A Country Made by War - Softcover

Perret, Geoffrey

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0679726985 ISBN 13: 9780679726982

Publisher: Vintage, 1990

Synopsis

Covering every major conflict since the Revolutionary War, the author explores how American society was shaped by war and how these conflicts were an integral part of Americas's technological development

About this title

From Publishers Weekly:

The militia of the 13 American colonies was scruffy, slack and disease-prone. Today, as the largest military power in history, the U.S. commands thousands of ever-ready nuclear missiles backed by satellite reconnaissance. In tracing America's transformation from David into Goliath, this fast-moving, 640-page military history focuses on how wars were fought and won or lost. Perret ( America in the Twenties ) has a keen eye for human drama and suffering, for the personalities, issues and power struggles of each conflict. He strives for balance: he calls Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor "daring, skillful, courageous," and notes dourly that Abraham Lincoln spent millions on war in open disregard of Congress and the Constitution. He faults Gen. William Westmoreland's strategies in Vietnam for poverty of thought. An overarching theme is that America's military past impinges on our daily lives in a thousand ways, e.g., it was WW I that got American men to wear wristwatches and use safety razors.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal:

The controversial thesis of this work is that the United States has been far better prepared for the wars it fought than were most of its enemies. Perret argues that the idea of perpetual American unreadiness for war is a myth, refuted by over two centuries of unparalleled military success. Three factors have contributed to this result: acceptance of education's role in military efficiency; faith in firepower; and a dual technology serving both the needs of the military and the development of the economy as a whole. Perret presents his case in a fast-paced, well-written narrative. His interpretations of specific events are often as unconventional as his central premise. This is popular military history at its best, provoking specialists while challenging the general reader. Recommended as a counterpoint to Allan R. Millett and Peter Maslowski's For the Common Defense (LJ 11/1/84).
- Dennis Showalter, Colorado Coll., Colorado Springs
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About this edition

• Publisher: Vintage
• Publication date: 1990
• ISBN 10: 0679726985
• ISBN 13: 9780679726982
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 629