Spanish American War, 1898 (Great Campaigns) (Hardcover)

by Albert A. Nofi (Author) "Save for an occasional moonbeam breaking through the cloud cover or periodic bolts of tropical lightning, signaling intermittent rain squalls which from time to time..." (more)
Key Phrases: naval militiamen, coast defense installations, reconcentrado policy, Puerto Rico, New York, Rough Riders (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

The Spanish American War of 1898 is often viewed as a disjointed series of colorful episodes; young Americans who would later become famous, fighting a Spanish colonial army putting up a token resistance. Military commentator and historian Albert A. Nofi presents the war as a coherent military narrative, showing the confluence of the American command's Civil War experience and recent developments in technology. Serious attention is also given to the Spanish forces, the army of an empire in decline, but well-equipped and tactically sophisticated.Detailed coverage is given of both American and Spanish aims, assumptions and strategy. The author's colorful narrative is supplemented by 50 illustrations, most of which have not appeared in print since the era of the war.Specially commissioned maps highlight the most tactically significant land and naval engagements, such as the Spanish defense of El Caney and the Spanish fleet's dramatic but futile attempt to break out of Santiago harbor.Military operations are placed in the context of a growing American nation in a wider world, 35 years after the Civil War.The Spanish American War features a detailed treatment of the war in Puerto Rico. This theater was under the command of Indian fighter Nelson A. Miles and included some of the best tactical maneuvering of the war. The Puerto Rican aspect has not been covered in detail in modern works.Albert Nofi has made use of works covering the Spanish that have not been widely used in English-language works, as well as American eyewitness accounts that have not been examined in nearly a century.

About the Author

Albert A. Nofi has a Ph.D. in Military History from the City University of New York and was associate editor for many years of the ground-breaking military journal Strategy and Tactics. He was a founder of wargaming, the conflict simulation system used both by hobbyists and military planners. Dr. Nofi has written numerous books and articles on military history and was a news media military commentator during the Persian Gulf War. He is also the author of The Gettysburg Campaign and The Waterloo Campaign.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press; illustrated edition edition (May 21, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0938289578
• ISBN-13: 978-0938289579
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #377,361 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent one volume history of the Spanish-American War, July 8, 1998

By A Customer

If there is one space in your collection for a book on the Spanish American war, this one's it. Dr. Nofi does an excellent job covering all the campaigns of the war plus adding detailed background information. The book is written in a style that would suit the occasional history reader and satisfy the hard core history buff. I came across it while researching Dewey at Manila Bay and promptly bought it for my collection (all the other books went back to the library...). I loved the sidebar stories on the behind-the-scenes events (like the short bios of the major players plus stories like the "Civil War Veterans in the war", etc). My only complaint is that the campaign maps look like they were originally done in color then printed in grey scale for this edition (which lost some of the detail). I would recommend this as an starting point to read about the war. There are other books that cover some of the events with more detail (Chadwick comes to mind). But this is by far the best single source on the conflict. I actuall give it 4.5 stars!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting & concise account of the Spanish-American War, May 23, 1998

By	Aussie Reader ""Rick"" (Canberra, Australia) - See all my reviews (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)

This book is published by Combined Books in Pennsylvania and is presented in hardback with eight chapters, 352 pages, extensive Appendixes, maps, biographies, sidebars and illustrations. The book offers a clear and concise account of the Spanish - American War fought in 1898. The author reveals the reasons and circumstances leading up to this conflict after giving an account of Commodore George Dewey's attack on the Spanish squadron under the command of Rear Admiral Patricio Montojo y Pasaron at Manila Bay on the 1st May 1898.

The author then covers the Santiago Expedition to Cuba, the naval campaign of Santiago, the fall of Santiago, the American campaign in Puerto Rico, the campaign in the Philippines and then finally the result and outcome of the war. Overall the story is easy to read and the narrative flows along quite well. A small number of typing errors where noted which should have been picked up by the editor but these were very minor in nature.

The book is well presented and researched and offers the reader details on other good books covering specific areas of the conflict for further reading. The author also offers details on places to visit (in the United States only), simulation games on the market and films.

An interesting detail about this book, which is common with most Combined Books, is the use of 'sidebars'. These sidebars are at the end of each chapter and they provide further or more detailed information about subjects in the narrative. Being at the end of the chapter they do not interrupt the reader, as some footnotes tend to do.

The sidebars are there if you wish to obtain further information on a certain personality, weapon, organisation or incident. You do not have to read these sidebars to keep abreast of what the author is telling you, you can miss them all together and go onto the next chapter if you so wish. I found some of the sidebars very interesting, like the one covering why the USS Maine blew up, the 'Rough Riders' or the Medal of Honor.

Overall this! is an enjoyable book offering the reader a decent account of this "splendid little war".

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Battle Book, June 13, 2000

By	Mitch Reed (Washington DC, United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

At great book if you want a military history of the "Splendid little war". The side bars make it interesting enough for the military history reader who just wishes to check the Spanish American War box. Since we conflict was more of a political/social event (US attitude twords war/Yellow journalism/isolationism/birth of the US empire), you might want to check out Musicant and Trask's books instead.