This work chronicles the lives and accomplishments of over 200 enemies who have fought, plotted, spied on, and in some instances defeated U.S. forces over the past three centuries.
Mangas Coloradas in the Old Southwest, Charles Cornwallis at the Guilford Courthouse, Erwin Rommel at Kasserine Pass—these are just a few of the skilled opponents the U.S. military has faced on the battlefield. In this new encyclopedia, readers can explore the goals, the tactics, and the life stories of America's greatest enemies.
Books on American military heroes abound. But this book is the first to focus on America's talented enemies—the generals, admirals, Indian chiefs and warriors, submarine captains, fighter pilots, and spies who opposed the United States with military force or other means. Often these military leaders were among the best minds of their times.
For more than two centuries, the new nation's most constant military opponents were the Native Americans, led by such capable chiefs as American Horse and Little Wolf. Under D'Iberville, Canada's French colonialists became formidable foes, but they were soon surpassed by the rigorously disciplined redcoats of Great Britain under Howe and Cornwallis. Ironically, the most effective enemies in the history of the United States were not the leaders of foreign military forces—like Mexico's Santa Anna, Japan's Yamamoto, or Vietnam's Vo Nguyen Giap. They arose from among its own citizens during the Civil War, the bloodiest conflict in American history.
Features
• More than 200 entries include Indian warriors, German and Japanese fighter pilots, Confederate bushwhackers, Spanish admirals, and a host of femme fatales
• Each entry includes biographical information as well as analyses of battles, tactics, and outcomes
• Appendixes list adversaries by conflict and by occupation
• The book is generously illustrated with archival and contemporary photographs and portraits
• An extensive bibliography lists more than 900 resources for further study
Highlights
• The first reference book to discuss the leaders who opposed the United States by military force
• Offers a balanced treatment of decisive battles and skilled military adversaries
• Covers both foreign and domestic enemies, from Confederate bushwhackers and Japanese fighter pilots to Spanish admirals and dangerous femme fatales
John C. Fredriksen, Ph.D., is an independent historian. His published works include ABC-CLIO's International Warbirds: An Illustrated Guide to World Military Aircraft, 1914–1920 and American Military Leaders: From Colonial Times to the Present.
Reviews
" ... an excellent biographical encyclopedia of the various military adversaries (naval, air, and land) America has faced since colonial times ... This well-done work is especially useful for those looking to begin research into those who led America's military adversaries. It should be included in all libraries."—American Reference Books Annual
