James And Wells, America And The Great War, 1914-1920

Abstract

In America and the Great War, 1914-1920, D. Clayton James and Anne Sharp Wells make a useful contribution to the distinguished American History Series from Harlan Davidson. In the spirit of the other works in the series--such as Paul K. Conkin's The New Deal or Arthur Link and Richard L. McCormick's Progressivism-America and the Great War offers a comprehensive overview of a pivotal topic in a compact package of 98 pages, well suited for introductory or upper-level undergraduate courses that require a brief survey of the military and home front history of World War I.

America and the Great War packs a tremendous amount of detail into a remarkably tight space. The series editors note that "each of the authors seeks to restore the past as an actual present, to revive it as a living reality," and James and Wells are particularly successful at doing this with respect to the political decision makers and military leaders of the war, along with occasional poignant glimpses into the lives of ordinary Americans both in and out of the military. In four brief chapters, they offer an overview of the conflict, a treatment of the American military experience, a history of the home front, and a description of the war's diplomatic resolution and aftermath.