Bibliography of United States military history

This is a bibliography of works on the military history of the United States.

Surveys

* Allison, William T. Jeffrey G. Grey, Janet G. Valentine. ''American Military History: A Survey from Colonial Times to the Present'' (2nd ed. 2012) 416pp
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* Anderson, Fred, ed. ''The Oxford Companion to American Military History'' (2000)
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* Black, Jeremy. ''Fighting for America: The Struggle for Mastery in North America, 1519-1871'' (2011)
* Boyne, Walter J. ''Beyond the Wild Blue: A History of the U.S. Air Force, 1947–2007'' (2007
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popular
* Chambers, ed. John Whiteclay. ''The Oxford Guide to American Military History'' (1999)
* Futrell, Robert Frank. ''Ideas, Concepts, Doctrine: A History of Basic Thinking in the United States Air Force'' (2 vol. 1979)
* Doughty, Robert. ''American Military History and the Evolution of Western Warfare'', (1996)
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* Hearn, Chester G. ''Air Force: An Illustrated History: The U.S. Air Force from 1910 to the 21st Century'' (2008), popula
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* Howarth, Stephen. ''To Shining Sea: A History of the United States Navy, 1775–1998'' (1999
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a standard history
* Huston, James A. ''The Sinews of War: Army Logistics, 1775-1953'' (1966), U.S. Army; 755pp

* Love, Robert W. '' History of the U.S. Navy, 1775–1941'' (1992) and ''History of the U.S. Navy, 1942–1991'' (1992
vol 1 excerpt and text search vol 2 excerpt and text search
a standard history
* Matloff, Maurice, ed. ''American Military History'' (1996

standard textbook used in ROTC; Now replaced by Richard Stewart 2010
* Millett, Allan R., and Peter Maslowski, and William B. Feis. ''For the common defense: a military history of the United States of America'' (3rd ed. 2013)
* Millett, Allan R. ''Semper Fidelis. A History of the United States Marine Corps'' (1991)
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* Muehlbauer, Matthew S., and David J. Ulbrich. ''Ways of War: American Military History from the Colonial Era to the Twenty-First Century'' (Routledge, 2013), 536pp; university textbook
online review
* Stewart, Richard W. ''American military history'' (2 vol 2010)
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* Weigley, Russell Frank. ''History of the United States army'' (1967)
* Weigley, Russell Frank. ''The American Way of War: A History of United States Military Strategy and Policy'', (1977
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Historiography

* Ferris, John. "Coming in from the cold war: The historiography of American intelligence, 1945–1990." ''Diplomatic History'' 19.1 (1995): 87-115.
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* Grimsley, Mark. "The American military history master narrative: Three textbooks on the American military experience," ''Journal of Military History'' (2015) 79#3 pp 782–802; review of Allison, Millett, and Muehlbauer textbooks
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* Millett, Allan R. "The Korean War: A 50‐year critical historiography." ''Journal of Strategic Studies'' 24.1 (2001): 188-22
online

* Romero, Federico. "Cold War historiography at the crossroads." ''Cold War History'' 14.4 (2014): 685-703.

Atlases

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* Esposito, Vincent J. ''West Point Atlas of American Wars.'' New York: Frederick A. Praeger, 1959.
* Esposito, Vincent J. ''The West Point Atlas of American Wars: 1900-1918'' (1997), covers entire war, not just US role
* Griess, Thomas E. ''Atlas for the Second World War: Europe and the Mediterranean'' (2002)
* Griess, Thomas E. ''West Point Atlas for the Second World War: Asia and the Pacific'' (2002)
* Griess, Thomas E. ''West Point Atlas for the American Civil War'' (2002)
* Griess, Thomas E. ''The West Point Atlas for Modern Warfare'' (2011)
* Griess, Thomas E. ''West Point Atlas for the Great War: Strategies and Tactics of the First World War'' (2003)
* Murray, Stuart. ''Atlas of American Military History'' (2005)

Pre 1775

* Anderson, Fred. ''The War That Made America: A Short History of the French and Indian War'' (2006
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* Grenier, John. ''The First Way of War: American War Making on the Frontier, 1607–1814'' (Cambridge University Press, 2005).
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* Starkey, A. ''European and Native American Warfare, 1675–1815'' (University of Oklahoma Press, 1998)
* Steele, Ian. ''Warpaths: Invasions of North America'' (Oxford University Press, 1994).
* Tucker, Spencer C., James Arnold, and Roberta Wiener eds. ''The Encyclopedia of North American Colonial Conflicts to 1775: A Political, Social, and Military History'' (2008
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1775–1800

* Alden, John R. ''A History of the American Revolution'' (1989), general survey; strong on military ()
* Black, Jeremy. ''America as a Military Power: From the American Revolution to the Civil War'' (2002
online edition
* Carp, E. Wayne. "Early American Military History: A Review of Recent Work", ''Virginia Magazine of History and Biography'', 94 (1986), pp. 259–84.
* Fremont-Barnes, Gregory, and Richard A. Ryerson, eds. ''The Encyclopedia of the American Revolutionary War: A Political, Social, and Military History'' (ABC-CLIO, 2006) 5 volume paper and online editions; 1000 entries by 150 experts, covering all topics
* Higginbotham, Don. ''The War of American Independence: Military Attitudes, Policies, and Practice, 1763–1789'' (1971, 1983). an analytical history of the wa
online via ACLS Humanities E-Book.
* Lancaster, Bruce. ''The American Revolution'' (American Heritage Library) () (1985), heavily illustrated
* Maass, John R.
Defending a New Nation, 1783-1811 .
' Washington, D.C.: United States Army Center of Military History, 2013.
* McCullough, David (2005). ''1776''. New York, New York: Simon & Schuster. ()
* Middlekauff, Robert. ''The Glorious Cause: The American Revolution, 1763–1789'' (2nd ed 2007
online edition

1800–1860

* Bauer K. Jack. ''The Mexican War, 1846–1848''. (1974), good on military action.
* Black, Jeremy. ''America as a Military Power: From the American Revolution to the Civil War'' (2002
online edition
* Crawford, Mark et al. eds. ''Encyclopedia of the Mexican War'' (1999) ()
* Frazier, Donald S. ed. ''The U.S. and Mexico at War'', (1998), 584; an encyclopedia with 600 articles by 200 scholars
* Heidler, Donald & Jeanne T. Heidler (eds) ''Encyclopedia of the War of 1812'' (2nd ed 2004) 636pp; most comprehensive guide to this war; 500 entries by 70 scholars from several countries
* Heidler, David S. and Heidler, Jeanne T. ''The War of 1812.'' (2002). 217 pp. short survey
* Heidler, David S. and Heidler, Jeanne T. ''The Mexican War.'' (2005). 225 pp. basic survey, with some key primary sources
* Herrera, Ricardo A. ''For Liberty and the Republic: The American Citizen as Soldier, 1775-1861'' (New York University Press, 2015
online review
* Hickey, Donald R

(2006)
* Hickey, Donald R

(1990), standard scholarly history
* Johnson, Timothy D. ''Winfield Scott: The Quest for Military Glory'' (1998)
* McCaffrey, James M. ''Army of Manifest Destiny: The American Soldier in the Mexican War, 1846–1848'' (199
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* Quimby, Robert S., ''The US Army in the War of 1812: an operational and command study'' (1997
online version
* Roosevelt, Theodore. ''The Naval War of 1812'' (1882
full text online
by the future president
* Smith, Justin H. ''The War with Mexico'' 2 vol (1919); Pulitzer Prize; 2:233-52
online vol 1 online vol 2
Pulitzer Prize winner.
* Winders, Richard Price. ''Mr. Polk's Army'' (1997
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focus on the soldiers

Civil War

* Beringer, Richard E., Archer Jones, and Herman Hattaway. ''The Elements of Confederate Defeat: Nationalism, War Aims, and Religion'' (1988)
* Carter, Alice E. and Richard Jensen. ''The Civil War on the Web: A Guide to the Very Best Sites'' (2nd ed. 2003
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* Catton, Bruce. ''Centennial History of the Civil War'' (3 vols. 1961–65); Catton has many very well written books on the war
* Current, Richard N., et al. eds. ''Encyclopedia of the Confederacy'' (1993) (4 Volume set; also 1 vol abridged version)
* Donald, David ''et al.'' ''The Civil War and Reconstruction'' (2001); 700 pages
* Faust, Patricia L., ed. ''Historical Times Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Civil War'' (1986) () 2000 short entries
* Fellman, Michael ''et al.'' ''This Terrible War: The Civil War and its Aftermath'' (2nd ed. 2007), 544 pages
* Heidler, David Stephen, ed. ''Encyclopedia of the American Civil War: A Political, Social, and Military History'' (2002), 1600 entries in 2700 pages in 5 vol or 1-vol editions
* McPherson, James M. ''Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era'' (1988), 900 pages
excerpt and text search
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complete online edition
Pulitzer Prize; comprehensive history
* Nevins, Allan. ''Ordeal of the Union'', an 8-volume set (1947–1971). the most detailed political, economic and military narrative; by Pulitzer Prize winner
**''vol 1. Fruits of Manifest Destiny, 1847–1852; 2. A House Dividing, 1852–1857; 3. Douglas, Buchanan, and Party Chaos, 1857–1859; 4. Prologue to Civil War, 1859–1861; 5. The Improvised War, 1861–1862; 6. War Becomes Revolution, 1862–1863; 7. The Organized War, 1863–1864; 8. The Organized War to Victory, 1864–1865 ''
* Rhodes, James Ford
''History of the Civil War, 1861–1865 (1918)''
old, accurate survey; won Pulitzer prize
* Shannon, Fred. ''The Organization and Administration of the Union Army 1861–1865'' (2 vol 1928
vol 1 excerpt and text search

vol 2 excerpt and text search
* Symonds, Craig L. and William J. Clipson. ''A Battlefield Atlas of the Civil War'' (1993) schematic maps that are easy to understand

1865–1917

* Abrahamson, James L. ''America Arms for a New Century: The Making of a Great Military Power'' (1981), examines reformers and modernizers
* Coffman, Edward M. ''The Old Army: A Portrait of the American Army in Peacetime, 1784–1898'' (1986).
* Cosmas, Graham A. ''An Army for Empire: The United States Army and the Spanish–American War'' (1971), looks at organization, not combat
* Holmes, James R. ''Theodore Roosevelt and World Order: Police Power in International Relations.'' (2006).
* Roosevelt, Theodore ''The Naval War of 1812'' (1900) systematic study of the US Navy's role in the War of 1812
* Trask, David F. ''The War with Spain in 1898'' (1996), 654p
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the most detailed scholarly coverage
* Utley, Robert M. ''Frontier Regulars; the United States Army and the Indian, 1866–1891'' (1973)

World War I

* Chambers, John W., II. ''To Raise an Army: The Draft Comes to Modern America'' (1987)
* Clark, J. P. ''Preparing for War: The Emergence of the Modern U.S. Army, 1815–1917'' (Harvard UP, 2017) 336 pp.
* Coffman, Edward M. ''The War to End All Wars: The American Military Experience in World War I'' (1998), a standard history
* Faulkner, Richard S. ''Pershing's Crusaders: The American Soldier in World War I'' (U Press of Kansas, 2017). xiv, 758 pp
* Freidel, Frank. ''Over There'' (1964), well illustrated history by scholar
* Hurley, Alfred F. ''Billy Mitchell, Crusader for Air Power'' (1975)
* Morrow, John H. Jr. A Yankee Ace in the RAF. The World War I Letters of Captain Boart Rogers (1996), Editor, .
* Kennedy, David M. ''Over Here: The First World War and American Society'' (1982)
* Koistinen, Paul. ''Mobilizing for Modern War: The Political Economy of American Warfare, 1865–1919'' (2004)
* Smythe, Donald. ''Pershing: General of the Armies'' (Indiana University Press, Bloomington, 1986)
* Vandiver, Frank E. ''Black Jack: The Life and Times of John J. Pershing – Volume II'' (Texas A&M University Press, Third printing, 1977)
* Venzon, Anne ed. ''The United States in the First World War: An Encyclopedia'' (1995)
* Weigley, Russell Frank. ''History of the United States army'' (1967)
* Woodward, David R. ''The American Army and the First World War'' (Cambridge University Press, 2014). 484 pp
online review

Interwar

* Coffman, Edward M. ''The Regulars: The American Army, 1898–1941'' (2007
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* Koistinen, Paul A. C. ''Planning War, Pursuing Peace: The Political Economy of American Warfare, 1920–1939'' (1998
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World War II

* Ambrose, Stephen. ''The Supreme Commander: The War Years of Dwight D. Eisenhower'' (1999
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* James, D. Clayton. ''The Years of Macarthur 1941–1945'' (1975), vol 2. of standard scholarly biography
* Koistinen, Paul A. C. ''Arsenal of World War II: the political economy of American warfare, 1940–1945?'' (2004)
* Larrabee, Eric. ''Commander in Chief: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, His Lieutenants, and Their War'' (2004), chapters on all the key American war leader
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* Morison, ''Two-Ocean War: A Short History of the United States Navy in the Second World War'' (2007)
* Perret, Geoffrey. ''There's a War to Be Won: The United States Army in World War II'' (1997)
* Perret, Geoffrey. ''Winged Victory: The Army Air Forces in World War II'' (1997)
* Pogue, Forrest. ''George C. Marshall: Ordeal and Hope, 1939–1942'' (1999); ''George C. Marshall: Organizer of Victory, 1943–1945'' (1999); standard scholarly biography
* Potter, E. B. ''Nimitz''. (1976).
* Sherrod, Robert Lee. ''History of Marine Corps Aviation in World War II'' (1987)
* Spector, Ronald. ''Eagle Against the Sun: The American War With Japan'' (1985)
* Weigley, Russell. ''Eisenhower's Lieutenants: The Campaigns of France and Germany, 1944–45'' (1990)
* Weinberg, Gerhard L. ''A World at Arms: A Global History of World War II'' (1994). Global history of the war; strong on diplomacy of FDR and other main leaders

Cold War

* Atkins, Stephen E. ''Historical Encyclopedia of Atomic Energy.'' (2000). 491 pp.
* Bacevich, Andrew J., ed. ''The Long War: A New History of U.S. National Security Policy Since World War II'' (2007
excerpt and text search
* Bundy, McGeorge. ''Danger and Survival: Choices About the Bomb in the First Fifty Years'' (1988).
* Friedman, Norman. ''The Fifty Year War: Conflict and Strategy in the Cold War''. (2000
excerpt and text search
* Gaddis, John Lewis. ''Strategies of Containment: A Critical Appraisal of Postwar American National Security Policy'' (1982
online edition
als
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* Goldfischer, David. ''The Best Defense: Policy Alternatives for U.S. Nuclear Security from the 1950s to the 1990s.'' (1993). 283 pp.
* Isenberg, Michael T. ''Shield of the Republic: The United States Navy in an Era of Cold War and Violent Peace 1945–1962'' (1993)
* Lewis, Adrian R. ''The American Culture of War: The History of U.S. Military Force from World War II to Operation Iraqi Freedom'' (2006
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* Williamson, Samuel R., Jr. and Reardon, Steven L. ''The Origins of U.S. Nuclear Strategy, 1945–1953.'' (1993). 224 pp.

Korea and Vietnam

* Anderson, David L. ''Columbia Guide to the Vietnam War'' (2004).
* Brune, Lester H. ed. ''The Korean War: Handbook of the Literature and Research'' (1996
online edition
* Herring, George C''. America's Longest War: The United States and Vietnam, 1950–1975'' (4th ed 2001), most widely used short history.
* Kutler, Stanley ed. ''Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War'' (1996). essays by experts
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* Schulzinger, Robert D. ''Time for War: The United States and Vietnam, 1941–1975.'' (1997
online edition
* Tucker, Spencer. ed. ''Encyclopedia of the Vietnam War'' (1998) 3 vol. reference set; also one-volume abridgement (2001).
* Tucker, Spencer. ''Vietnam.'' (1999) 226pp
online edition
* Tucker, Spencer, ed. ''Encyclopedia of the Korean War'' (2002)
* ''The Pentagon Papers'' (Gravel ed. 5 vol 1971); combination of narrative and secret documents compiled by Pentagon

See also

* Bibliography of the American Civil War
* Bibliography of the American Revolutionary War
* Bibliography of Canadian military history
* Bibliography of works on the United States military and LGBT+ topics

External links

American War and Military Operations Casualties: Lists and Statistics
by Nese F. DeBruyne, Senior Research Librarian, Congressional Research Service.
Instances of Use of United States Forces Abroad, 1798–2017
by Barbara Salazar Torreon, Senior Research Librarian, Congressional Research Service.
U.S. Periods of War and Dates of Recent Conflicts
by Barbara Salazar Torreon, Senior Research Librarian, Congressional Research Service.
List of small wars and small operations

{{US military navbox

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United States military history