The Hidden History of America at War

A New York Times–bestselling author explores U. S. identity through the lens of the country's warfare in this thought provoking history.

Multi-million-copy bestselling historian Kenneth C. Davis sets his sights on war stories in The Hidden History of America at War. In prose that will remind you of “the best teacher you ever had” (People), Davis brings to life six emblematic battles, revealing untold tales that span our nation's history, from the Revolutionary War to Iraq. Along the way, he illuminates why we go to war, who fights, the grunt's-eye view of combat, and how these conflicts reshaped our military and national identity.

From the Battle of Yorktown (1781), where a fledgling America learned hard lessons about what kind of military it would need to survive, to Fallujah (2004), which epitomized the dawn of the privatization of war, The Hidden History of America at War takes readers inside the battlefield, introducing them to key characters and events that will shatter myths, misconceptions, and romanticism, replacing them with rich insight.

“Ambitious . . . [Davis] makes history palatable and intriguing, pointing out what gets left out and drawing parallels. If that motivates readers to delve into McPherson on the Civil War, Chernow on Washington and Alexander Hamilton, and Ricks on the fiasco in Iraq, he will have achieved an important goal. History tells us where we came from, and Davis reminds us it never has to be boring.” ―Miami Herald

“Hidden History . . . should awaken many to the manifold joys of reading history . . . Six buoyant, fast-paced stories.” ―Washington Post