America at War: Concise Histories of U.S. Military Conflicts From Lexington to Afghanistan
Terence T. Finn
Paperback
(Dutton Caliber, Jan. 7, 2014)
Warāorganized violence against an enemy of the stateāseems 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 Washingtonās 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 Americaās will upon a troubled world. More often than not, the results have been successful as Americaās military has accounted itself well. Yet the cost has been high, in both blood and treasure. Americans have fought and died around the globeāon 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 narrativesāeach concise and readableāon 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 Americaās 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.