Saturday, May 29, 2010

Book report,

I just finished reading Don't Tread on Me: A 400-Year History of America at War, from Indian Fighting to Terrorist Hunting. It was the back cover blurbs that sold me, and they weren't lying.

Sure, it gets to toeing the neoconservative interventionist party line in the last chapter or two, but that manages to not detract from the good time offered by the first 360-odd pages of crackling, snarky writing. If you want to read it as straight military history and avoid the worst of the political cant, you can just put it down around Tet anyway.

I especially enjoyed the first two thirds, up to and including the Civil War, a great deal of which was laugh-out-loud funny.

If you're looking for a penetrating insight into the mind of one or two great captains or a dissection of the TO&E of V Corps at Kettle Hill, this isn't the book for you. If, on the other hand, you're looking for a broad overview that covers plenty of the nooks and crannies that get ignored by history textbooks and the Hitler Channel, as well as makes you chuckle to read, then you'll like this one.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

"...crackling, snarky writing...including the Civil War, a great deal of which was laugh-out-loud funny."

More great research for the trilogy, eh? Can't wait for the snap, crackle, snark and lol's of the TK version of those events. 'Bout done?

AT

wv: undora...the unexplorer

Fuzzy Curmudgeon said...

Winging its way to my Kindle as I type...

Noah D said...

Sure, it gets to toeing the neoconservative interventionist party line in the last chapter or two,

Hey, for some that's a feature, not a bug.

Between that, your review and the grudging Booklist blurb on Amazon, I bought it.

WV: apeomm...Bhuddist monkeys?

Keads said...

Thanks for the review, a copy is on the way! I am looking forward to it based on your review.

LabRat said...

I do believe I shall obtain a copy for the Pile of Shame.

These days I have a great variety of choices when it comes time to crack something new...

LabRat said...

....Curse you. Between you and Marko I wasn't able to get out at under $50.

Skip said...

Try 'Jack Hinsons's One-Man War' by Tom C. Mc Kenney. Very well researched and written.

PQ said...

Another one with the Kindle version downloaded as we speak (write?)

Amazon reviews convinced me. Thanks for the "heads up" Tam.

Noah D said...

Mine arrived yesterday. The bit about Bacon's Rebellion is laugh-out-loud funny.