The secret of successful Battles of Saratoga.

Battled eighteen days separated in the fall of 1777, the two Battles of Saratoga were a defining moment in the North american Revolution. On September nineteenth, British General John Burgoyne accomplished a little, yet exorbitant triumph over American powers drove by Horatio Gates and Benedict Arnold. In spite of the fact that his troop power have been debilitated, Burgoyne again assaulted the Persons in the usa at Bemis Heights on September seventh, yet this time was crushed and constrained to withdraw. They surrendered ten days after the fact, and the American triumph knowing without a doubt the French government to formally distinguish the homesteader's motivation and your war in light of the fact that their partner.

THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER 19, 1777, AND MARCH 7, 1777 

The term Saratoga is short for two battles that gave the change de style to the 1777 British isles assault from Canada all through the American Revolutionary War. Seeking after account Fort Ticonderoga without hardly lifting a finger, the British isles armed force, drove by pompous General John Burgoyne, listed south at a tortoise pace, giving the shaken Americans time to recombine under Horatio Gateways. To help him, General George Washington sent Benedict Arnold, his best infantry manager; Colonel Daniel Morgan and his break regiment of Virginia marksmen; and two detachments of Continentals from the Hudson Highlands. That they raised Gates' ability to around sixty-five 100 or so men. So also essential was Colonel Thaddeus Kosciusko, the Gloss make, who assembled great field fortresses on Bemis Levels ignoring the Hudson Lake.

On The long stretch of september 20, Burgoyne barraged. The fabulous Arnold nudged Gates away of his wellbeing demeanor, winning consent to get Morgan's men and Holly Dearborn's light soldires in a negative zone to hinder a British flanking segment. Expected for most of the night, an enraged have an issue seethed around and over a settling called Freeman's Farm; Arnold included crisp regiments until the point when the nervous Entrance got pulverized off the activity, leaving the battered English in property of the floor. In the wake of working up his camp and surfing vain for fortifications from Clean York, Burgoyne attempted another attack on Oct a few. Disregarding orders from the desirous Gates to keep on having the parts, Arnold joined the battle and drove a strike that caught key solid subtle elements, driving the British isles to withdraw to Saratoga (current Schuylerville). At this moment there, between a tardy overflowing of volunteer army, Burgoyne surrendered week later.

What everybody ought to know about American civil war

METROPOLIS AND COUNTY WAR BACKDROP

In the mid-19th 100 years, even though the United States was heading by using a era of huge growth, an essential cost effective difference existed among the list of country's upper as well as the southern area of parts.

In the North, production and industry was very well set up, and harvesting was typically limited to small-scale harvesting, while the South's marketplace was centered about a system of considerable harvesting that measured about the labor of dark-colored slaves to increase selected plants, especially natural silk cotton and tobacco.

Growing abolitionist emotion in the North following the 1830s and north opposition to slavery's file format into the brand-new american territories led a whole lot of southerners to fear which the existence of captivity in america--and thus the point using their economy--was in hazard.

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OUTBREAK INSIDE THE MUNICIPAL WAR (1861)

Although Lincoln subsequently took workplace in Walk 1861, Confederate pushes confronted the federal-held Ft Sumter in Charleston, Sc. Line slave claims much like Missouri, Kentucky and Baltimore would certainly not secede, yet there was evidently much Confederate agape between all of their very own own citizens.

Even so on the surface the Civil Struggle may have seemed a lopsided concern, with the 23 promises from the Union taking pleasure in a massive benefits in residents, manufacturing (including arms production) and train construction, the Confederates experienced a stable military custom, along with some of the incredibly best soldiers and commanders in the area. Found in the First Struggle of Fluff Run (known in the South while First Manassas) on Come july initially 21, 1861, 35, great number of Confederate soldiers under the command of Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson forced a greater number of Focus forces (or Federals) to retreat towards Washington, Metres. C., dashing any requires of a quick Organization victory and leading Lincoln subsequently to demand five-hundred, 000 more recruits. Halleck, though he remained in command of the Supplied service inside the Potomac.

Lee then simply moved his troops northwards and split his males, emailing Jackson to come through Pope's forces near Manassas, while Lee himself transferred separately together with the second 1 / a couple of the military services. Regarding August 29, Institute troops led by Steve S? re struck Jackson's makes interior the Second Struggle of Bull Go (Second Manassas). The Unification win by Antietam will confirm important, since that ceased the Confederate move forward in Maryland and compelled Shelter to escape in Va. Burnside's invasion upon Lee's troops close to Fredericksburg on December 13 are available in heavy Organization casualties and a Confederate get; previously being rapidly substituted simply by Joseph "Fighting Joe" Hooker, and equally soldires completed into winter several weeks quarters over the Rappahannock Riv from each several additional.

AFTER THE EMANCIPATION CLARATION (1863-4)
Lincoln received utilized the occasion interior the Organization victory in Antietam to issue a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which will will freed every slaves in the edgy areas following January you, 1863. Even now, the Emancipation Proclamation starving the Confederacy together with the almost all their very own work force,, labor pressure forces make international basic public opinion firmly about the Union aspect. Several 186, 000 dark-colored troops will join the Institute Military services when the war finished in 1865, and 37, 000 dropped their lives.

Inside the spring of 1863, Hooker's plans associated with a great Unification offensive was foiled by a big amaze strike by large of Lee's forces upon May well well 1, whereupon Hooker drawn his men backside in Chancellorsville. Lee designed a single other invasion in the North at the begining of June, attacking Concentration pushes commanded by Common George Meade on Arrive july 1st one special near Gettysburg, inside the southern place of Missouri. After having a Confederate victory for Chickamauga Creek, Georgia, merely south of Chattanooga, Tn, in September, Lincoln widened Grant's control, which individual led a reinforced National army (including two corps from the Army inside the Potomac) to victory in Chattanooga seen in late November.

TOWARD A UNION EARN (1864-65)
In March 1864, Lincoln set Grant found in supreme control over the Institute soldires, replacing Halleck. Sherman outmaneuvered Confederate pushes to consider Atlanta simply by Sept, following which this individual and some 60, 500 Institute soldiers began the well-liked "March for the Sea, in devastating Atlanta on the way to capturing Savannah on January 21. Sherman pressed in through Refreshing york, acquiring Fayetteville, Bentonville, Goldsboro and Raleigh simply by simply mid-April.

Meanwhile, fatigued simply by the Institute siege of Petersburg and Richmond, Lee's forces built my aged attempt pertaining to resistance, attacking and captured the Federal-controlled Fort Stedman on Scar 25. Around the function of victory, the Firm lost its wonderful brain: The actor and Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Demonstration area assassinated Chief executive Lincoln subsequently for Ford's Theatre in Buenos terrains on Apr 14.

What happened to the american Airman in the hand of Japanese

So traumatized was Flight Sgt Bill Tate by his two years as a Japanese prisoner of conflict that 50 years handed before he could recount the horror to his son.

Captured after his Wellington bomber lost an engine and crash ended up in central Burma in 1943, he was deprived, put in front of a firing squad, and had bamboo pushed under his toenails.

William Tate, 61, has converted his father's memoirs in the e book, "Surviving the Japanese Onslaught. "

His father never talked about the warfare, he explained. To get him to discuss it was very difficult.

Above the past two years, his son learned more, although his father could not speak for more than a half-hour at a time as it was hard for him.

William got a rough draft of the book before his father died in the year of 2007, aged 85.
Flight Sgt. Tate served with RAF Bomber Command as a wireless operator and travelled missions stopping the Japanese people advances into China and India.

The six-man folks successfully bailed out and Tate spent four days and nights seeking to walk towards the Indian border before this individual was apprehended. after beatening him he was brought to Rangoon Gaol. where thirty percent of the prisonors died because of abysmal treatment.

His first beating, one of many, was inflicted if this individual failed to take off his boots in the occurrence of the telling officer. Having been then suspended from a forest branch by his arms after he refused to answer questions during interrogative.

The next day this individual was in front of a firing squad. His life was spared at the last minute because he did not beg for mercy, earning the admiration of the camp commandant.

Daily beatings by the guards were not unusual, often because a POW had bowed imperfectly or used the completely wrong word.

His first month was spent in one confinement during which time having been lashed and tortured twice.

In one instance he was deprived for a day before being provided with normal water and a dish of raw rice.
Tate said that his stomack expandend from the uncooked rice that he was eating abnoucsionsly. A half-hour later the safeguards returned, and forced him to eat additional hemp.

If he finished pads held him down on the floor while one jumped on his tummy, he related.

In early on 1944 his close good friend Paul Griffiths, who also bailed out of the Wellington, died in Rangoon Gaol from beriberi -- an illness attributed to supplement deficiency.

Tate said the fact his friend experienced to die at such as young age, simply by using starvation, persistent ill-treatment and malnutrition, crushes away at his thoughts even today.

Following the war, Tate kept a promise he made to Paul in the deathbed and visited his parents, Mirror reported.

Considering that the Western did not release convict names the Red Combination, Tate's family waited over two years to learn having been alive.

Not really until May 1945 do they learn he experienced been found alive in Burma and weighed only 84 pounds.

Still, Bill has trouble reading his father's story since it is so upsetting. Yet he does want the rest of the family, including nephews and nieces, to be aware of what happened to him.
references:
1-www.warhistoryonline.com
2-Wikipedia

100 year war

The Hundred Years' War was fought between France and England during the overdue Ancient. It lasted 116 years from 1337 to 1453.The war started because Charles IV of France passed away in 1328 without a son. Edward III of England then believed this individual had the right to end up being the new king of England through his mother.

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The French did not want a foreign california king, so Philip VI of France said he really should to be king because by the Salic rules women could not value or transmit the right to rule to their sons. The two countries went to war for that reason disagreement.

At the start of the war England was the better of the two countries. Portugal had about 17 mil people while England got only about 4 , 000, 000 people. France had an alliance with Scotland against England, and England attempted to ally with parts of the Low Countries. The English won a great victory at sea in the Battle of Sluys in 1340 which prevented France from entering England. After that the war was fought almost totally in France. Great britain won again at the Battle of Cr? cy in 1346: the English language longbow was part of the reason for the victory.

From 1348 to 1356 there was very little fighting due to Black color Death. Then Edward, the Black Prince won the Battle of Poitiers for England. King John 2 of France was captured during the battle. The English invaded France again but were not able to take any more cities. A truce provided England about one 1 / 4 of France.

The newest ruler Charles V of Italy was more successful, with Bertrand du Guesclin as his best knight. The Black Prince was active at another war holiday, and Edward III was too old to lead plenty again. So England allied with Castile against England and Portugal. England won back many French towns from the Uk during this period. A peace implemented from 1389-1415.

The most famous part of the war started out in 1415. Henry the V of England invaded France and won the Battle of Agincourt with many bowmen. King Charles VI of France was insane and unable to rule, and practically all his daughters died young. The full of France, Isabeau of Bavaria, married one of her daughters to Holly the V and fixed the Treaty of Troyes to make Henry Sixth v the next king of France. Both Henry Sixth v and Charles VI passed away at almost the same time. Therefore the English assumed Henry VI of Britain was the new ruler of France and many French people agreed. Charles VI's last son Charles VII of France said he ought to be the new king, but many people said this individual did not deserve to be king because another person had probably been his father.

The English persisted to capture land in France until Joan of Arc led the armed service to success at the Siege of Orleans and the Battle of Patay in 1429. She obtained many cities and helped bring Charles VII to his coronation, but she would not recover Paris. Her enemies captured and slain her. After her fatality, the French continued to take back territory, although more slowly. France experienced a diplomatic win in 1435 with the Treaty of Arras. The battle ended in 1453.

World War 1 - Famous People Of War

World War I, also known as the Great War, began in 1914 among great, affluent and influential European countries concerning political, social and economic rift and rivalry. It lasted for four years. But the First World War has been beyond legendary as it involved the following renowned men who play with such infamous roles in history.
Ferdinand Franz, Archduke of Austria-Hungary Empire, who upon his visit in its colonized province in Bosnia (Serbia), was assassinated by a Serbian rebel in contest with his political reforms. The death of Franz set off World War I as Austria declared war to Serbia and subsequently, Germany, her ally, activated war to Serbia's supporter-states.
Wilhelm II, the German Kaiser at the onset of World War I in June 1914, provoked and conspired with Austrian government to destroy Serbian authority. The former armed forces feat was a reprisal to the latter after Serbian terrorists plotted to slay off the Austrian Archduke, Franz Ferdinand. He also became Germany's chief commanding officer during the war with Serbia and its allied neighbouring countries as Russia, France, and Britain, the "Triple Entente" assembly.
Erich Ludendorff, German military General who powerfully headed the German troops in their declaration of war in August 1914 with France and Belgium under the Schleiffen Plan. Ludendorff assisted in a submarine war defensive system, thus brought U.S. to step in the movement. Although in 1917, as Russia retreated from the war, he took part on a peace agreement, the Brest-Litovsk Treaty, to settle conflicts and form new leadership between Russia and Germany.
Paul von Hindenburg, coming from his retirement was appointed as military official of Germany's Eight Army at the outbreak of the Great War, has fought successfully over Russia's huge militia in Battles of Tannenberg and Masurian Lakes. Then he became commander-in-chief with his records of victory. Though, intelligence reports said that Ludendorff, his associate during the war, deserved more of the repute and glory of their conquering feat.
Czar Nicholas II, the Russian sovereign who took in his state's workforce in the war in September 1915 to aid the "Triple Entente". However, his leadership never won over Germany due to the latter's powerful armies and effective access to munitions.
Winston Churchill was the First Lord of the Admiralty of British command when Britain, Russia and France started war on Turkey, after the Turks rule supported Germany. He led his troops with their first successful attack to Turks in Gallipoli, Dardanelles.
Lloyd George was the British Prime Minister who led the triumph over Germany. His victorious conquest in the war was the use of convoy system in battling against massive German maritime forces. He took part and acted as well. He played a key role in the Paris Peace Conference to facilitate order among nations after the Great War.
Woodrow Wilson, U.S. President at the time of World War I, after being impartial for a time, declared aggression in April 1917 with resilient attacks of Germany to its foes. But later on, after a year of seeing adverse post-war effects, he initiated settlements with German regime and formed peace-making pact such as Fourteen Points, League of Nations, and the Treaty of Versailles.
These famous men played major parts during the Great War with their idea of triumphs amidst tragedies. Each of them tried to bring to an end the warfare even from its outburst up to every closing stage of battles among European and other states. But it was only in 1918 with the creation of Armistice, bound by peaceful negotiations, which World War I in effect ceased.
World War 1 [http://worldwar1-2.com/] and 2 Summary - How It Changed History. Click the links and find interesting World War 1 and World War 2 Facts [http://worldwar1-2.com/some-world-war-2-facts/] now.
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Second world war

The War in Europe started out in September 1939, when Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler invaded Poland. Applying blitzkrieg tactics the country was quickly overtaken. The world was shocked. The uk and France responded by declaring war on Indonesia, but took little action This became known as the Phony War. But in 1940, German offensives swiftly defeated Denmark, Norway, Athens, the Netherlands and France The British Army Meanwhile was on the retreat being evacuated from Dunkirk Britain only was attacked by Australia during the battle of Britain and the Blitz however the Luftwaffe failed to defeat the RAF In 06, 1941, Hitler invaded Russian federation under the Codename Procedure Barbarossa. in December 1941 the Japanese attacked Gem Harbor Bringing the USA into the war Germany Italy and Japan Formed the axis powers While Britain Russia and the USA made-up the major combatants on the allied side In 1942, the Nazis implemented their last solution a plan to exterminate all Jewish people Critical battles followed that would considerably replace the course of the war These were midway in the Pacific cycles theatre June 1942El Alamein in Egypt, November 1942Stalingrad in Russia January 1943on June 6th1944 D-Day The Allies launched procedure overlord invading Normandy France The red Military services Advanced in the East and was the first to reach the A language like German capital of Berlin Germany Surrendered in May 1945 right after Adolf Hitler Committed suicide On 6th of August 1945 the Americans dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima Japan Surrendered on V-J day15 August 1945the war was overWW2 lasted from 1939 - 1945 and remains the most geographically popular military conflict the world has ever seen.

Effects of World War I

Effects of World War I By Martin Hahn

The human cost of the very first World War was terrible. Over sixteen million folks, both civilian and military, died within the battle. A whole generation of young males was wiped out. In 1919, the season after the battle was over in France, there have been fifteen females for each male between the ages of eighteen and thirty. It's awful to think about each of the lost possibilities, the writers, artists, coaches, inventors and leaders that have been murdered in' the battle to stop all wars.' But although the effect of the very first World War was very destructive it also created numerous brand new innovations in medication, warfare, social attitudes and politics.
The dynamics of warfare was changed by the very first World War. Technology evolved into an important aspect in the form of battle with airplanes, submarines, tanks all playing important brand new roles. Mass production methods created during the battle with the construction of armaments revolutionized some other industries in the post war years. The very first chemical weapons were also applied when the Germans used dangerous gas at Ypres in 1915. A century later the global society was looking for to prohibit President Assad of Syria from working with chemical weapons against the citizens in his country. The fantastic War also resulted in mass armies based upon conscription, a novel idea for Britain, though not on the continent. It's ironic that the concept of common military service was launched in Britain without the adoption of common adult male suffrage. The war even discovered the original propaganda films, several meant to simply help recruit US support of the Allies. A vivid illustration of the horrors of living at the front side is offered by the Charlie Chaplin film Shoulder Arms. Propaganda films would afterwards be mastered under the Nazis.
Modern surgery came into this world in the very first World War, where military and civil hospitals acted as theaters of experimental health-care treatment. The war was lived through by numerous veterans who have been left maimed, mutilated as well as disfigured. These so-called' broken faces' whose plight was frequently eased through the improvement of skin grafts. Blood banks have been created after the finding in 1914 which blood may be prevented from clotting. The very first World War likewise led doctors to begin to learn the psychological compared to the actual physical strain of battle. Traumatic shock and shell shock had been recognized as symptoms that are common. But despite these insights and countless more patients in the next World War, it wasn't until the aftermath of the Vietnam War that this particular situation was formally recognized as post traumatic stress disorder. It had also been discovered in troops serving in Afghanistan and Iraq plus was frequently cited as a cause for a lot of gun killings in the US.
The war even had significant ramifications for the social structures in Europe. Top of the classes experienced proportionately greater losses within the combat than every other training, a very fact which guaranteed that a resumption of the prewar status quo was unattainable. The drop of top of the classes was additional hastened by the launch of broad common suffrage in Europe. The extension of the franchise, that comes with an explosion in industry unionism, afforded the working classes better political as well as social representation. The different armies had additionally to enhance fresh officers from modest backgrounds that weren't prepared to go on the lifestyle of deference to top of the classes.
The horrors of the Great War similarly provided a spontaneous support to Christian socialism with the rally cry of' never again'. Additionally, it forced females into tasks which had previously been a male protect. A lot of the females who the war effort had pushed from domestic service and into industries found themselves reluctant to surrender the new independence of theirs. The War thus provided a boost to needs for female's emancipation. The War additionally sparked a peace action which had disarmament as its primary goal. It flourished briefly in the inter war years, was reborn during the Vietnam War and discovered many adherents in Europe e.g. the plan for nuclear disarmament (CND). Although significantly less technically organised than in the 1980s, the anti war movement in Europe showed the strength of its in the mass demonstrations against the US led intrusion of Iraq in 2003.
The war even had significant effects on the European socialist and also labor movement. Though well organised in several countries, like Britain, Germany and France, the socialist movement didn't prevent the battle in 1914. Initially skilled employees in the armaments sector weren't only exempted from military service but additionally enjoyed better wages and much better meals in exchange for the banning of strike actions. But as the battle continued following as well as working conditions for factory employees gradually declined. Socialist organizations began agitating for peace, a method which got an increase as an outcome of the 1917 Russian revolution. At the conclusion of the battle in 1918 the socialist and trade union movement was stronger than in 1914.
The fantastic War similarly saw the launch of the planned economic system along with a significantly larger role for the state. Shortly after the outbreak of battle the German government had taken command over banks, the production and foreign trade and sale of foods along with armaments. Additionally, it established maximum rates for various products. If the Bolsheviks took power in Russian federation in 1917 they embarked on a great nationalization program and also afterwards an extensive planned economy. The planned economy even had the adherents of its in some other places, particularly after the twin shocks of hyperinflation in the 1920s and the fantastic Crisis of 1929.
A worldwide influence was received by the 1914-18 conflict. In the Middle East, for instance, the British and French promised different issues to the Jews and the Arabs in exchange for their assistance against the Ottoman Empire. Under the infamous Sykes Picot agreement, Paris and London carved out respective spheres of impact in what was becoming Lebanon, Syria, and Iraq. But at the same time the British guaranteed the Jews a homeland in Palestine under the equally infamous Balfour Declaration installing the foundations for the growth of Israel as well as the world's most intractable fashionable conflict. If the British deceit was subjected it resulted in a lasting sensation of mistrust between numerous Arabs as well as European colonial powers. Many analysts point towards the European carve up of the Middle East in 1918 with many synthetic borders as the real cause of the continuing turmoil within the area now. Ethnic, tribal and sectarian differences have been of very little problem to the colonial era map makers. Iraq was created by merging 3 Ottoman provinces - dominated respectively by Shias, Kurds and Sunnis. It was also cut off from Kuwait - the genesis of difficulty later. The largest losers of the post war lottery in the Middle East had been the Kurds. Today this still stateless individuals have a high level of local autonomy - and also distant relative serenity - in federal Iraq while the compatriots of theirs in Turkey and Syria deal with challenges from Ankara and Damascus.
As respect the chart of Europe, Austro-Hungarian Empires and the Ottoman have been broken up so substantially shrunk, while Poland, Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia were all reborn as nation states. Russian federation underwent the Bolshevik Revolution which would have had a significant effect on European and world history. Germany was decreased considerably and then made to spend substantial reparations. The Kaiser went into exile, as well as Germany plunged into political and economic chaos which paved the way with the rise of Hitler. The brand new nations have been terrible and usually in conflict with one another. US President Wilson had talked about transparent overseas agreements, unfettered access to the lifting of trade barriers. These would confirm utopian as was the concept of his of borders based upon ethnicity, a concept that could be the precursor to many conflicts. The largest of the brand new nations was Poland, that had disappeared from the chart for more than a century after getting partitioned in 1795. In 1923 when its borders were at last settled, Poland had fairly good relations with just 2 neighbors - modest Latvia to the north and also a distant Romania on the south. In case the Treaty of Versailles was deemed strong subsequently the Treaty of Trianon was arguably much harsher, leaving Hungary as a significantly reduced state with countless Hungarians outside its borders. These minority issues have been curbed during the communist era but resurfaced posting 1989 creating significant issues between Hungary and Romania and Hungary and Slovakia. Inevitably the EU had also been pulled into efforts to solve these minority issues. The Stability Pact, or maybe Balladur Plan, was invented to give EU assistance and help of the healing of minorities.
The actual victor of the very first World War was the United States. It was late in joining the battle, just in 1917, but emerged much better than other nations as it did not suffered both the bloodletting or perhaps the wasted industrial work of the main European nations. It became, almost overnight, the reputable economic power in the planet, elbowing Britain from its way en route to being the world's banker. The war even involved thousands and thousands of soldiers from the European colonies as well as British Dominions, like India, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Canada. Their loss and experience of life helped push requires for freedom. India by itself sent some 100,000 soldiers to battle for Britain. Over 10,000 never returned home. The very first World War also proclaimed the birth of the League of Nations, a body of nation states to encourage global security and peace. Regrettably the staunchest supporter of its, President Woodrow Wilson was not able to persuade the American Congress to let the US join. In 1945 the US would follow another method.
The economic crash of 1929 brought misery across Europe. Adolf Hitler seized the chance to grab power, under dubious semi legitimate conditions, and begin to build up Germany's armed forces in contravention of the Versailles Treaty. Not many in Western Europe thought Hitler was deadly seriously interested in producing a much better Reich across the European continent. There was also worries that the reparations which have been required by France at Versailles were definitely overly strong, a view shown eloquently in the Economic Consequences of the Peace by John Maynard Keynes. When Paris and London finally awoke to the risk it had been way too late. By 1941 Hitler controlled one half of Europe after a spectacular number of Blitzkrieg victories. But Hitler over reached himself by declaring war on the US before beating the Soviet Union. In 1945, only 13 years after the proclamation of the 1000 year Reich it was all over. Germany was split and lay in damages.
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Newspapers During the Civil War

Newspapers During the Civil War
By Steven Chabotte
It's hard to imagine a time before television news and radio news, not to mention news on the Internet, but during the Civil War, citizens had to rely on two major sources of news - word of mouth and newspapers.
Although word of mouth was the most expedient source of news about the war, newspapers provided citizens and soldiers alike with the most detailed accounts of war that that had ever been published in America or in any other country for that matter. New printing technologies allowed newspapers and magazines alike to publish another new technology - photographs. The advent of the telegraph made news from the front lines of the war available to the press room in minutes rather than days or weeks. Newspapers provided a tangible account of a war that developed by the day.
By the time the Civil War began in 1860, newspapers had expanded from the large cities in the northeast to almost all major cities throughout the United States, and even into some smaller towns, where an enterprising publisher could set up a press.
However, at the outset of the war, most newspapers were still yet unequipped to cover the war. Not only was the Civil War one of the most geographically large wars fought to the time, but the sheer numbers of those involved made the task mind-boggling. Although most of the larger papers, such as The New York Herald, The New York Times and Harper's Weekly had Washington correspondents, few had ever employed correspondents for the wide expanse of country the war encompassed. Thus a new position in the American newspaper office was born - the war correspondent.
War correspondents were sent out to the front lines, along with special artists, who until photographs became widely used toward the end of the war, sketched the action. These brave writers and artists experienced the same harsh conditions of life in a military camp as the soldiers did.
The ability of newspapers to get information from the front lines was often troubling for officers and others in positions of authority during the war. At various times, newspapers were censored for fear that the news they reported would be used by the enemy to advance their cause. This was more a problem in the North than in the South for obvious reasons - the South had had fewer major newspapers before the war, and blockades had resulted in such a shortage of paper, ink, and other supplies necessary that many papers shut down, never to reopen. But in the North, the threat of the press was taken in hand; Lincoln himself feared the repercussions of newspapers that were either opposed to the war or sympathetic to the Confederate cause, and suppressed many of these papers.
But Lincoln's courting of editors that supported his cause sometimes came back to haunt him, as is the case of his supporter Horace Greeley, of the New York Tribune, whom, in an effort to stir up support for the Union, undoubtedly contributed to the battles at Bull Run, which were both notorious losses for the Federal Army.
By far the most popular newspaper during the Civil War era was Harper's Weekly. Harper's was one of the more even-handed newspapers, due mostly to its popularity in the South. Although the paper supported Lincoln and the Union, it still reported with disinterest, and remained a mainstay of the Southern household during the war.
Aside from its impartiality, Harper's circulation of more than 200,000 during the Civil War era is attributable to the fact that the paper employed some of the most distinguished writers and artists of the time. Political cartoonist Thomas Nast was a mainstay of Harper's, as was artist Winslow Homer. Other notable artists who contributed to Harper's during the Civil War era include Theodore R. Davis, Henry Mosler, and the brothers Alfred Waud and William Waud.
Newspapers were the most reliable source of news during Civil War America. While newspapers served the citizens of the time well, they are also an invaluable resource for historians who study the war, providing insight not only into the actions of the war, but into the popular opinion of the war, as well.
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Do you love reading about its history?
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Types of War

By Xaeema Eckbaull
War has been defined in various ways. For present purposes, we may define was as sustained intergruop violence in which state military forces participate on at least one side or on both sides in the case of interstate war and generally on only one side is the case of civil war. In a world of standing military forces it is hard to say exactly where peace ends and war begins. A military battle that is not sustained over time may or may not be considered a war. The brief Chinese-Soviet border clashes in March and July 1969, for example, entailed several small battles at a few points along the border, in which some hundreds of people were killed. Similarly ambigous is a long term violent struggle involving irregular forces, such as in Northern Ireland. There, uniformed British military forces waged a sustained violent struggle with a non state army, the Irish Republican Army (IRA), until a cease-fire that has held on and off since 1995.
Thus, many different activities are covered by the general term war. Consequently, it is not easy to say how many wars are going on in the world at the moment. Wars are very diverse. Several types of war tend to arise from different situations and play different sorts of roles in bargaining over conflicts. Starting from the largest wars, we may distinguish the following main categories.
Hegemonic War is a war over control of the entire world order - the rules of the international system as a whole, including the role of world hegemony. This class of wars is also known as global war, world war, general war or systemic war. The last hegemonic war was World War II.
Total War is warfare by one state waged to conquer and occupy another. The goal is to reach the capital city and force the surrender of the government, which can then be replaced with one of the victor's choosing. The 2003 Iraq War is a classic case. Napoleonic Wars, which introduced large-scale conscription and geared the entire French International economy toward the war effort. In total war, the entire society mobilized for the struggle, the entire society of the enemy is considered a legitimate target.
Limited War includes military actions carried out to gain some objective short of the surrender and occupation of the enemy. For instance, the U.S led war against Iraq in 1991 retook the territory of Kuwait but did not go on to Baghdad to topple Saddam Hussain's government. Many border wars have this character; after occupying the land it wants,a state may stop short and defend its gains.
Civil War refers to war between factions within a state trying to create, or prevent, a new government for the entire state or some territorial part of it. The U.S Civil War of the 1860's is a good example of a secessionist civil war.
Guerrilla War which includes certain kinds of civil wars is a warfare without front lines. Irregular forces operate in the midst of and often hidden or protected by, civilian populations. The purpose is not to directly confront an enemy army but rather to harass and punish it so as to gradually limit its operation and effectively liberate territory from its control.
In short, Wars are constantly taking place between states as well as in the states since the inception of history itself. It will remain till the world exists because of various desires of individuals and state-actors as well.
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Interview With Don Meyer, Author of "The American War"

Interview With Don Meyer, Author of "The American War"
By Tyler Tichelaar
Tyler: Welcome, Don. I have a lot of questions for you about writing "The American War" so I'm anxious to talk to you. First, will you tell our readers why you chose that title?
Don: Well, first of all you should know that in Vietnam, that war is referred to as "The American War." When you add in the references to the Civil War, "our American war," I thought that the title worked well for the overall theme of the book.
Tyler: Don, will you briefly summarize your role in the war for us so we have some understanding of your background in approaching writing the novel?
Don: I was a grunt, a "ground pounder" very much like the character(s) in the book. Our mission was to patrol the jungles, search and destroy the enemy, or their supplies, or both. I was very much in tune with my character(s) and to use a clich�, I wrote what I knew.
Tyler: Before you wrote "The American War," you wrote your memoir "The Protected Will Never Know." What made you decide to write your memoir? Was it cathartic for you?
Don: The Vietnam memoir was actually written back in 1977-on an old Black Royal Manual Typewriter! Starting from a short story I did in a college English class, I had the basis for the idea. In addition, I had a bunch of letters home, notes I salvaged, and of course, my memories that were still fresh, and very raw. It was very emotional to get that all out... and down on paper. From all that material, I started to compile those pieces into what would become a working manuscript. However, as the '70s came to a close, everyone was done with Vietnam and all the publishers and agents that I sent the manuscript to decided to reject it. I threw that manuscript into a box and forgot about it. Quite a few years later, my daughter found that manuscript and took it to school for a show and tell, and even though I was through with all that, she nagged me to "get it out there," which I finally did about ten years ago. It was quite interesting to revisit that work so many years later.
Tyler: Do you feel like people are now no longer "past" Vietnam as you said but ready to revisit it? Do you feel the view of it has changed a lot since the 1970s?
Don: Truthfully, I think it is old news, occasionally mentioned when there is an event of some sort. Sure we may have more recognition than we did back then and I'm certainly glad that has translated into better recognition for our current soldiers, but at the end of the day, for most people, it is just a time and place in history. I think you also have to look at the events of the day-not only was there an unpopular war raging, but the county was racked with violence in protest. For many there are lingering wounds, both physically and emotionally, that is best left alone.
Tyler: I've read several Vietnam memoirs, but not many Vietnam War novels-admittedly because of the angst and violence that I would rather not think about. After being in the war and writing a memoir about it, what made you decide to revisit the topic again in "The American War"?
Don: As I tell people: "I went back to Vietnam for this one." Actually the original thought was always about the two wars. I was looking for a way to connect the two in a comprehensible story. As I continued my research and started making notes, things kept falling into place and I felt strongly that I was on to something. I don't think I ever focused on this being about Vietnam so much as being about a soldier caught up in war. Vietnam was familiar and gave me a basis to work from.
Tyler: Why did you decide to tie the Civil War into the novel? Did you always have an interest in it, and why that war rather than another?
Don: From the very beginning, I wanted to use the Civil War, again because I always saw the similarities between the two wars; everywhere I looked, I found parallels between the two and I thought I could use that premise. I didn't initially have a focus as to where I was going and particularly what I was going to do. However, once I came across a Civil War battle that virtually mirrored a Vietnam battle... or actually vice versa, I knew I had it. Putting together my initial outline just seemed to take off, and once I started putting together scenes, characters and events, it just flowed out of me.
Tyler: Since you were in Vietnam, did you find you didn't have to do much research for those scenes in the book? I imagine you did more research on the Civil War sections?
Don: Actually I did, because, while I knew the "grunt's life," I wanted to make sure I portrayed the events as accurately as possible, so I wound up doing quite a bit of research on the time and place leading up to that specific battle. [A note here, I joined that very unit portrayed in the book in late 1969.] Of course, I did quite a bit of research on the Civil War, but once I found that particular Civil War battle, I dug into that and tried to keep that as accurate as possible. As far as the characters... well a soldier is a soldier regardless of what war he was in.
Tyler: Without giving too much away, can you tell us how you tied the two wars together in the novel?
Don: My character Sam Kensington has these vivid dreams that he is a Union Blue Coat soldier about to embark on a major battle all while he is actually in Vietnam fighting that war...
Tyler: Sam's comrades in Vietnam keep asking him if he had relatives in the Civil War-was that the case for you, or what first made you interested in the Civil War?
Don: To my knowledge I do not, but it is probably a safe bet most of us do in some way. I was always fascinated with the Civil War and its effects, so I did a lot of studying of that conflict, both from a political standpoint as well as a war fought against each other right here on our soil. In addition, I have been amazed with the similarities between the two wars and-a history lesson here-Vietnam was a civil war between "North and South" that America got thrust into-fighting for the south by the way! I think when you stand on the outside and look in, you can't help but kind of point your finger both ways and scratch your head in astonishment at how they line up.
Tyler: I enjoyed the dialogue in the book. A lot of the phrases and sentence structure the different soldiers used were short and repetitive but seemed to have layers of meaning. Did you give much thought to the dialogue and what tips do you have for writing it?
Don: The dialogue flowed as the memories came pouring back. I refreshed myself on some of the phrases we used in Vietnam and tried to incorporate as much as I could into that dialogue. As to be expected, I tried to do the same with the Civil War dialogue. I researched, in depth the Civil War soldier, how they would have talked back then, phrases they would have used, and once again, I tried to incorporate all of that into their discussions.
As far as a tip on writing dialogue, I think the most important thing would be to be aware of the time period you are writing in. Even though Vietnam was just forty years ago, we said things differently, referred to things, as we knew them back then. Same goes for writing in the Civil War time period. You have to be aware of how people would have talked, and really how people talk in general. Dialogue can be hard; we don't talk in complete sentences; nor do we converse correctly. My final thought on dialogue is that I like writing it. I think conversations between the characters go a long way to explain things or offer insight into the story flow, or how the character is thinking. I've always used dialogue in my stories, even my memoir.
Tyler: What kinds of responses have you received from readers so far, especially fellow veterans?
Don: There seems to be an overall liking of the story concept. In fact, I've received some good responses from women who just simply liked the story. Others have mentioned liking the concept and some veterans have mentioned revisiting those old memories.
Tyler: Ideally, what response would you like readers to have from reading the book-is there something you hope they will learn or feel as a result of it?
Don: I would like to think there is some message that everyone would walk away with shaking his or her head... (Smile). Honestly I would hope that everyone just simply enjoys the story. That is what I ultimately tried to accomplish, to write an enjoyable entertaining story. I'll leave the hidden messages to those who need them!
Tyler: You've also written several other novels. Would you tell us a little about those?
Don: After the Vietnam memoir, I churned out a novel that I had been developing. I followed that up with the trilogy. The novel, "Jennifer's Plan," is a story idea that I had a rough draft for two years before I finally put that into a finished manuscript. The trilogy is a three-book set of murder mysteries that take place-fictitiously-in the little town where I live, at the very least, the setting is all too familiar. I had a lot of fun doing those. However, I will admit that I was already chomping at the bit to get started on "The American War" shortly after I finished book two of the trilogy. While deep in the trenches of research, I finally finished the third leg of the trilogy. Once that was done, I took a step back and revisited all my notes and research to get a fresh start on "The American War" project.
Tyler: What did you find harder to write-"The American War" or the murder mysteries, and why?
Don: "The American War." Trying to create a story around actual events keeps you on your toes. You just can't go off in any direction; the story has to follow the event, which at times stops you in your tracks, with a notion that "I can't do that; it won't work in the confines of the event." Working on keeping the story historically accurate forces you to frame passages within that context. Whereas my murder mysteries are all mine, the settings, the characters, the time and place, all made up by me that I basically could do anything I want with them without fear of getting something wrong. I found it much harder to stay the course with "The American War," making sure I stayed true to the details as I moved my characters along their path.
Tyler: Do you have plans for any future books and could you tell us about them?
Don: The short answer is not now. Putting that book together with all the research and memories and emotions took a toll. At times, I worked on that manuscript day and night. When writing my mysteries, everything was in my head, I can do with it as I pleased, but I so wanted to keep this book as historically accurate as possible, I constantly had to make sure I was on track while I weaved the story. It is a style of writing I wasn't used to, being creative with actual facts, but I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge. I am ready for a break and happy to promote this book for the next year or so. Of course, I'll never say never, but four books in six years, I'll let the dust settle for a bit!
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Ten Craziest Wars of History

war suffering

Ten Craziest Wars of History
By Pascal Sylvester
1 The Great Guano War
Guano is a pretty fancy word for... wait for it... bird droppings. So technically, this was a war fought for a mound of bird droppings. In the year 1879, three countries, Chile Bolivia and Peru fought for the control of large deposits of guano located at the Atacama desert. Apparently, guano was considered something of a rarity and due to its high mineral contents, was very useful in the production of explosives. In essence, he who controlled the poo, called the shots, literarily. After a prolonged war, lasting till 1883, the war was won by Chile, who quickly moved in to secure the countries poo mound.
2 The Falklands war
This war was fought between the nations of Argentina and Britain over the Falklands. Despite its sweet sounding name, the Falklands was an uninhabited Archipalego in the Pacific ocean that had no exploited national resource, but which belonged to Britain, who used it primarily as a military base. And it happened that in the year 1982, Argentinian forces interested in seizing control of the island for no clear purpose invaded the island and declared it Argentinian territory. Piqued by this, the British army engaged the Argentinian forces, and due to their superior naval force, sent them packing in less than two months, and regaining control of the precious Falklands.
3 The First Franco- Mexican War
This war is most famously known as the pastry war. Beginning from 1828, there was massive civil disorder in the new Mexican republic leading to a state of near anarchy and a considerable drop in the fortunes of the republic. Later in the year, due to the civil disorder, a French Chef; Remontel lost his shop to looting Mexican forces. He petitioned the French king Louise-Phillipe, who in turn petitioned the Mexican President Anastasio Bustamante to pay the Chef a compensation of 600,000 Pesos, a petition which was promptly ignored. Angered by this, as well as a huge backlog of national debt owed France by Mexico, King Phillipe ordered a military blockade of all Mexican ports beginning from 1838. It quickly escalated into an all out war that lasted till 9, March 1839, but only after Remontel had been fully compensated.
4 The Texas Archive War
This war is as bizarre as bizarre gets because it was primarily between a nation's military and its citizens. In 1839 the capital of the Nation of Texas was moved from Houston to Texas, as well as the national archives. Unhappy with that, President Sam Houston after whom Houston was named used the opportunity of the Mexican invasion of Texas moved back to Houston under the pretext that Austin was no longer safe from the invaders. Haven evacuated the congress to Washington on the Brazos, he sent an armed regiment to evacuate the national archives. However the people of Austin led by Angelina Eberly being aware of the presidents less than altruistic motive fired at the regiment with a lone cannon. Haven been given orders to retrieve the archives without bloodshed, the regiment did not retaliate, and were pursued by the cannon wielding town folk. The army was forced to surrender, defeating the presidents plan of relocating the capital.
5 The Football War
The football war of 1969 to 1980 was an all out conflict that broke out after a soccer match between Honduras and Salvador. Before the match, there was growing tensions between the two nations due to international disputes over various issues including border disputes. After the ill fated soccer match, rioting broke out, and seizing this opportunity Salvador stepped in to seize a piece of land long being in dispute, leading to an all out war between the two nation only settled in 1980, after a peace treaty was signed which saw ownership of the land returned to Honduras.
6 The Cod War
The primary cause of this war which was fought between Iceland and Britain was fish. In 1958, Iceland decided to arbitrarily increased their fishing boundaries from a mere four miles to 200 miles encroaching on British interest. Claiming that Cod fishing was their primary source of national income, the Icelanders claimed exclusive fishing rights in this zone. Piqued by this affront, the British declared war on Iceland in 1975, destroying 20 of their fishing vessels and only ending the war when NATO and the United States interfered putting an end to the war, and giving exclusive fishing rights to Iceland.
7 The Beard War
The cause of this war is as ridiculous as the name sounds. It started when King Louis VII of France married Duchess Eleanor of England. King Louis VII was a striking figure with an imposing full beard, and when he had cause to go for the Crusades, he came back to France clean shaven. Apparently, the Duchess preferred the king having a full beard and asked the king to grow it back. Upon Louises' refusal, she divorced him, went back to England and married King Henry II, from where she ordered war on France. The war lasted for 301 years ending only when France won the war.
8 The Russian War of 1812
Having conquered a great many lands, Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte set his eyes on Russia. Amassing an army 600,000 strong, he proceeded to march on Moscow. However, due to grave logistic errors, he failed to prepare his men for the harsh realities that was the Russian weather. And so, when he arrived at Moscow, he found that the large majority of the civilian, military and government population had already evacuated leaving behind a starving minority. Napoleon's army left with nothing to conquer and mostly starving proceeded to loot what was left of the few supplies in the city. Finally, Napoleon ordered his army to retreat, but not before losing about 560,000 to the harsh weather and hunger.
9 The War of the Golden Stool
In the early 20th century, the British Empire began an all out invasion and annexation of large parts of the African continent. In present day Ghana however, the British soldiers met with opposition by the local tribesmen. The golden stool of the Ashante kings was the symbol of authority, and when the governor general demanded that the stool be brought so he could sit on it, the people fiercely resisted, leading to a war against the tribesmen. Since the British had superior firepower, they made short work of the tribesmen, and also captured the stool in the process, presumably to sit on. The war that resulted has infamously been referred to as the war of the golden stool.
10 World War 1
World war one has variously been described as the bloodiest, most expensive and dumbest war in all of human history. Spanning from 1914 to 1918, this war saw a death toll of over 15 million people. It has been regarded as a big family squabble allowed to get out of hand, on a global scale, because the original contenders were all scions of the old British royal house. Although the war was caused by a number of factors including economic policy, militarism, nationalism and imperialism, the actual trigger for the war was pulled, quite literarilly, by the infamous assassin, the 19 year old Gavrilo Princip, who shot and killed the Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie while the couple were on a visit to Sarajevo on June 28th 1914. Seeing this as an affront, Austria in conjunction with Hungary declared war on Serbia exactly a month after the assassination on July 28th. Eventually, all the major world powers pitched in, and it resulted in a free for all among nations including Germany, France, Belgium and Great Britain.
Pascal is a blogger who focuses on health. You can catch up with some of his work on http://www.healthits.wordPress.com and if you must absolutely see his face, check him on IG @psylvus
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VIETNAM - A War Lost and Won

VIETNAM - A War Lost and Won
By RG Mohan Rethnaswamy

'VIETNAM - A War Lost and Won' by Nigel Cawthorne was first published in 2003 by Arcturus Publishing Limited in the UK. Nigel Cawthorne, who was born in Chicago, the United States, is an American-born British writer of fiction and non-fiction, and an editor.

The book includes an introduction on what triggered one the worst wars in American war history. It has ten chapters followed by an epilogue, bibliography and index. Offered in paperback with high quality recycled material, for those who missed the Vietnam War era, this book is highly recommended as it provides a vivid, lucid and statistics on what actually went wrong in the war that had left a permanent black mark in American might and military superiority.

The front cover of this highly-informative book carries a watermark image of a soldier in full army gear at the background, and American troops crossing what looks like a typical Vietnamese paddy field aided by helicopters above. Surely these images are reminiscence of what frequently appear in Rambo, Platoon and Missing in Action Hollywood flicks.

It also provides the maps of Vietnam showing the disputed areas -the North and South, the very two territories that were in constant limelight throughout the war. Another map will aid the readers on the Tet Offensive which took place from January to February 1968. Not only that, the book has high-quality real life photos, photos shot in real battles, displaying the various assets of the American forces, the individuals who dictated the war from behind and other chronological evidences in what would be the only war that the Americans lost.

Written in simple yet precise language, the book offers abundance of numerical evidences and readers will be treated to overwhelming shocks and bounces. The statistical records revealed in this book will inform us that 46, 370 US servicemen were killed where more than 10,000 died from non-combat related causes and more than 100,000 wounded. The US government had spent a whopping USD 145billion, a massive amount for that time, for a worthless war that began in 1965 and ended in 1975, two years after the Paris Peace Accord.

The US lost 4, 865 helicopters, each costs about a quarter of a million dollars and eight million tons of bombs were dropped in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia combined, a number far-out fetched the amount dropped during the whole of World War II (WW II). The B52, a pride of American hegemony, dropped USD200, 000 worth of bombs out of its bomb-bay doors on each mission. Readers will also get to identify the other assets of the US Army, from US UH 13 Helicopters known as Hueys, US Strike Patrol Boat (STAB), M60 Machine guns, the B52 Bomber, to US Phantom Jets used in Operation Rolling Thunder, were consistently mentioned throughout the book.

Another plus point of this book is that the author had distanced himself from all elements glaring to parochialism; regionalism and blind nationalism, hence neglected the aspect of one-sidedness in his views. According to the writer, more than 18million people were displaced during the war, and more than 3 per cent of South Vietnam was totally devastated beyond recognition.

Further revelations indicate that 18million gallons of defoliants were used in the war which resulted in severely handicapped and malformed babies. As many as 50,000 were still being detained as political prisoners- Prisoners of War (POWs) as until 1986 and the writer went on to further clarify that the after effect of the war had 865, 000 people fleeing the country seeking greener pastures elsewhere.

The writer also took a swipe at American soldiers during the war, mocking at their ignorance of being boastful in undermining the enemy's strength. This was enhanced through the use of terms which were frequent among US servicemen in Vietnam at that time, like 'gooks' - a derogatory term referring to people of Asian descent in the US and 'peasants' - referring to the Vietnamese insurgents who predominantly consist of farmers. The lost to this army of peasants further ignited the fire of dire humiliation in the US.

The writer also further affirmed the fact that generally, the people of Vietnam has a special affinity with the soil of their country and the guerrilla warfare that the so-called peasant army fought, was fought till the last drop of blood unlike their counterpart who, on a major scale consists of reluctant draftees, some in their teenage years, fighting as soldiers manning the forefront of the bloody battle.

On war strategies, the writer pointed out that from day one, the superior army had got it all wrong. The Vietnamese had won the war through the most effective use of underground tunnels, used for centuries even before the invasion of the US army, against the likes of the Chinese and the French. The Vietnamese had tunnels running for hundreds of miles from the Cambodian border to the gates of Saigon. They had dormitories, workshops, hospitals, kitchens, headquarter facilities and supply depots built in inside these tunnels. Made of laterite clay, the surface becomes hardened like concrete once exposed to the scorching sun. With this information, the writer had revealed to the readers that it was indeed true that one of the main reasons on why the Americans had lost the war was because they were fighting an unseen enemy; frequently appearing out of nowhere, engaged the enemy in sudden combat, only then to disappear into thin air.

The book also introduces some interesting terms to the readers like 'punji traps' and 'toe poppers'- the two most common booby traps used in Vietnam during the war. These are traps made with simple tropical resources - bamboos and punji sticks but the brutality they inflict on victims is mind-boggling. The book further confirmed that some 10,000 US servicemen lost at least one limb in Vietnam, more than in WW II and Korea put together.

The writer juggled his factual statements to and forth (Vietnam and the US) to keep readers abreast on the events taking place at home including the mass civil protests in the streets of New york, Washington DC and other major cities in the US, protesting the legitimacy of the war. One section also includes Martin Luther King (MLK), the Civil Rights Activist, who spoke out against the war, bringing to bear his enormous moral conviction and authority. The writer also did not hide his disgust, in exposing the Vietnam War as a war that is racially biased and divisive. African-Americans did not find it easy as middle-class white youths to evade the draft. One undisputable fact disclosed in the book was how African-Americans, who made up of about 23 per cent of the total population of the US Army killed in action in Vietnam, bore an unfair burden and how this feeling of being unfairly treated and sacrificed in a foreign war helped further fuel racial conflicts at home in the US. The Marines did not admit African-Americans until WW II. Vietnam was fundamentally the first war where blacks and whites fought side-by-side.

The current generation Y of the IT age will also get to recognize the 'Hippies' through this read. The 'Hippies' movement, which started in the 60s, around the same time when the war erupted, borrowed the 'peace' philosophy from MLK and the anti-war movement, was famous for their remark - 'Make Love, Not War'.

The highlight of the book lies in the revelation, without an iota of secrecy, on how and why the world's mightiest superpower had lost the war in Vietnam. The focus is Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City), where prostitutes roamed and 'serviced', military brothels and hardcore addiction to Marijuana and opium were rampant among US servicemen. Drug abuse has a central theme of 1960s music and culture which was directly associated with the Vietnam War. Other deadly issues pertaining to the loss of morale and the decline in health among US servicemen were revealed in the form of the spread of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) which include gonorrhea or 'clap' and the Heinz 57 variety. Some of these diseases were spread to US servicemen through deliberate means under the disguise of tactics by the Vietcong.

The book also engulfs readers into the pathos of the 'Massacre at MyLai', regarded as one the most atrocious act of killing of people, including children in war history. The man responsible for this appalling act was Lt. William L. Calley. The war had left a non- erasable stigma in eroding human dignity and the world realized the rest of the world did not operate in the same moral vacuum of Vietnam. The writer also revealed in his closure that public hostility towards US servicemen who returned home after the debacle further escalated serious psychological and social quagmire and it was reported in 1980 that more than 700, 000 war veterans experienced some sort of emotional or psychological disorder called Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PSTD) after their return to home soil.

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