America's Wars

April 1, 2002
While individually they're not the longest nor the best-remembered wars, conflicts with Native Americans, like the Iroquois-Huron War and the Seminole Wars, make up most of American military engagements. This becomes clear in popular historian Alan Axelrod's America's Wars, a reference guide to all the armed struggles of the United States. Major wars are outlined battle by battle, and Axelrod also describes the development of smaller campaigns like the 1846 Bear Flag Rebellion over control of California, the Philippine Insurrection and the recent engagements in Somalia and Kosovo.

April 1, 2002
Most Americans believe that they can count on two hands the number of wars their country has witnessed. But historians know differently. The author of more than 50 books, Axelrod has written a comprehensive guide to the wars that took place in North America or involved the United States. Beginning with colonial wars fought before 1754 and ending with the Kosovo crisis of three years ago, the author presents a summary of each conflict. The American Revolution, Civil War, and World War II merit the longest entries, with sidebars featuring portions of letters, diaries, and orders written by soldiers. Each entry is clear enough to stand on its own, but the entire book reads as a flowing narrative. Axelrod does not explain what qualifies a conflict to be included in this book, but it is clear that a riot is not within its scope. This encyclopedic approach is recommended for public libraries as a useful reference book and academic libraries as a good starting point for student research. Grant A. Fredericksen, Illinois Prairie District P.L., Metamora

Copyright 2002 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.