Now that I've finished H.W. Crocker III's book Don't Tread on Me, I'm amazed at how much he crammed into 400 pages. Crocker spans 400 years, from the founding of Jamestown, Virginia to the capture of Saddam Hussein in 2003, and does so with a minimum of oversimplification. If you want a crash-course on American military history, this is the book to read.
Crocker's book manages to cover almost every conceivable conflict in which Americans have fought. That's a lot of history, and a survey this broad could easily bog down if it weren't for Crocker's strengths as a writer--vigor and wit. Crocker never lets his narrative slow down. Even sections discussing political situations between wars are good, fast-paced reading. I've slogged through enough dull diplomatic history to know that to make such history interesting is quite an accomplishment. Crocker does this by making it clear what is at stake in every situation, whether it's the building interstate tension before the Civil War, the gradual shift of American isolationism before World War II, or even the obscure jockeying for position in England's small colonial wars with Spain in Georgia and Florida.
One of the great benefits of a broad survey like Don't Tread on Me is what I think of as "layering" history. Crocker achieves this effect by repeatedly harking back to previous wars. For instance, when discussing a general during the American Civil War he may mention that the general had served as a young man in the Mexican War, his father in the War of 1812, his grandfather in the War of Independence and his other assorted forebears in wars with France, Spain, or the Indians. This layering effect highlights the continuity of the American military tradition from generation to generation, showing that Americans have not historically been strangers to war--if they haven't fought, their fathers probably have.
Don't Tread on Me is also notable because Crocker isn't ashamed or afraid to state his opinions. Some historical figures he views as ridiculous or worthy of mockery, and he duly ridicules and mocks them. Lazy, pompous British generals in the American Revolution, inept Confederate general Joseph E. Johnston, and the bungling, micro-managing president Lyndon B. Johnson fare particularly badly. Others Crocker views as evil, and says so. The Nazis, Imperial Japanese, and Communists of all nationalities fall into this category. In the epilogue he argues that "moral and cultural relativists--the sort who think Osama Bin Laden's Islamic fundamentalism and George W. Bush's Christian evangelicalism are merely two sides of the same coin--are obviously weak sisters, historically illiterate, morally bankrupt, and about as useful as a capon in a chicken coop." In all cases Crocker makes a strong case for his views, so while it may be shocking--in this day and age--to read an actual opinion so boldly stated, it is refreshing.
Crocker's book isn't perfect. I wrote above that he covers an incredible four centuries in 400 pages with little oversimplification, but, unfortunately, the book does come up short in a few areas. The Indian Wars between 1860 and 1900 get about four pages, coming immediately after a 70-page section on the Civil War in which Crocker gives Gettysburg alone a ten-page, blow-by-blow account. The Civil War must loom large in any history of American warfare--since, after all, this case finds Americans fighting Americans--but the incredible disproportion struck me as odd. The Indian Wars were long, strategically and politically complex campaigns, and I would like to have seen a more detailed summary.
The closing chapters of the book also feel rather rushed. Throughout his sections on the Mexican War, Civil War, and the two World Wars, Crocker made space for tales of individual heroism--or cowardice--which helped the narrative immensely. Long before they become key figures in the Civil War or Indian Wars, Crocker discusses Lee, Sherman, Grant, and Jackson--and, in some cases, their ancestors--as ordinary soldiers in other wars. These boots-on-the-ground moments make the story exciting and instructive, and also help with that layering about which I wrote earlier. Later in the book, Crocker seldom mentions individual soldiers and, upon introducing a new figure, backtracks to explain that person's role in previous wars. The final chapters--especially those on Vietnam, Desert Storm, and the Iraq War, feel rushed and impersonal by comparison with the excellent sections on previous wars.
And, just occasionally, Crocker is simply too jokey for his own good. There were a few instances in which one of Crocker's asides was so vague I wasn't sure whether he was being serious or sarcastic. But that's a small problem, and Crocker's humor helps more than it harms.
I hope I haven't given the impression of massive flaws in Crocker's book. Any complaints I have are really trifles with an otherwise excellent survey. Crocker writes about American military history with strength, dash, and boldness, traits he obviously admires in many figures from that history. His enthusiasm and love of the American military man are infectious. If you're looking for a good introduction to US military history that doesn't skimp on the details, this is the book to read.
Highly recommended.
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