A Country Made by War: From the Revolution to Vietnam : The Story of America's Rise to Power [Hardcover]

Geoffrey Perret (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The militia of the 13 American colonies was scruffy, slack and disease-prone. Today, as the largest military power in history, the U.S. commands thousands of ever-ready nuclear missiles backed by satellite reconnaissance. In tracing America's transformation from David into Goliath, this fast-moving, 640-page military history focuses on how wars were fought and won or lost. Perret ( America in the Twenties ) has a keen eye for human drama and suffering, for the personalities, issues and power struggles of each conflict. He strives for balance: he calls Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor "daring, skillful, courageous," and notes dourly that Abraham Lincoln spent millions on war in open disregard of Congress and the Constitution. He faults Gen. William Westmoreland's strategies in Vietnam for poverty of thought. An overarching theme is that America's military past impinges on our daily lives in a thousand ways, e.g., it was WW I that got American men to wear wristwatches and use safety razors.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The controversial thesis of this work is that the United States has been far better prepared for the wars it fought than were most of its enemies. Perret argues that the idea of perpetual American unreadiness for war is a myth, refuted by over two centuries of unparalleled military success. Three factors have contributed to this result: acceptance of education's role in military efficiency; faith in firepower; and a dual technology serving both the needs of the military and the development of the economy as a whole. Perret presents his case in a fast-paced, well-written narrative. His interpretations of specific events are often as unconventional as his central premise. This is popular military history at its best, provoking specialists while challenging the general reader. Recommended as a counterpoint to Allan R. Millett and Peter Maslowski's For the Common Defense (LJ 11/1/84).
- Dennis Showalter, Colorado Coll., Colorado Springs
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 629 pages
• Publisher: Random House; 1st edition (May 13, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0394553985
• ISBN-13: 978-0394553986
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.4 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,359,800 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must read the book!, January 22, 2004

By 

"jennab99" (United States of America) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Country Made by War (Paperback)

January 2004

I've read a lot of history books and when I came across this one 15 years after it was published I thought it would be outdated, especially current history and personal projections around the time it was published, but I was wrong. The entire book brings back academic studies and refreshes the reader's memory of the history of America and the final chapters conclude with eerie philosophy, prophecies, and conclusions that makes one realize in hindsight that the author was right on target. He should write a sequel.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars If I had to have only one book on this topic this is it!, November 18, 1999

By 

C. P. Lewis (Raymore, MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Country Made by War (Paperback)

Complete timeline and strories from beginning to SE Asia. The author's style of interjecting his own fact-based impressions really help lighten up what could be an otherwise long winded topic. I have read several books on US military history, but none as thorough and cross-service as this. Most just covering one conflict or one branch of service. This has it all. A MUST FOR ALL MILITARY HISTORY BUFFS!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good overview, April 5, 2008

By 

Ernie Wild "Eddie" (Traverse City, MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Country Made by War (Paperback)

This is a subject that is worthy of multiple volumes. Nothing in our history is more controversial than the wars we have participated in. That Perret covered this subject in one volume creates a good news/bad news situation. Bad news: There is no room for any depth of discussion on his part and that leads quite often to conclusions that are, at the very least, misleading if for no other reason than they aren't explored thoroughly. Also he is moving along so fast that there is often a kind of breezy smugness in his approach which tended to make me the reader defensive.
Good news: The entire narrative is is very readable. Perret stays strictly on his subject throughout which is no easy task when dealing with military/political issues of any nature. Finally, he makes a very strong arguement against the Uptonian view that has held sway for so long. I've always been a bit of a centrist when it comes to Upton and Perret has me leaning toward the "anti" camp. That, in my case, is no small thing. For that reason alone, four stars!