An Army for Empire: The United States Army in the Spanish-American War (Williams-Ford Texas A&M University Military History Series) [Paperback]

Graham A. Cosmas (Author)

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

GRAHAM A. COSMAS is head of the General Histories Branch of the U.S. Army Center of Military History in Washington, D.C.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: TAMU Press; 1 edition (January 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0890968160
• ISBN-13: 978-0890968161
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #846,413 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Superb History of Logistics, Not the War, August 16, 2001

By 

Leif A. Torkelsen (Columbus, OH United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: An Army for Empire: The United States Army in the Spanish-American War (Williams-Ford Texas A&M University Military History Series) (Paperback)

For the student of military logistics this work is essential reading. As a history of the Spanish-American War, it is merely adequate. It is the primary objective of the book to cover the U.S. military's preparedness for, and response to, the Spanish-American War. The ebb and flow of battles are secondary to this logistical leitmotif, and are covered with little detail. Accordingly, there is almost more written on military uniform subcontracting than on the battle of San Juan Hill.

One disquieting aspect of the book is the impression Cosmas gives of his utter determination to absolve the U.S. Army of any wrong doing in its preparation for the war. In a number of areas, such as the performance of the Krag-Jorgensen rifle, Cosmas fails to convince. He too easily dismisses complaints about the military establishment as the products of political jealousies and yellow journalism.

Nonetheless, Cosmas' mastery of logistical detail is exceptional, and will make this book required reading for any historian of the war. However, it is not itself a full history of the war.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Supplemental History, October 1, 2004

By 

James Gallen (St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: An Army for Empire: The United States Army in the Spanish-American War (Hardcover)

"An Army For Empire" is proof of the saying that, in military matters, amateurs speak of tactics while professionals speak of logistics. Much of this book deals with the history of the organization and supply of the U. S. Army during the Spanish American War. Relatively few pages are devoted to narration of the actual combat.

Much of the story of the preparation of the Army dealt with the sometimes stormy relationships between President McKinley, Secretary of War Alger, Commanding General Of The Army Miles, Adjutant General Corbin, General Shafter, Commander in Cuba, and more minor characters. Cosmas points out the challenges confronting the administration which contributed to the disorganization and poor food for which it was criticized. Legal restrictions on the deployment of National Guard units complicated the recruitment of volunteer troops. Problems arose out of the incompatibility of equipment among the state militias. Political tugs of war between regular and state forces complicated staffing. Limited ordnance production capabilities constrained material accumulation. Shifting war aims introduced inefficiencies into the deployment of troops. The post hostility problems with tropical diseases and their stateside ramifications receive in depth analysis. All in all, Cosmas concludes that the War Department succeeded, by war's end, in developing a suitable Army for Empire.

Cosmas does a good job in explaining how the shifting war aims drove changes in invasion plans. Whereas original debate centered over attacks on Havana or Puerto Rico, the discovery of Adm. Cervera's fleet in Santiago Harbor compelled a landing near Santiago. The reader learns that the seemingly irrational departure of the Spanish fleet from Santiago was done under orders. The resulting destruction of the Spanish fleet cut the army off from its sources of supply and condemned it to either starvation or surrender.

Cosmas show how inefficiencies turned up in unexpected places. Despite the longer trip, the expedition to the Philippines was better organized than the one to Cuba. As things turned out, the Army raised about twice as many volunteer troops as it used.

Having read other books about the Spanish American War, "An Army For Empire" supplemented what I already knew. It tied things together and showed the "whys" behind the "whats". For this it was worthwhile. I thought that the extensive verbage about supply and organization may prove boring, but it never did. I would not recommend this as a first book about the Spanish American war. I do recommend it to deepen the understanding of the mature reader.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent account of a nearly forgotten war, August 23, 2000

By 

Ironmike (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: An Army for Empire: The United States Army in the Spanish-American War (Williams-Ford Texas A&M University Military History Series) (Paperback)

Mr. Cosmas has put together some fascinating details about the Spanish American War and the campaigns in Cuba, the Philippines, Puerto Rico and even on Guam. His attention to detail is excellent and covers (although not in as much depth as it could have) the various factors involved in this unique conflict. He points out the weakness of the military, the lack of proper medical, supply and weaponry, but he does explain the courage and determination of the common soldier and the terrible problems they faced. The fight for San Juan Hill was done a bit too quickly, but covered the basics. The book is broken down into compact chapters that lets the reader learn about the war in digestible segments. All together, a most readable book for the novice and experienced history buff, but could have been much longer and filled with more information about the various units and relative personalties. In fact, Frederick Funston is only mentioned once and General Henry Lawton needed more ink. A good book to round out one's collection on the dawning of the American colonial period.