PREFACE

Not surprisingly, American history is multidimensional. There is diplomatic history, literary history, political history, economic history, and so on. There is also military history, a subset that, in fact, receives considerable attention in the publishing world. While scholars of the military arts produce solid works, popular histories tend to focus on specific battles (such as Gettysburg) or certain campaigns (such as the one in Normandy in 1944) or individual wars (such as the War of 1812). What seems to be missing are books that cover in one volume the major wars the United States has fought.

Hence, this book.

By providing brief narrative accounts of these conflicts, this book’s goal is to enable the reader to understand what happened in each war and why the battles at such places as Saratoga, Antietam, Manila Bay, and Midway were pivotal events in the history of the United States. These battles, as well as others, affected the outcome of conflicts which, in turn, shaped the political and economic landscape America confronted once the shooting ceased. The outcomes and the circumstances by which they came about matter—not just because the world became a different place. The outcomes also matter because the violence inherent in warfare results in the loss of life, often in great numbers.

In recounting events that occurred, each chapter in this book speaks to death and destruction. In some cases, casualties from a battle can only be approximate. In other cases the number can be precisely stated. In both instances, the calculations too easily become simply statistics. The reckoning of each individual lost represents a human being who, had he or she survived, might have brought hope, kindness, love, or security to those left behind.

Most certainly war is a human tragedy. Yet, given its frequency, war appears to be part and parcel of the American journey. Sometimes, despite the killing, armed conflict is conducted for a noble or worthwhile purpose, with results that make the world a safer or more just place in which to live. This author would contend that most of the wars engaged in by the United States seem to fit in this category.

The book has twelve chapters. Why these wars and not others? The twelve were selected because they met the following criteria: (1) the war needed to be large in scale, involve substantial combat, and engage a considerable portion of U.S. armed forces; (2) the enemy needed to be a sovereign state (here, Afghanistan is perhaps the exception); (3) the war had to involve the United States of America when constituted as a nation; and (4) the outcome, whether the United States won or lost, had to be significant in terms of influencing America’s future.

Employing these criteria, the 1898 war with Spain makes the list. So does the First World War and the war in Vietnam. The Cold War, the French and Indian War, and the incursion into Panama do not. By these criteria, starting in 1775, the United States has gone to war twelve times.

The book provides a brief, easy-to-read account of each of the twelve wars. The chapters may serve to refresh one’s awareness of what happened or may offer an introduction to the conflict. In either case, the hope is to provide the reader who may or may not be familiar with American history with an understanding of what took place on those occasions when the United States went to war.

To assist the reader, maps drawn by Stace Wright of Eureka Cartography are provided at the beginning of each chapter. Given that war has a geographic dimension, the maps are included in order to help the reader follow the flow of events.

The accounts of the wars related in this book are neither revisionist in character nor radically new in interpretation. Rather, they are consistent with traditional scholarship, providing narratives with which most historians would concur. If standard fare, the accounts nevertheless hopefully convey much of the drama that unfolded once U.S. citizens answered their country’s call to arms.

Should the reader seek more knowledge about and greater insight into the conflicts described herein, a list of “Selected Readings” is provided. Organized by chapter, these additional works are worth examining. All are recommended. Together they form the research on which this book is based.

Producing America at War required more than a manuscript. Essential to the endeavor were the considerable talents of my Berkley Publishing Group editor, Natalee Rosenstein, and editorial assistant, Robin Barletta. For their patience and hard work I am most grateful. The artistic contributions of Jason Gill (cover) and Laura K. Corless (interior design) speak for themselves. This book would not be complete without the maps expertly created by Stace Wright of Eureka Cartography. Nor would it read as well were it not for the skill of Marla Handelman. For his counsel and support, I thank my friend Richard Kalter. My agent, Robert G. Diforio, who like several of the generals in the narratives that follow, is an expert in his craft. I am indeed appreciative for his guidance and tenacity.

The origin of America at War lies with my novel To Begin Again. That story takes place during the Korean War. It is about a university professor who, recalled to the air force in 1951, goes to Korea, where he flies F-86 Sabre jets in combat high above the Yalu River. In order to provide context with which to better understand and appreciate the events recounted in the novel, the book begins with a summary of the war. As she read and typed the piece into her computer, my wife, Joyce Purcell, concluded that the summary was most helpful. She then suggested a book containing similar narratives that covered all the major wars fought by the United States. Such a book, she said, might well be read by those who do not study history but have a genuine interest in reading a concise account of one or more of America’s wars from 1775 to the present. Her suggestion—as well as her editing skills and encouragement—caused this book to be written.