Washington Post Book World
An important contribution both to the literature of war and to the analysis and making of defense policy.
Army
Fine military history, good reading and challenging intellectual stimulation.
Choice
Presented here is a discussion of ten military battles, each representing one of the first battles or campaigns in the nine wars in which the U.S. Army has fought from 1776 through Vietnam. Each chapter treats a single battle and is written by a historian with acknowledged specialization in that period of military history.
The essays incorporate standard themes, such as the strategic and political background of the period, the preparation of the U.S. Army for the war, organizational and tactical comparisons, weaponry, planning and execution, and the results or lessons learned from each engagement.
These evaluations are stimulating, comparable pictures for students of general history, military history, and political-military relationships. A concluding chapter . . . raises questions of considerable contemporary relevance. Extremely well referenced and indexed. Recommended for public and academic libraries.
Military Review
Must reading for the serious student of history, whether military or civilian.
The Historian
Not just soldiers and historians should read it, but all thoughtful Americans, even those with a visceral dislike for anything military.
