America's Victories: Why the U.S. Wins Wars and Will Win the War on Terror

by Larry Schweikart

Book Overview

Essays on America's military abilities by Larry Schweikart America's armed services are under attack. From college campuses to the floor of the Senate, the Iraq war is portrayed as a quagmire, the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1595230211
• ISBN13: 9781595230218
• Release Date: May 2006
• Publisher: Sentinel
• Length: 324 Pages
• Weight: 1.28 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.4" x 9.3"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Book

Arrived on time as described

A great book for someone starting a study of military history

America's Victories: Why the U.S. Wins Wars and Will Win the War on Terror by Larry Schweikart presents an interesting premise, that America's unique attributes leads to its winning wars. Schweikart sets out seven main premises: that America has a high regard for human life, both its own soldiers and the enemy's; that America learns from loss better than its foes; that its free citizens, willing to be soldiers, are a great strength; that America pushes decision-making down, which suites both its culture and the chaos of war; that American innovation and industry produce superior war material; that American armed forces fight well in joint operations; and, counterintuitively, that the anti-war left, Hollywood, and the press, has made the US military far more lethal and accurate as it seeks to minimize friendly losses and unneeded enemy losses to reduce criticism. As Schweikart concludes, "America's victories come in large part because ending the war becomes the primary objective, not "dying gloriously." Precisely because our concern for preserving life--even of wounded comrades--exceeds our desire to end the lives of our enemies, Americans have mastered the techniques and training and the medicine and maneuvers needed to win with as few losses as possible." Schweikart's America's Victories is a great book for someone starting a study of military history or considering a career in the U.S. armed forces. For the serious military historian, it is worth the read and may even challenge long-held notions of American warfighting. Reviewer: Chuck DeVore is a candidate for U.S. Senate in 2010, a California State Assemblyman, he served as a Special Assistant for Foreign Affairs in the Department of Defense from 1986 to 1988, retired from the Army National Guard as a lieutenant colonel, and is the co-author of "China Attacks."

A Patriot speaks up about American Military History

Are you tired of Liberal professors telling you how bad America is, or are you tired of only hearing of our troops being shot on the news. Then this book is for you. It is a well written and researched book, as an examination of the notes will clearly show. However it lacks the boring read of a college text book, and on the contrary, it is actually fun to read. The maps are detailed and helpful, and the author does a great job of explaining just what the title says, "Why America Wins Wars." If you are interested in learning about American Military History, this is one of the best one volume books out there for you.

Busting Revisionist History Myths

Busting Revisionist History Myths This book is an extremely easy read. It is well footnoted to original sources, and provides a history that is based on facts as opposed to a person's interpretation. You learn information concerning United States' military history that is at odds with current revisionist interpretations. For example, when I got to the parts concerning the Mexican War, they were at odds with what some college history professors are teaching. With a little research and going to source documents you discover Larry Schweikart is correct and the revisionists are way off base. This is one of many examples, where Professor Schweikart gets it right and revisionists have simply gotten it wrong. If you are of the political left persuasion, I wouldn't read this book. The book will challenge your believes, and with the well documented support material alter your perception of the US military and its history. If you enjoy history and want a well researched high level look at why the US wins wars, this is the book for you. I highly recommend it.

How an un-warlike nation wins military victories...

"America's Victories" is essentially a discussion of American exceptionalism in the context of her military and conduct of wars. America is often viewed by adversaries as an essentially unwarlike people--the Japanese, for example, thought that one hard blow would so discourage Americans that the country would turn its back upon the Western Pacific. Nor has the military traditionally been the path to wealth or status within American society as it has been in the societies of many of America's opponents. So how is it that Americans, nevertheless, generally win wars? This book addresses these questions. As one might expect from the co-author of "A Patriot's History of the United States," the basic thesis of this work is that the American military is a reflection of what works in other American institutions. The author notes that the military draws from America's incredibly diverse citizenry (and sometimes non-citizenry) and has traditionally been a place where soldiers could overcome disadvantages of birth or class. The traditional American high value of individual life and aversion to casualties has remorselessly forced the military to devise ways of fighting wars that minimize both American and enemy casualties. (An interesting corrollary to this: no other country has repeatedly sought to liberate its POWs during conflicts as America has in WW2 and Vietnam, for instance.) American free enterprise creates better and more innovative weapons and tactics than those of centrally-planned totalitarian states, just as her consumer economy produces innovative civilian products to which Soviet-style command economies cannot compare. American soldiers, while disciplined, are thinking citizen-soldiers, not cannon fodder in the disciplined Prussian mold. (Anyone who has ever served in the military has to be impressed with the essentially egalitarian culture within the military, where the undoubted superior position of officers is nontheless balanced by the fact that enlisted men enjoy rights unmatched in probably any other country's military.) Perhaps among the most important observations that Schweikert makes is that America's military derives from an intensely competitive, capitalistic society. Just as market capitalism forces those in the marketplace to learn from mistakes or perish, the American military has developed a culture that examines and learns from mistakes (oh, yes, there are mistakes!) and becomes stronger. In a field where mistakes usually involve the loss of human life, this ability to learn from mistakes is an essential component of America's military success. This is all true. But Schweikart also addresses the problems of America as a military power. Few world powers have ever had such a powerful, anti-military faction comparable to the American Left. Anti-military Leftists have grown stronger in America in recent decades, as the author tellingly points out, and the Left wields great power in many American institutions includi

Captures the essences of US MIlitary success

Schweikart captures the essence of the unparalleled military success of the US Military with this book. Have their been mistakes? Yes. Have there been defeats? Yes. But the over-riding history of the US military is the most tremendous success, coupled with the most compassionate treatment of its enemies, and loyalty to its own, of any military force on earth. In America's Victories, Schweikart uses seven points to punctuate a great deal of the reason why the us miltary has enjoyed such success. Those points of Gitmo, Gulags and Great Raids; Learning from Loss; Citizens as Soldiers; Pushing Autonomy down; If you build it, we will win; All for one; and, Protesters make soldiers better. In reality, in using these points and the explanation that goes with them (which explanation is rich in examples and detail of American military exploits), Schweikart captures the essence of how the overall American experience has made America's military what it is. In this regard, I would highly recommend Schweikart's other recent, and best selling work, "A Patriot's HIstory of the United States". As an author myself ("The Dragon's Fury Series" and "The Stand at Klamath Falls"), my hat is off to Mr. Schweikart and his clear grasp of American history and his ability to render in into the written word how that history has translated into a military force that has done more to secure freedom, and extend it, than any other military force in history.