From the first interactions between European and native peoples, to the recent peace-keeping efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq, military issues have always played an important role in American history. Ways of War comprehensively explains the place of the military within the wider context of the history of the United States, showing its centrality to American culture and politics. The chapters provide a complete survey of the American military's growth and development while answering such questions as: How did the American military structure develop? How does it operate? And how have historical military events helped the country to grow and develop? Features Include: Chronological and comprehensive coverage of North American conflicts since the seventeenth century and international wars undertaken by the United States since 1783 Over 100 maps and images, chapter timelines identifying key dates and events, and text boxes throughout providing biographical information and first person accounts A companion website featuring an extensive testbank of discussion, essay and multiple choice questions for instructors as well as student study resources including an interactive timeline, chapter summaries, annotated further reading, annotated weblinks, additional book content, flashcards and an extensive glossary of key terms. Extensively illustrated and written by experienced instructors, Ways of War is essential reading for all students of American Military History.

Table of Contents:
List of Figures List of Maps Acknowledgements Introduction 1. Early Colonization and Conflict, 1607-1689 2. Wars Imperial & Regional, 1689-1763 3. The American Revolution, 1763-83 4. Challenges in the Early Republic, 1783-1815 5. Expansion, 1815-1861 6. The American Civil War: Confederate Defiance, 1861-63 7. The American Civil War: Union Triumph, 1863-65 8. Transitions, 1865-1902 9. Early Twentieth Reforms and the Great War, 1902-1918 10. Transformations in the Interwar Years, 1918-1941 11. Mobilizing for the Second World War, 1941-1943 12. Winning the Second World War, 1943-1945 13. National Security in the Early Cold War, 1945-60 14. Confrontations in the Cold War, 1960-73 15. From Cold War to Pax Americana to Uncertainty, 1973-2012