| The entry of the United States into World War I in 1917 was the deciding factor in the Allies' victory of the following year. Venzon (editor of General Smedly Darlington Butler, Greenwood, 1992) and a panel of some 200 contributors, mostly American academics, have collaborated on this third volume of Garland's "Military History of the United States" series. Their work chronicles the military and civil involvement of the United States in this "war to end all wars." Biography, economics, civil rights, women's issues, foreign relations, battles, armaments, and conferences are among the topics included. Arrangement is alphabetical, and most articles are briefbetween one column and a page. One exception is the very long corporate entry for the U.S. Army, followed by major subcategories, e.g., division. Most articles include brief bibliographies. There are six maps, but no other illustrations. The enormous contribution made by volunteer organizations is well covered in articles on the American National Red Cross, YM/YWCA, Salvation Army, American Library Association, and others. Separate articles on women in the American Expeditionary Force, U.S. Army Nurse Corps, and other subjects remind us of the role played by American women both at the front and at home. The difficulties and accomplishments of black Americans during that racist era are also well documented. Peace and antiwar sentiment is reflected in articles on individuals and organizations, e.g., conscientious objectors, Woman's Peace Party, Scott Nearing, etc. More cross-references and see references would be useful in retrieving some interesting material embedded in longer articles. No literary authors are included, although a number of themErnest Hemingway, John Dos Passos, and Charles Nordhoffserved as ambulance drivers or medics, and their experiences are prime examples of the role played by volunteer noncombatants. For illustrations and additional maps, libraries should see Bruce Anthony's An Illustrated Companion to the First World War (Viking, 1990) and Oxford's Atlas of World War I (Oxford Univ. Pr., 1991). In summary, this reference is a solidly researched work, recommended for public and academic libraries.Harry E. Whitmore, formerly with Univ. of Maine at Augusta (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. |
