Thom reviewed The Great War in America by Garrett Peck
Review of 'The Great War in America' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Primarily a biography of Wilson's second term in office, with events leading up to and coming after. At times, this reads like a series of articles, with some information repeated. When on point, I found this an interesting read.
While battles are mentioned, this is no military history. The first roughly 100 pages lead up to American entry into the war, the next 100 the war itself, and the last 150 the peace treaty process. Surrounding these are events in the US, primarily politics and prohibition. Censorship during the war is covered, followed by the restoration of liberties afterwards. In short, the US was effective during the war, and less so in the aftermath.
The author is a Wilson scholar, but focuses specifically on the war here - no tariffs or trust busting. Segregation is within that spotlight, specifically military, and the contrast with France is striking. A good portion …
Primarily a biography of Wilson's second term in office, with events leading up to and coming after. At times, this reads like a series of articles, with some information repeated. When on point, I found this an interesting read.
While battles are mentioned, this is no military history. The first roughly 100 pages lead up to American entry into the war, the next 100 the war itself, and the last 150 the peace treaty process. Surrounding these are events in the US, primarily politics and prohibition. Censorship during the war is covered, followed by the restoration of liberties afterwards. In short, the US was effective during the war, and less so in the aftermath.
The author is a Wilson scholar, but focuses specifically on the war here - no tariffs or trust busting. Segregation is within that spotlight, specifically military, and the contrast with France is striking. A good portion of the post-war discusses the clash between a now well-trained group and their oppressors back home. The early 20s has parallels with the 50s - race riots and the red scare. Multiple discussions of the cabinet, congress, and Wilson's opponents are why I would classify this more biography than history.
Spotted on the libraries "new" shelf, this was more a spontaneous read than a plan. Overall, glad I checked it out. 3 out of 5 stars.