Duty, Honor, Country: A History of West Point (Paperback)

by Stephen E. Ambrose (Author) "The United States Military Academy came into being because of America's eighteenth-century military experience..." (more)
Key Phrases: discharged cadets, tactical department, merit roll, West Point, New York, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Duty, Honor, Country: the motto of the United States Military Academy has resounded for more than 200 years. Stephen Ambrose charts the history of West Point from its origins in the Revolutionary War--when students attached to engineering and artillery regiments studied the rudiments of strategy, but mostly came and went as they pleased--to the academy's time of crisis during the Vietnam War. Ambrose's narrative centers on West Point's superintendents, the Army officers who emphasized both tradition and innovation over the years--men such as Sylvanus Thayer, who commanded from 1817 to 1833 and who introduced customs that are still observed today; and Douglas MacArthur, who joined personal flamboyance with a deep-seated commitment to martial, academic, and athletic excellence. (Among MacArthur's other contributions was his codification of the "honor system," a set of self-policing regulations that distinguishes West Point from any other nation's military colleges.) Ambrose does not gloss over the academy's less exalted moments, especially the frictions brought on by the Civil War, when many Northerners accused West Point as a whole of being proslavery. Writing in an afterword that brings the history of the academy to the present, former superintendent Andrew Goodpaster confronts such matters as the honor code scandal of 1976 and the cultural changes brought on by the admission of women to the academy in the same year. Yet this book is a fitting celebration of an institution that has been of central importance to the American military. Originally published in 1966, at the start of his career, Duty, Honor, Country shows Stephen Ambrose's skills as researcher and popularizer, skills that he would go on to develop in such later books as Undaunted Courage and Citizen Soldiers. --Gregory McNamee

Review

"Throughout history every great nation has kept in its treasure-chest an academy for advanced learning and military training. Steven Ambrose's history leaves the reader with a greater understanding of the relationship between our treasure, West Point, and the society it supports." -- Parameters

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Product Details

• Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: The Johns Hopkins University Press (December 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0801862930
• ISBN-13: 978-0801862939
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #191,476 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, Considering The Reputation Of The Source, November 23, 2001

By A Customer

In my opinion, this book reads like a school book report. It is a disappointment, considering the reputation of the source -- Stephen Ambrose. Maybe I expected too much because the author is well known. On the other hand, I didn't expect too much from the not well known author Norman Thomas Remick and his book "West Point", and was most pleasantly surprised. But there you are, then. It's not what you do, it's who you know that counts.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An easy-reading history of West Point, June 16, 2000

By	Dennis Kelley (Rapid City, SD USA) - See all my reviews

Ambrose's 1964 history of the Military Academy is an easy flowing and enjoyable insight into many of the core traditions of West Point. Some of the early history seems dry at times, but provides a seldom seen picture of the politics of the early nineteenth century. As a grad, I learned much of WP's early history that I had never known of. It was delightful to see how much of the culture and tradition has remained relatively unchanged over 150 years. On the other hand, it was interesting to see the stark contrast that exists in many areas of cadet and army life from then to now.

Ambrose has organized his work in a manner that defines the developmental stages of the Academy, beginning with the concept of military academies as first initiated in Europe. He does an excellent job of telling of the internal, and uniquely American, concerns about putting too much power into the hands of an elite military authority versus being adequately prepared for the defense of the new nation. Ambrose describes the rather weak beginnings of the Academy, and takes the reader through the its generational evolution. Along the way he cites many examples of how West Point pioneered many of the educational changes in the early American collegiate environment, as well as describing the contributions made by many of the Academy grads. He intertwines his historical narrative with a look at the cultures and traditions of West Point and how they contribute to the education of the officer corps.

I would love to see Ambrose bring this work up to date, and provide his insight as an historian into the last 35 years at the academy. The current edition has been updated by the publisher to include an afterword by General Goodpastor. Unfortunately, I found the General's comments to be a rather self-serving view of the changes that have transpired since the mid-sixties, and in particular his comments regarding the 1970's struck me as being weak, distorted, and inaccurate. As a superintendant of West Point, the General obviously has close ties to many of the recent changes and can hardly be considered as an objective oberserver. The afterword really detracts from the value of Ambrose's work. Nevertheless, I would highly recommend this work to anyone interested in the early history of our republic.

20 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars If You're Ready to Go Back To School, Here's the 1st Text, January 4, 2000

By	Mark A. Savage (Indianapolis, IN USA) - See all my reviews

I enjoyed school a lot. I read a lot and played a lot. This new re-issue of Mr. Ambroise's writing reminds me of those history text books that were so difficult to read, still good, and full of information, but hard to read. This is not a reviting page turner like "D-Day" or "Citizen Soldiers", but if you want to learn details of the Academy, this is the source.

Written in 1965, it barely moves along. It is very interesting to see where the author has come from. In the forward, written by President Eisenhower, Mr. Ambroise is refered to as a "professor". AMEN! He has taught me a lot about West Point that I never knew of, or would care to know about. The author deals with details that I cannot imagine existing, never mind receiving is such detail. I have to take my hat off to the research, and work Mr. Ambroise put in on this book, but it's just not very entertaining like some of his others.

But, if you want to learn about American military culture, Jacksonian politics, and how Congress worked during the 19th Century, you got the right book. The frustration of a Congress that cannot see beyond it's own nose is very constant through the entire book. The Jacksonian era was wonderfully handled, and very surprising. I actually enjoyed this chapter. A new world opened for me. There are great pieces about Civil War personalities, quotes, and the conflict of principals between the Regular vs. Volunteer armies.

So, to quickly sum up. The book's not very exciting, so if that's what you want, stay away. The book is very intelligent, will teach you a lot, and is very, very detailed. If you want to learn something, then this is the right choice. I'm still a fan Mr. Ambroise!