Battles That Changed American History

May 1, 2014
This book focuses on 100 battles that had a decisive impact on the course of Americanand, often, worldhistory. Mostly individual battles are discussed, but some campaigns and short wars are included as well. Organized and presented chronologically, the conflicts range from the Battle of Mabila in 1540, involving conquistadors led by Hernando de Soto against the native Choctaw Indians, to the Second Battle of Fallujah of the recent Iraq War.In between, many battles of the major wars the U.S. was involved in over the years are covered, as are significant conflicts in wars with Native Americans (both pre-Revolution and postCivil War). Events that influenced American foreign policy in significant ways, such as the Battle of Mogadishu in 1993, are also included. Entries are relatively brief, with most only a page or so in length, and are preceded by an informational box summarizing date, location, commanders, number of troops involved, and the significance of the battle. A few references for further reading are included at the end of each entry, complemented by a 15-page bibliography at the end of the entire volume. Black-and-white photographs, drawings, and maps occur throughout the volume. The index will help users find topics within battle entrieswell-known commanders, for example.Venerated military historian Tucker, a retired professor and former U.S. Army colonel, has authored or edited nearly 50 works on military topics, and this is another good one. Overall, this is an accessible quick-reference guide useful mainly as a starting point or only for brief overviews of the major battles in American history. Although suitable for any researcher on the topic, the volume will be most useful to high-school students or the general user.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2014, American Library Association.)