With American involvement in Iraq in the forefront of national news coverage and in the minds of many citizens, questions concerning America's involvement in past conflicts have once again arisen. This is the story of how the United States has gone to war and how the evolution of the nation's war-making apparatus has mirrored the nation's rise to global power. It focuses on the president's role as Commander-in-Chief vis-a-vis Congress from George Washington to George W. Bush. Conflicts range from the War of 1812 to the Mexican and Civil Wars, the two World Wars, conflicts in Southeast Asia; and recent wars in the Middle East. Topics include Congress's role in various wars, the evolution of the War Department to the Department of Defense, as well as developments in weapons, tactics, and strategy. Wars have played an integral role in America's transformation from a continental power into a world force. Over time, America's war making has favored and continues to favor the expansion of the President's role at the expense of the Congress. America's future will be determined in large part by the way in which the nation chooses and engages in military pursuits. Questions about how and when we go to war have never been so vital or relevant. This thought-provoking one volume overview serves as a quick introduction to these important issues.

Throughout the years of its existence the Confederacy was caught up in a massive war effort that finally touched all elements of life in the South. In the way it was fought the Civil War was unlike any wars that had preceded it and thus presented special strategic challenges to military leaders. In Rebel Brass, Frank E. Vandiver discusses the nature and effectiveness of the Confederacy's high command - the men who composed it, the decisions they made, and the influences that shaped their policies. Vandiver presents not only a concise description of the machinery of the Confederate high command but also sharp analyses of the figures who dominated the system. His portraits of Jefferson Davis, George W. Randolph, James A. Seddon, and Stephen R. Mallory are among the best sketches we have of these Confederate leaders. Vandiver contends that the South's strong adherence to the principle of states' rights had a profound impact on the war effort, affecting the strategic thinking of its leaders and impeding efforts to form an efficient, centralized command system. Nowhere was the lack of a strong central command more evident than in logistics, the complicated process of moving, provisioning, and quartering troops. Throughout the war the South's management of logistical operations was often confused and inept. In the end, Vandiver finds, it was the nature of the southern character and southern culture that spelled doom for the Confederate cause.

Confederate General Thomas Jonathan Jackson was undoubtedly one of the most influential military commanders of the Civil War. Had he not met his death early in May, 1863, his influence could well have changed the course of the war. Frank E. Vandiver's detailed research and zestful writing style provide a vivid description of Stonewall's boyhood, West Point training, early career, years of teaching at the Virginia Military Institute, and Civil War campaigns. Here, too, are insights into Jackson's personal life and his deep religious feelings, which were so influential on his military thought and actions. Frank E. Vandiver, president of Texas A&M University until September, 1988, directs the Mosher Institute of Defense Studies at Texas A&M University. He is also author of Black Jack: The Life and Times of John J. Pershing and Their Tattered Flags: The Epic of the Confederacy.