A Country Made by War - From the Revolution to Vietnam - The Story of America's Rise to Power

A non-academic history of America's wars and their relationship to the rise of American power. The military history is framed within an interesting context the apparent paradox of a stable, rhetorically peace-loving country shaping its society and its future through a series of national and international wars - nine major wars in nine generations. Perret not only has recreated US wars with extraordinary vividness but also has challenged many of our assumptions. The American Revolution, the War of 1812, the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, the Mexican War, WW1, WW2, Korea and Vietnam - a remarkable record for a politcally stable country (until recently) that considered itself peace loving and that sometimes treats its military as second-class citizens. Going beyond battles and generals, the book also depicts the valour and suffering of the ordinary serviceman, traces the evolution of weapons from smooth-bore muskets to the Stealth bomber, and examines the strategy and tactics unique to the US military past...