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The Hidden History of America at War: Untold Tales from Yorktown to Fallujah
Multi-million-copy bestselling historian Kenneth C. Davis sets his sights on war stories in The Hidden History of America at War . In prose that will remind you of "the best teacher you ever had" ( People Magazine), Davis brings to life six emblematic battles, revealing untold tales that span our nation's history, from the Revolutionary War to Iraq. Along the way, he illuminates why we go to war, who fights, the grunt's-eye view of combat, and how these conflicts reshaped our military and national identity.
From the Battle of Yorktown (1781), where a fledgling America learned hard lessons about what kind of military it would need to survive, to Fallujah (2004), which epitomized the dawn of the privatization of war, Hidden History of America at War takes readers inside the battlefield, introducing them to key characters and events that will shatter myths, misconceptions, and romanticism, replacing them with rich insight.
From the Battle of Yorktown (1781), where a fledgling America learned hard lessons about what kind of military it would need to survive, to Fallujah (2004), which epitomized the dawn of the privatization of war, Hidden History of America at War takes readers inside the battlefield, introducing them to key characters and events that will shatter myths, misconceptions, and romanticism, replacing them with rich insight.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published May 5, 2015
52 people are currently reading
618 people want to read
About the author
Kenneth C. Davis
57 books424 followersKenneth C. Davis is the New York Times bestselling author of the Don't Know Much About® series of books and audios for adults and children. Don't Know Much About® History, the first title in the series, became a New York Times bestseller in 1991 and remained on the paperback list for 35 consecutive weeks. It has since been revised several times and now has more than 1.6 million copies in print. The 30th anniversary edition of the book was published with a new preface, "From an Era of Broken Trust to an Era of Broken Democracy."
Davis is, according to Publishers Weekly, "a go-to guy for historical insight and analysis."
AMERICA'S HIDDEN HISTORY also became a New York Times bestseller. A NATION RISING also uses dramatic narratives to tell the "stories your textbooks left out." His book, THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF AMERICA AT WAR (May 5, 2015) was called "searing" analysis by Publishers Weekly.
Kenneth C. Davis’s success aptly makes the case that Americans don’t hate history, just the dull version they slept through in class. Davis’s approach is to refresh us on the subjects we should have learned in school. He does it by busting myths, setting the record straight, and always remembering that fun is not a four-word letter word.
His IN THE SHADOW OF LIBERTY: THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF SLAVERY, FOUR PRESIDENTS, AND FIVE BLACK LIVES looks at the lives of five people enslaved by four of America's most famous Presidents and the role of slavery in American history and the presidency. In May 2018, MORE DEADLY THAN WAR: The Hidden History of the Spanish Flu and the First World War was published.
STRONGMAN: The Rise of Five Dictators and the Fall of Democracy was published by Holt. It was named among the best books of 2020 by Kirkus Reviews and the Washington Post.
In November 2022 GREAT SHORT BOOKS: A Year of Reading--Briefly was published by SCribner. A compendium of 58 great short works Davis read during the pandemic lock down, it is a joyous celebration of reading.
Coming in October 2024 is THE WORLD IN BOOKS: 52 WORKS OF GREAT SHORT NONFICTION. It is an accessible and comprehensive guide to some of the most influential and important works of nonfiction, from the earliest days of writing to contemporary times. Each entry includes information about the writers behind these consequential books and the time in which they lived.
Davis is, according to Publishers Weekly, "a go-to guy for historical insight and analysis."
AMERICA'S HIDDEN HISTORY also became a New York Times bestseller. A NATION RISING also uses dramatic narratives to tell the "stories your textbooks left out." His book, THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF AMERICA AT WAR (May 5, 2015) was called "searing" analysis by Publishers Weekly.
Kenneth C. Davis’s success aptly makes the case that Americans don’t hate history, just the dull version they slept through in class. Davis’s approach is to refresh us on the subjects we should have learned in school. He does it by busting myths, setting the record straight, and always remembering that fun is not a four-word letter word.
His IN THE SHADOW OF LIBERTY: THE HIDDEN HISTORY OF SLAVERY, FOUR PRESIDENTS, AND FIVE BLACK LIVES looks at the lives of five people enslaved by four of America's most famous Presidents and the role of slavery in American history and the presidency. In May 2018, MORE DEADLY THAN WAR: The Hidden History of the Spanish Flu and the First World War was published.
STRONGMAN: The Rise of Five Dictators and the Fall of Democracy was published by Holt. It was named among the best books of 2020 by Kirkus Reviews and the Washington Post.
In November 2022 GREAT SHORT BOOKS: A Year of Reading--Briefly was published by SCribner. A compendium of 58 great short works Davis read during the pandemic lock down, it is a joyous celebration of reading.
Coming in October 2024 is THE WORLD IN BOOKS: 52 WORKS OF GREAT SHORT NONFICTION. It is an accessible and comprehensive guide to some of the most influential and important works of nonfiction, from the earliest days of writing to contemporary times. Each entry includes information about the writers behind these consequential books and the time in which they lived.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
July 2, 2019
Recently purchased from out local library. Started last night with the story of Yorktown, but am still in the middle of that chapter. According to the author he'll be bringing the story behind the story. We'll see how compelling he can make it.
Finished the first chapter("Washington's Men") last night. Plenty of "small" history details about people, places and things. One BIG problem, however ... the tendency of the author to backtrack and repeat himself. We'll see if it continues in the next chapter ...
"The Battle of the Old Men and the Young Boys" - Petersburg, Virginia - 1864. s with the first essay, this one goes behind the scenes for "the rest of the story" of the Battle(Siege, actually) of Petersburg,Virginia. As with much of the war, the North was plagued with lousy military leadership. Even though he finally got the job done, Grant's methods were costly for his troops. Probably more so than necessary.
- The author occasionally lapses into that cliched dramatic device, the one line sentence/paragraph.
"The Water Cure" - all about the Philippine part of the Spanish American War and the nasty guerrilla war that followed the "peace" between Spain and the USA. I already knew some of this(more than most Americans at least) from reading "The Blue Afternoon" by William Boyd. The Bells of Balangiga were in the news fairly recently as they were finally restored to their home in the PI. I had already read about the origins of waterboarding in this conflict. Atrocities galore ... a pre-Vietnam.
- more repetition
- The white Navy ... I saw this when I was in 1965-69. The Navy was BY FAR the least racially integrated of the services.
Now onto WWII and "Berlin Stories" - the focus is on the fall of Berlin and all the nastiness thereabouts.
"Berlin Stories" tells of the fall of Berlin and gives a fuller picture of the war vis-à-vis the participation of Russia. I remember the first time I looked in an almanac at the casualty numbers for WWII, and how staggeringly high they were for the Soviet Union. This essay covers that, but otherwise the information given - again - doesn't seem all that secret.
The author skips over Korea and settles in Vietnam in The "Living-Room War." The Battle of Hue is the focus here, besides the usual general history of the conflict. Again, I'm not sure exactly what big secrets are being revealed. And once again there's a lot of repetition. One more chapter about the Second Gulf War follows. At this point it looks like my rating will be a lukewarm 3.25*. It's a good thing to be writing"popular" history, since it's clear that more Americans need to know more about the past. Ignorance isn't bliss(or rather, it's a false bliss), but this book is no great shakes.
Finished up last night with the final chapter, an account of the two gulf wars and of the bleep storm of Fallujah. None of the things the author covers is secret, but certainly some are not well enough known.
- 3.25* rounds down to 3*
Finished the first chapter("Washington's Men") last night. Plenty of "small" history details about people, places and things. One BIG problem, however ... the tendency of the author to backtrack and repeat himself. We'll see if it continues in the next chapter ...
"The Battle of the Old Men and the Young Boys" - Petersburg, Virginia - 1864. s with the first essay, this one goes behind the scenes for "the rest of the story" of the Battle(Siege, actually) of Petersburg,Virginia. As with much of the war, the North was plagued with lousy military leadership. Even though he finally got the job done, Grant's methods were costly for his troops. Probably more so than necessary.
- The author occasionally lapses into that cliched dramatic device, the one line sentence/paragraph.
"The Water Cure" - all about the Philippine part of the Spanish American War and the nasty guerrilla war that followed the "peace" between Spain and the USA. I already knew some of this(more than most Americans at least) from reading "The Blue Afternoon" by William Boyd. The Bells of Balangiga were in the news fairly recently as they were finally restored to their home in the PI. I had already read about the origins of waterboarding in this conflict. Atrocities galore ... a pre-Vietnam.
- more repetition
- The white Navy ... I saw this when I was in 1965-69. The Navy was BY FAR the least racially integrated of the services.
Now onto WWII and "Berlin Stories" - the focus is on the fall of Berlin and all the nastiness thereabouts.
"Berlin Stories" tells of the fall of Berlin and gives a fuller picture of the war vis-à-vis the participation of Russia. I remember the first time I looked in an almanac at the casualty numbers for WWII, and how staggeringly high they were for the Soviet Union. This essay covers that, but otherwise the information given - again - doesn't seem all that secret.
The author skips over Korea and settles in Vietnam in The "Living-Room War." The Battle of Hue is the focus here, besides the usual general history of the conflict. Again, I'm not sure exactly what big secrets are being revealed. And once again there's a lot of repetition. One more chapter about the Second Gulf War follows. At this point it looks like my rating will be a lukewarm 3.25*. It's a good thing to be writing"popular" history, since it's clear that more Americans need to know more about the past. Ignorance isn't bliss(or rather, it's a false bliss), but this book is no great shakes.
Finished up last night with the final chapter, an account of the two gulf wars and of the bleep storm of Fallujah. None of the things the author covers is secret, but certainly some are not well enough known.
- 3.25* rounds down to 3*
September 13, 2015
Kenneth C. Davis , the author of the popular “Don’t Know Much About….” series, attempts to illuminate readers about some of the “hidden history” that we should have learned in school but didn’t. He is a popular historian with a keen sense of detail and a lucid and engaging writing style. If you have read a lot about the period of history or science that is his topic, you aren’t likely to learn much new, but you will enjoy his retelling. If you are unfamiliar with the topic at hand, you will find his treatment full of interesting factoids.
In this book, Davis provides an in-depth examination of six landmark battles:
Yorktown, Virginia – October 1781
Petersburg, Virginia – June 1864
Balangiga, Philippines – September 1901
Berlin, Germany – April 1945
Hué, South Vietnam – February 1968
Fallujah, Iraq – March 2004
He argues that it is “nearly a moral imperative to understand war.” He discusses not only why these battles were fought, but who participated, how combat seemed to them, and how the conflicts affected America’s national identity. Although super patriots may be disappointed to learn that the American military has not always been perfect, Davis avoids either a pacifist or totally negative outlook.
His format here is to begin each chapter with several relevant quotes from prominent people, then take us into the midst of the battle, then fill in details of the “back story” that adds context and analysis to his narration. This technique occasionally leaves the reader with the feeling that he had an “Oops, I forgot to tell you that…” moment, and the story begins all over again. In the process, he sometimes repeats some very basic fact, which can be mildly annoying. Nonetheless, this book would make an appropriate text for a survey course on American military history at many colleges.
Evaluation: This is an enjoyable tour of select aspects of American history, and would make good reading for the many, many American citizens who have no idea what actually happened in the past but are nevertheless not loathe to pontificate about it. (See, for example, the recent statements by presidential candidate Mike Huckabee about what Lincoln thought and did - statements that are totally wrong, and surely have Lincoln doing somersaults of despair in his grave.) All those who think they know history would do well to learn something from Kenneth C. Davis.
Rating: 3.5/5
In this book, Davis provides an in-depth examination of six landmark battles:
Yorktown, Virginia – October 1781
Petersburg, Virginia – June 1864
Balangiga, Philippines – September 1901
Berlin, Germany – April 1945
Hué, South Vietnam – February 1968
Fallujah, Iraq – March 2004
He argues that it is “nearly a moral imperative to understand war.” He discusses not only why these battles were fought, but who participated, how combat seemed to them, and how the conflicts affected America’s national identity. Although super patriots may be disappointed to learn that the American military has not always been perfect, Davis avoids either a pacifist or totally negative outlook.
His format here is to begin each chapter with several relevant quotes from prominent people, then take us into the midst of the battle, then fill in details of the “back story” that adds context and analysis to his narration. This technique occasionally leaves the reader with the feeling that he had an “Oops, I forgot to tell you that…” moment, and the story begins all over again. In the process, he sometimes repeats some very basic fact, which can be mildly annoying. Nonetheless, this book would make an appropriate text for a survey course on American military history at many colleges.
Evaluation: This is an enjoyable tour of select aspects of American history, and would make good reading for the many, many American citizens who have no idea what actually happened in the past but are nevertheless not loathe to pontificate about it. (See, for example, the recent statements by presidential candidate Mike Huckabee about what Lincoln thought and did - statements that are totally wrong, and surely have Lincoln doing somersaults of despair in his grave.) All those who think they know history would do well to learn something from Kenneth C. Davis.
Rating: 3.5/5
May 6, 2015
Historian Kenneth C. Davis documents 6 battles (Yorktown, Petersburg, Balangiga, Berlin, Hue and Fallujah) which represent a change to military doctrine and also public perception. In each battle the military learned a hard lesson or then again maybe they didn’t.
The author’s research is well documented. The bibliography and research covers 34 pages.
I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys military history. I learned many unknown facts in each chapter, ranging from General Washington’s insistence on hanging defecting soldiers, to American General Frank Howley telling his Russian counterpart in post war Berlin that if he couldn’t discipline his raping and pillaging troops that he would let his soldiers to shoot first and ask question later.
The author’s research is well documented. The bibliography and research covers 34 pages.
I would recommend this book to anyone that enjoys military history. I learned many unknown facts in each chapter, ranging from General Washington’s insistence on hanging defecting soldiers, to American General Frank Howley telling his Russian counterpart in post war Berlin that if he couldn’t discipline his raping and pillaging troops that he would let his soldiers to shoot first and ask question later.
February 27, 2017
This book, which I bought because it was on sale, proved to be an excellent choice for this month celebrating Black History. The version I got was specifically done for audio so I don't know if the print version is any different.
Why was it good for February? Because black history ,a large part of all American history, has been left out. I didn't realize that Africans founght in all of our wars, from the Revolutionary War until today. I had heard of the Buffalo Soldiers but didn't know why they were called that and the functions they had after the Civil War. And I was surprised by the tears that started when the narrator began to talk of the Vietnam War.
I recommend this.
Why was it good for February? Because black history ,a large part of all American history, has been left out. I didn't realize that Africans founght in all of our wars, from the Revolutionary War until today. I had heard of the Buffalo Soldiers but didn't know why they were called that and the functions they had after the Civil War. And I was surprised by the tears that started when the narrator began to talk of the Vietnam War.
I recommend this.
January 8, 2017
I'm not sure what hidden things were revealed. Everything seemed very basic stuff. I was thinking this might have some interesting oral history and the like but I was wrong.
This is a pretty standard deconstruction which assumes complete ignorance on the part of the readers and is often as simplistic as the elementary and middle school courses it decries. There are some nuggets that could be used and useful. First, however, you have to get past the sermonizing and sanctimony.
This is a pretty standard deconstruction which assumes complete ignorance on the part of the readers and is often as simplistic as the elementary and middle school courses it decries. There are some nuggets that could be used and useful. First, however, you have to get past the sermonizing and sanctimony.
September 2, 2018
Noted Historian and author, Kenneth C. Davis, takes the reader on a historical journey spanning over two centuries--from the Battle of Yorktown in 1781, to the Battle for Fallujah (Iraq) in 2004. He illuminates these battles in astounding and interesting detail, as well as four others--all in an effort to explain why we go to war, the consequences of doing so, and many of the blunders and miscalculations that occurred along the way.
I learned a great deal from reading this book. The author fills in much detail missing from history textbooks and completes the picture. Adding much detail and situational clarity, I feel I have a broader understanding of these events. Not only was this book informative, the presentation of the information was most interesting. I was reading history, but felt I was reading a great novel. This is one of the best nonfiction titles I've read this year.
I am looking forward to reading much more by Professor Davis. If you have an interest in United States history and/or military history, I highly recommend this book. If you simply want an enjoyable read, this book will provide that as well.
September 13, 2017
I learned a lot from this book. I heard the name Rochambeau, but now I found out about him. Washington's pals and the personnel in the army is never really told in school. The after war facts that lead to the next war. I liked how each war had this story arc to it.
There are no good wars. The stories of sexual assault and brutality were horrifying. They don't teach the Phillipine struggle in school, and they should, because it has repeated in my lifetime. What happened to the soldiers was just brutal.
WWII was a war portrayed in movies and shows, but the reality was very R rated. I appreciate how he told me what happened to the German actress.
We get to the current wars and I lived through these and yet there was so much I didn't fully know or understand.
This was a very well done book with loads to learn.
There are no good wars. The stories of sexual assault and brutality were horrifying. They don't teach the Phillipine struggle in school, and they should, because it has repeated in my lifetime. What happened to the soldiers was just brutal.
WWII was a war portrayed in movies and shows, but the reality was very R rated. I appreciate how he told me what happened to the German actress.
We get to the current wars and I lived through these and yet there was so much I didn't fully know or understand.
This was a very well done book with loads to learn.
July 7, 2024
This is a very thought-provoking analysis of six battles involving the US military (of which you may or may not have heard before) and their short- and long-term consequences. One could probably wrote whole books about each of these engagements, but I think Davis largely strikes a good balance between thoroughness and brevity. In particular, I appreciated learning more about US involvement in the Philippines related to the Spanish-American War, of which most of us are not taught enough, as well as a more detailed description of the Tet Offensive and its aftermath than I’d read before. Although this book is several years old at this point, it remains a good source for an approachable source of a more nuanced examination of US military history.
January 15, 2018
Mr Davis Takes a look at several US military actions. these include Washington's views towards Blacks and how much the French helped at Yorktown. The blunders at Petersburg during the Civil War. The unintended consequences of Roosevelt's sending the navy to the Philippines, without any real plans for afterward. And the politics and poor understanding of the situation that ran our war in Iraq.
Davis's writing reminds me of Zinns works, looking at the less desirable side of history. There are many sides to a story. It's good to try and see them all to try and get a better understanding of an event.
Davis's writing reminds me of Zinns works, looking at the less desirable side of history. There are many sides to a story. It's good to try and see them all to try and get a better understanding of an event.
June 19, 2025
A good overview, perfect for everyone who always wanted to learn more about our history of warfare. As a History major there wasn't much new information but still a good read. My only complaint is that the author feels the need to continually praise our troops while also stating the facts of the (sometimes bad) stuff that they are put in a position to do. We get it, it's not the fault of the average people. Author also is a little too self-satisfied for me, I like my history books to prevent facts of the situation and let the reader decide for themself what he or she believes.
March 13, 2019
So much I thought I knew but....I didn't. I found myself wanting to take notes for future reference and wishing I had bought a copy to mark up with notes. The Hidden History not only illuminates parts of American war history but also weaves it together as part of a continuum of connected over 200 years of events both through American policy, war, and politics. Engagingly told and well written, this book should be required reading. I may even reread with a highlighter.
April 11, 2019
Interesting study of six American battles. I always enjoy the little tidbits of information that appear in most history books. Davis does a good job of showing changes in our military over the years.
November 18, 2017
I thought this was a good book. I liked the chapters about Vietnam and Fallujah the most.
September 11, 2017
In The Hidden History of America at War Kenneth Davis dissects six key military episodes of US history including Yorktown, Petersburg, the Philippines and Vietnam. Fascinating take.
August 2, 2018
This was well written. The author covers some wars that America fought with some facts that many Americans may not be aware of. As a reader of military history, this was worth reading to me.
December 2, 2018
Very insightful!
Read
February 25, 2020Excellent interesting view of the political and social background and how they affected history
Read
October 15, 2022Error. How can I remove a book without saying I finished it?
March 28, 2017
Enjoy all of his books.
October 21, 2015
I enjoyed this book, which focuses largely on the plight and appalling treatment of black soldiers serving in the US Military from the revolution onwards. While the US was founded on principles of liberty, virulent racism and a clear understanding that liberty did not apply to everyone have been in the blood of much of the country for its entire history, and this clearly extends to its military history to a degree that many may not appreciate. The American Revolution was fought by southerners to protect the institution of slavery as much as in defense of liberty. Blacks who fought valiantly for the Union in very large numbers were not justly treated.
As the book progresses into the 20th century, it's also good to be reminded what a colossal clusterf*k the Iraq war was, as even now we seem to be moving past it, with Republicans are closing ranks around George W Bush and Democrats afraid of looking weak or being seen as tarnishing the images of the soldiers. Nevertheless, this was an entirely voluntary, completely mismanaged, needless, and totally disastrous war which we would do well to have seared into our collective brains.
Having said all this, the book focuses on only a few topics and with 6 case studies, doesn't really have the opportunity to go very deep on any of them. While I think the campaign in the Philippines will be of interest to many as this is an obscure (to Americans) but important and relevant piece of history, most of the other sections are broad-brush overviews. The book also does not use a very wide range of secondary sources. While I think there are a good number of interesting and critical bits of history here that do focus on the people ignored by standard histories, it would have been better to tell those stories and use those ideas as the sole focus and thesis of the book, rather than wrapping them in bits of pretty vanilla survey history.
As the book progresses into the 20th century, it's also good to be reminded what a colossal clusterf*k the Iraq war was, as even now we seem to be moving past it, with Republicans are closing ranks around George W Bush and Democrats afraid of looking weak or being seen as tarnishing the images of the soldiers. Nevertheless, this was an entirely voluntary, completely mismanaged, needless, and totally disastrous war which we would do well to have seared into our collective brains.
Having said all this, the book focuses on only a few topics and with 6 case studies, doesn't really have the opportunity to go very deep on any of them. While I think the campaign in the Philippines will be of interest to many as this is an obscure (to Americans) but important and relevant piece of history, most of the other sections are broad-brush overviews. The book also does not use a very wide range of secondary sources. While I think there are a good number of interesting and critical bits of history here that do focus on the people ignored by standard histories, it would have been better to tell those stories and use those ideas as the sole focus and thesis of the book, rather than wrapping them in bits of pretty vanilla survey history.
June 7, 2015
As a fan of war history and history in general i have always lamented the fact that too often the human aspect of history is forgotten. This is especially true when you deal with such mythologized American wars like The Revolution, Civil War, and World War 2. The human aspect of these wars tends to get over shadowed by and pushed aside. These wars were still human conflicts where people suffered, sacrificed and in some cases lost their lives. To forget that war is still humans fighting humans and that people's lives are forever altered or even ended entirely is criminal.
Mr. Davis does a masterful job to resurrecting the human aspect of these wars. He tells the story of the people who fought them and what the experienced on a human level. This book made me feel in some small way what these people went through, what they endured, and brought me closer to people who stories should never be forgotten. I sincerely hope that more people read this book and that this is a new direction and wave that war history books take in the future. To marginalize human conflict and all the hardships it entails would be tantamount to ignoring. the lessons of history
Mr. Davis does a masterful job to resurrecting the human aspect of these wars. He tells the story of the people who fought them and what the experienced on a human level. This book made me feel in some small way what these people went through, what they endured, and brought me closer to people who stories should never be forgotten. I sincerely hope that more people read this book and that this is a new direction and wave that war history books take in the future. To marginalize human conflict and all the hardships it entails would be tantamount to ignoring. the lessons of history
May 21, 2016
(Audiobook). Having read Davis' Don't Know Much About History and Don't Know Much About the Bible, I thought this one might be of some interest. Overall, a solid and relatively quick read. He covers six major military battles (Yorktown, Cold Harbor, The Philippines, The Fall of Berlin, 1945, Tet Offensive, 1968 and Fallujah in 2004). While providing a basic overview of the situation leading up to and a narrative description of the battles, Davis attempts to provide a perspective on either a different aspect of a known battle (the role of African Americans and the French in the battle of Yorktown) or to bring to light a chapter in American history that most might not have much insight into (i.e. the Philippines from 1898-1903). His descriptions of those events provide the reader a slightly different, but no less, important perspective on the conflict described. This book would not be the starting point for history, but should serve as a complement to someone who has studied or has had some insight into any of the six battles mentioned. The audiobook reader was solid and did not detract from the material.
December 11, 2015
First Kenneth C. Davis. It was interesting at times. More like Abe Simpson history though. Like the time he took the ferry to Shelbyville. He needed a new heel for his shoe so he decided to go to Morganville, which is what they called Shelbyville in those days. So he tied an onion to his belt, which was the style at the time. Now to take the ferry cost a nickel, and in those days, nickels had pictures of bumblebees on them. Give me five bees for a quarter you'd say. Now where were we, oh yeah. The important thing was that he had an onion on his belt, which was the style at the time. They didn't have white onions because of the war. The only thing you could get those days were big yellow ones. Kind of like trying to get the cohesion in the battle stories. Many tangents which tangentially at best tied back to, or could be argued to be an indicative driver or result of, the larger narrative of the war. Anyway, the ferry master was in a mood that morning so it was a good thing Abe had set the toaster to three that morning: medium brown ....
August 6, 2015
I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway.
I loved this book. I was a history major in college and American history has always fascinated me. It's amazing how much of history is either omitted or just not mentioned in history books. Kenneth Davis takes pivotal historical moments in United States history and details the stories that are unknown. One of my favorite historical periods that he covers is the end of the Revolutionary War. Without the help of the French, the United States would not exist. The Spanish-American War is also a great part as most people do not even recall that we were at war with Spain. This book is a must read for every American. I highly recommend this book.
I loved this book. I was a history major in college and American history has always fascinated me. It's amazing how much of history is either omitted or just not mentioned in history books. Kenneth Davis takes pivotal historical moments in United States history and details the stories that are unknown. One of my favorite historical periods that he covers is the end of the Revolutionary War. Without the help of the French, the United States would not exist. The Spanish-American War is also a great part as most people do not even recall that we were at war with Spain. This book is a must read for every American. I highly recommend this book.
April 6, 2015
By following six battles fought by the American Military , from Yorktown to Fallujah, Kenneth Davis tells us how the Armed Forces did or did not learn their lessons.
He explains how the Military developed from a ragtag of Militia and Minutemen to a massive but well organized force that stands on the verge of privatizing if not using mercenaries.
And although he mentions the glorious and heroic moments he doesn't spare the whip when he talks about the mistakes, the war crimes, and the way our veterans are treated.
Very interesting book, a must read!
He explains how the Military developed from a ragtag of Militia and Minutemen to a massive but well organized force that stands on the verge of privatizing if not using mercenaries.
And although he mentions the glorious and heroic moments he doesn't spare the whip when he talks about the mistakes, the war crimes, and the way our veterans are treated.
Very interesting book, a must read!
July 13, 2016
While there was a lot of sheer historical information I learned from The Hidden History of America at War, the greatest value of this book lies in its analysis rather than its relating of events. The six battles discussed, from Yorktown in the American Revolution to the Battles of Fallujah after the second Iraq war, may seem unrelated, but Davis moves from one to the next seamlessly as he uses them to illustrate how American attitudes and philosophies about how and why wars are waged, have changed.
November 2, 2015
A follow up to a couple of Davis's books in his Hidden History of America series. Davis has a template. He takes half a dozen incidents in AmHist, this time on the battlefield, and writes a chapter about them; complete with a timeline, a story that starts in media res then flashes back, followed by an aftermath section. It was good, but there's something I can't place my finger on that leaves it a 4 star instead of 5 star book.
March 10, 2016
Horrible book. Ignoring the outright inaccuracies in the book, (the war of 1812 was not over when the battle of New Orleans was fought.) The author uses his trivial facts about different battles and conflicts to advance his own opinions on both political figures and historical actions. He ignores great and inspiring stories of valor under fire to highlight less than nobel actions that took place. Not worth a read.
June 14, 2016
Poorly written and the author seemed to have an agenda to push the racial tension aspect of every war. I've read many many history books and this will certainly go down as one of the worst I've read.
April 26, 2015
A well written history book...
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