Vol. 8: The US Eighth Air Force in World War II: Ira Eaker, Hap Arnold, and Building American Air Power, 1942–1943

Published: April, 2024  Pages: 400  Features: 30 b&w illus. 3 maps. Notes. Bib. Index.

When America entered World War II in 1941, it was first left to the Army Air Forces to take the fight to Germany. In January 1942 the US Eighth Air Force was created and ordered to England, even though it was without men, equipment, or airplanes. This is the story of Brigadier General Ira C. Eaker’s two years with VIII Bomber Command, and later as commander of the Eighth, as he worked to grow it into a force capable of striking German targets from above twenty thousand feet. more... about The US Eighth Air Force in World War II: Ira Eaker, Hap Arnold, and Building American Air Power, 1942–1943

Vol. 7: Eagles Overhead: The History of US Air Force Forward Air Controllers, from the Meuse-Argonne to Mosul

Published: February, 2023  Pages: 368  Features: 36 b&w illus. Notes. Bib. Index.

US Air Force Forward Air Controllers (FACs) bridge the gap between air and land power. They operate in the grey area of the battlefield, serving as an aircrew who flies above the battlefield, spots the enemy, and relays targeting information to control close air support attacks by other faster aircraft. When done well, Air Force FACs are the fulcrum for successful employment of air power in support of ground forces. Unfortunately, FACs in recent times have been shunned by both ground and air forces, their mission complicated by inherent difficulty and danger, as well as by the vicissitudes of defense budgets, technology, leadership, bureaucracy, and doctrine. more... about Eagles Overhead: The History of US Air Force Forward Air Controllers, from the Meuse-Argonne to Mosul

Vol. 6: Proud Warriors: African American Combat Units in World War II

Published: October, 2021  Pages: 352  Features: 31 b&w illus. 2 maps. Notes. Bib. Index.

During World War II, tens of thousands of African Americans served in segregated combat units in U.S. armed forces. The majority of these units were found in the U.S. Army, and African Americans served in every one of the combat arms. They found opportunities for leadership unparalleled in the rest of American society at the time. Several reached the field grade officer ranks, and one officer reached the rank of brigadier general. more... about Proud Warriors: African American Combat Units in World War II

Vol. 5: War in the Villages: The U.S. Marine Corps Combined Action Platoons in the Vietnam War

Published: March, 2021  Pages: 272  Features: 26 b&w illus. 2 maps. Notes. Bib. Index.

Listen to Ted N. Easterling’s interview discussing War in the Villages on the Military History Inside Out podcast hosted by Cris Alvarez. more... about War in the Villages: The U.S. Marine Corps Combined Action Platoons in the Vietnam War

Vol. 4: Obstinate Heroism: The Confederate Surrenders after Appomattox

Published: March, 2020  Pages: 504  Features: 24 b&w illus. 18 maps. Notes. Bib. Index.

Despite popular belief, the Civil War did not end when Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox, Virginia, in April 1865. The Confederacy still had tens of thousands of soldiers under arms, in three main field armies and countless smaller commands scattered throughout the South. Although pressed by Union forces at varying degrees, all of the remaining Confederate armies were capable of continuing the war if they chose to do so. But they did not, even when their political leaders ordered them to continue the fight. Convinced that most civilians no longer wanted to continue the war, the senior Confederate military leadership, over the course of several weeks, surrendered their armies under different circumstances. more... about Obstinate Heroism: The Confederate Surrenders after Appomattox

Vol. 3: Stilwell and Mountbatten in Burma: Allies at War, 1943-1944

Published: April, 2017  Pages: 288  Features: 7 b&w illus. 3 maps. Notes. Bib. Index.

Stilwell and Mountbatten in Burma explores the relationship between American General Joseph “Vinegar Joe” Stilwell and British Admiral Lord Louis Mountbatten in the China-Burma-India Theater (CBI) and the South East Asia Command (SEAC) between October 1943 and October 1944, within the wider context of Anglo-American relations during World War II. Using original material from both British and American archives, Jonathan Templin Ritter discusses the military, political, and diplomatic aspects of Anglo-American cooperation, the personalities involved, and where British and American policies both converged and diverged over Southeast Asia. more... about Stilwell and Mountbatten in Burma: Allies at War, 1943-1944

Vol. 2: Riding for the Lone Star: Frontier Cavalry and the Texas Way of War, 1822-1865

Published: February, 2016  Pages: 464  Features: 35 b&w photos. 5 maps. Notes. Bib. Index.

The idea of Texas was forged in the crucible of frontier warfare between 1822 and 1865, when Anglo-Americans adapted to mounted combat north of the Rio Grande. This cavalry-centric arena, which had long been the domain of Plains Indians and the Spanish Empire, compelled an adaptive martial tradition that shaped early Lone Star society. Beginning with initial tactical innovation in Spanish Tejas and culminating with massive mobilization for the Civil War, Texas society developed a distinctive way of war defined by armed horsemanship, volunteer militancy, and short-term mobilization as it grappled with both tribal and international opponents. more... about Riding for the Lone Star: Frontier Cavalry and the Texas Way of War, 1822-1865

Vol. 1: Storming the City: U.S. Military Performance in Urban Warfare from World War II to Vietnam

Published: October, 2015  Pages: 400  Features: 22 b&w photos. 8 maps. Notes. Bib. Index.

In an increasingly urbanized world, urban terrain has become a greater factor in military operations. Simultaneously, advances in military technology have given military forces sharply increased capabilities. The conflict comes from how urban terrain can negate or degrade many of those increased capabilities. What happens when advanced weapons are used in a close-range urban fight with an abundance of cover? more... about Storming the City: U.S. Military Performance in Urban Warfare from World War II to Vietnam

• Selected for Marine Commandant's Professional Reading List for all senior enlisted men and all Majors and Lieutenant-Colonels, 2017
• History/Military Book Club Selection, 2015