About the Book
Calls to Arms: Presidential Speeches, Messages, and Declarations of War is a collection of presidential messages and speeches that called America to war from John Adams and the Quasi-War with France to George W. Bush and the fight against international terrorism in Afghanistan. The documents included here demonstrate the growth of presidential power and show how Congress responded to each call to arms. The selections also reflect the adherence to constitutional requirements and in the case of undeclared war messages, the evolution of 'extra-constitutional' behavior. In addition, the book provides a sample of the popular responses to calls to arms throughout history and provides a handy reference for studying some of the most memorable presidential speeches. A fascinating collection of some of the most important speeches in our country's history, Calls to Arms will appeal to all those interested in American, diplomatic, and military history.
Table of Contents:
Chapter 1 John Adams: Quasi-War with France, 1797-1798
Chapter 2 Thomas Jefferson: War with Barbary States, 1801-1806
Chapter 3 James Madison: War of 1812, 1812; War with Algiers, 1815
Chapter 4 Andrew Jackson: Intervention in Sumatra and Falklands, 1831-1832
Chapter 5 James K. Polk: War with Mexico, 1846
Chapter 6 Abraham Lincoln: Civil War, 1861
Chapter 7 Ulysses S. Grant: Korean Expedition, 1871
Chapter 8 William McKinley: Spanish-American War, 1898; Philippine Insurrection, 1898-1900; China Relief Expedition, 1900
Chapter 9 Theodore Roosevelt: Panama, Dominican Republic, Cuba, 1903-1906
Chapter 10 William H. Taft: Nicaragua, 1912
Chapter 11 Woodrow Wilson: Intervention in Mexico, 1914-1916; Intervention in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, 1914; World War I, 1917-1918; Intervention in Russia, 1918-1919
Chapter 12 Calvin Coolidge: Occupation of Nicaragua, 1927-1928; Intervention in China, 1927
Chapter 13 Franklin D. Roosevelt: World War II, 1941-1942
Chapter 14 Harry S. Truman: Korea, 1950
Chapter 15 Dwight D. Eisenhower: Taiwan Strait, 1954; Lebanon, 1958
Chapter 16 John F. Kennedy: Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962
Chapter 17 Lyndon B. Johnson: Vietnam, 1964; Dominican Republic, 1965
Chapter 18 Richard M. Nixon: Invasion of Cambodia, 1970
Chapter 19 Gerald R. Ford: Mayaguez Incident, 1975
Chapter 20 Jimmy Carter: Iran, Hostage Rescue Attempt, 1980
Chapter 21 Ronald Reagan: Marines in Beirut and Intervention in Grenada, 1983; Strike against Libya, 1986; Intervention in Persian Gulf against Iran, 1987
Chapter 22 George H. W. Bush: Intervention in Panama, 1989; Persian Gulf War against Iraq, 1990-1991; Intervention in Somalia, 1992
Chapter 23 William J. Clinton: Intervention in Somalia, 1993; Strike against Iraq, 1993; Intervention in Haiti, 1993-1994; Intervention in Bosnia, 1993, 1995; Intervention in Kosovo, 1999
Chapter 24 George W. Bush: Al-Qaida Terrorist Attack, 2001
About the Author :
Russell D. Buhite is dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and professor of history at the University of Missouri-Rolla.
Review :
A wonderful, well executed. An indispensable reference for students of American history.
Professor Buhite has performed an extremely valuable service in bringing these presidential 'calls to arms' together in such a convenient and useful way. Specialists in the military history of the United States will certainly appreciate this book, but any serious student of American ideas, American rhetoric, or American foreign policy will also profit from considering the documents assembled here. It is hard to say what is more fascinating and instructive: the ways these presidential expressions have undergone subtle, but important, changes over time; or the ways in which, right down to the present moment, they have remained so remarkably consistent in their appeals to the American people.
With Calls to Arms, Russell D. Buhite, widely known for his writings in American diplomatic history, has made available what will prove to be exceptionally useful. From John Adams to George W. Bush, Buhite brings together the many different public justifications American presidents have given for leading the country into all-out war or for undertaking specific military actions. Calls to Arms should work particularly well in courses on the American presidency and U.S. foreign relations.
Recommended.
