The History of American Wars: From 1745 to 1918

468 Pages·1981·66.324 MB·English

by  T. Harry Williams

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THE HISTORY
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FROM COLONIAL TIMES TO WORLD WAR
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HARRY WILLIAMS
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From
the celebrated military historian, author of
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LincolnandHisGenerals whose mostrecentwork,
the brilliantly acclaimed Huey Long, won both the
—
Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award
masterful history that traces the American involve-
ment in war through nearly two centuries, from the
FrenchandIndianWar, theRevolution, and theWar
of 1812 through the First World War.
The History of American Wars is a provocative,
wide-ranging account of the American military ex-
perience, whose focus extends beyond the military to
the political, social, and economic aspects of war.
Interweaving vivid battle accounts with sharp and
incisive portraits of military and civilian leaders,
T. Harry Williams explains the causes of each war,
the development of a command system, the growing
civilian supremacy in military matters, the extent of
internal opposition, the progress in new weaponry
and military thought, and the financing of various
conflicts. His narrative offers a brilliant synthesis of
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detail and interpretation and characterizes with re-
markable clarity and acumen each war and its social
and political implications.
The Revolutionary War. Williams depicts the ini-
—
tial confusion of purpose at—tributing it to the ab-
sence of a central government and the Continental
Congress's dual responsibility of acting as a govern-
ment and conducting a war.
The War of 1812. Until Vietnam, the nation's
most unpopular war. Williams discusses why there
was talk of secession among the New England states
at the Federalist Party convention, and cV vs why,
with national pride deepened at its en \v was
moreofasuccess than hastraditionally \ght.
I
The Mexican War. Characterizing it a a's
first successful offensive war, in which sti b-
jectives were established before hostiliti
(continuedon b

Books by T. Harry Williams
Huey Long (1969)
Hayes ofthe Twenty-third: The Civil War Volunteer Office (1965)
The Union Sundered (1963) (Vols. V and VI of
The Union Restored (1963) )j The Life History ofthe United States)
McClellan, Sherman, and Grant (1962)
Romance and Realism in Southern Politics (1961)
American History: A Survey, with Richard N. Current and Frank Freidel (1961)
Americans at War (i960)
A History ofthe United States, with Richard N. Current and Frank Freidel (1959)
P. G T Beauregard (1955)
Lincoln and His Generals (1952)
Lincoln and the Radicals (1941)
Books Edited by T. Harry Williams
Hayes: The Diary ofa President (1964)
Every Man a King, by Huey Long (1964)
Military Memoirs ofa Confederate, by E. P. Alexander (1962)
Abraham Lincoln: Selected Speeches, Messages and Letters (1957)
With Beauregard in Mexico (1956)
Selected Writings and Speeches ofAbraham Lincoln (1943)
THE HISTORY
AMERICAN WARS
OF
T
AME
OF
From
HE HISTORY
WARS
RICAN
1745 to 1918
By
Harry
Williams
T.
Archbishop R/Iitty High School
\ Library
5000 Way /
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San Joso, CA. 95129
New York Alfred A. Knopf 1981
• •
THIS IS A BORZOI BOOK
PUBLISHED BY ALFRED A. KNOPF, INC.
Copyright © 1981 by T.H.W. Inc.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright
Conventions. Published in the United States by Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.,
New York, and simultaneously in Canada by Random House of
Canada Limited, Toronto. Distributed by Random House, Inc.,
New York.
Grateful acknowledgment is made to G. T. Sassoon and Viking
Penguin Inc. for permission to reprint four lines from "Attack" from
Collected Poems by Siegfried Sassoon. Copyright 1918 by E. P. Dutton.
Copyright renewed 1946 by Siegfried Sassoon. Reprinted by permission
ofViking Penguin Inc. and G. T. Sassoon.
Library ofCongress Cataloging in Publication Data
Williams, Thomas Harry. (Date)
The history ofAmerican wars, from 1745 to 1918.
Bibliography: p.
Includes index.
—
1. United States History, Military. I. Title.
E181.W64 1981 973 80-2717
isbn 0-394-51167-0
Manufactured in the United States ofAmerica
FIRST EDITION