Glossary
Selected Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

An attractive primer that should prove useful to readers looking for a straightforward and jargon-free introduction to the complex relationship existing between the American military and its tools (and toolmakers) of war.

Journal of Military History

The broad coverage and integrative approach of this survey, combined with its attractive packaging and price, will make it a useful text for introductory courses in U.S. military history and the history of technology.

Journal of Military History - Robert G. Angevine

Definitely offers worthwhile reading for a broader perspective on military procurement, operations, and thinking.

Air Power History - Col. Brett Morris

Definitely offers worthwhile reading for a broader perspective on military procurement, operations, and thinking.

— Col. Brett Morris

Air Power History

Follows a straightforward chronological timeline (indeed, the book includes an actual timeline in its front matter), with the exception of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, where military and naval developments are covered in parallel chapters. The chapters for each era, in turban, are organized thematically…. a useful overview of the subject, and the select bibliography suggests further readings over a wide range of accessibility.” —H-War

“[P]rovides solid historical underpinnings for more advanced discussions about, and research into, these and similar subjects.” —The Jourbanal of Military History

“Aimed at students and general readers, this volume surveys the development of American military technology from the early 19th century through the end of the 20th century. The technological innovations described are also placed in the larger context of American social, political, and economic development. Supplementary materials include a timeline and a glossary of terms. Hacker is curator of military history at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.” —SciTech Book News

From the Publisher