Journal of Military History
Vol. 89, No. 1
January 2025
Articles
“News Has Been Secondary to Service: Josephus Daniels, William Sims, and the American Press in World War I,” Thomas Sheppard, 9–32
Newspaper coverage of the U.S. Navy in World War I played a significant role in civil-military tensions within the Navy Department. Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels cultivated good relations with newspapers, and his attitude toward managing the press was largely limited to protecting sensitive information and ensuring good publicity for the navy. The American naval commander stationed in Europe had a more sophisticated outlook. William S. Sims had fewer qualms about censorship than Daniels, and he realized that the press could be used to his advantage in shaping the administration’s policies. The result was that the press became a pawn in the fractious relationship between the Wilson administration and the senior naval officer in Europe.
“Polycracy, Fascism, and the Armed Forces: The Development of Italian Air-Naval Cooperation, 1919–1940,” Jonathan Pieri and Fabio De Ninno, 33–56
During World War II, joint operations between the Italian Royal Air Force and the Italian Royal Navy revealed significant shortcomings, which negatively impacted the military effectiveness of the two services. This article examines how the failure to develop effective interservice cooperation was rooted in the 1920s and 1930s and was due to a lack of direction from Mussolini and the General Staff. The air force and navy also opposed cooperation, considering it risky to their own institutional survival.
“Portable Surgical Hospitals in the Burma Campaign of World War II: Prototypes of Forward
Combat Casualty Care,” Michael Patrick and Thomas S. Helling, 57–80
Combat Casualty Care,” Michael Patrick and Thomas S. Helling, 57–80
Forward surgical care of combat casualties on austere, non-linear battlefields demands mobility, surgical expertise, routes of evacuation, and resource sustainment. Introduced during the Allied New Guinea offensives of 1942, Percy Carroll’s innovative Portable Surgical Hospitals (PSHs) demonstrated capabilities for evaluation, resuscitation, and limited reparative surgery to revive and salvage victims of major battlefield trauma. During the offensives of late 1943, the PSHs again deployed in the dense wilderness Burma; once again, their capabilities were evident. Carroll’s PSHs served as the prototype for current forward surgical units deployed deep in unsecured territory.
“‘The Dramatic Sequel to the War’: The U.S. Army, the International Tracing Service, and the Search for the Missing, 1945–1950,” Tristan Krause, 81–100
This article examines the relationship between the American Graves Registration Command (AGRC) and the International Tracing Service (ITS) in Europe after World War II. While the AGRC searched for the remains of missing American military personnel and the ITS traced civilian victims of the Third Reich, both regularly uncovered documentary and physical evidence sought by the other agency. These twinned searches benefited from and, in some cases, depended on each other in a symbiotic endeavor. This study highlights the cooperation between the American military and an allied agency, as well as the blurred lines between civilian and military casualties.
“‘For Conspicuous Gallantry’: Bravery Awards to the Rhodesian Security Forces, c.1970–80,” Hugh Pattenden, 101–27
Following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence (UDI) from Britain in 1965, the rebel colony of Rhodesia’s government could no longer submit recommendations for British honors and awards. The creation, in 1969, of a new set of decorations and medals rectified this issue. This article argues that medals were also part of the Rhodesians’ attempt to create a national identity. It also shows that the standard for awards was set extremely high and that aggression, professionalism, and willingness to engage the enemy were the foremost characteristics required to win a Rhodesian medal. At the same time, it contends that the Rhodesians failed to fully exploit the propaganda value of military decorations by the sparing way in which they bestowed them, by shrouding specific awards in secrecy, and by under-awarding them to African personnel.
“Between Frustration and Success: The Canadian Military Experience on the International Commission of Control and Supervision in Vietnam, 1973,” Jean-Michel Turcotte and John MacFarlane, 128–54
From January to July 1973, Canada participated in the International Commission of Control and Supervision on ending the U.S. war in Vietnam. The ICCS investigated accusations of violations and supervised prisoner of war exchanges. Although fraught with complexity, contradiction, and lack of cooperation, and based on blurred mandates, the ICCS was a partial success because of the help provided to the American ally. The analysis suggests Canadians remained committed to the international commission despite major political and ideological struggles. The Canadian military thus learned important lessons on Cold War peacekeeping missions in decolonized spaces, on cooperation with U.S. forces, and about international peace mandates.
Review Essay:
“But it Still Goes On: Paul Fussell’s The Great War and Modern Memory at 50,” Ian Isherwood and Steven Trout, 155–70
“But it Still Goes On: Paul Fussell’s The Great War and Modern Memory at 50,” Ian Isherwood and Steven Trout, 155–70
Book Reviews:
The Globe and Anchor Men: U.S. Marines and American Manhood in the Great War Era, by Mark Ryland Folse, reviewed by Garrett Gatzemeyer and by Joshua R. Schroeder, 171–74
Central Asia in World War II: The Impact and Legacy of Fighting for the Soviet Union, by Vicky Davis, reviewed by Martin Comack and by Kara Irvin, 174–78
A Call to Arms: The Day War was Invented, by Anne Lehoërff, reviewed by Rachel J. Crellin, 178–79
Inside the Roman Legions: The Soldier’s Experience 264–107 BCE, by Kathryn H. Milne, reviewed by Bret C. Devereaux, 179–81
The Third Macedonian War and the Battle of Pydna: Perseus’ Neglect of Combined-Arms Tactics and the Real Reasons for the Roman Victory, by Graham Wrightson, reviewed by Michael J. Taylor, 181–82
Sextus Julius Frontinus and the Roman Empire: Author of Stratagems, Advisor to Emperors, Governor of Britain, Pacifier of Wales, by John D. Grainger, reviewed by Miriam Raub Vivian, 183–84
The Leadership of Muhammad: A Historical Reconstruction; and The Warrior Prophet: Muhammad & War, by Joel Hayward, reviewed by H. Morgan Nix and Devon Provencher, 185–87
Gustavus v Wallenstein: Military Revolution, Rivalry & Tragedy in the Thirty Years War, by John Pike, reviewed by Jeremy Black, 187–89
The Military History of the Russian Empire from Peter the Great until Nicholas II, by John M. Steinberg, reviewed by John P. LeDonne, 189–90
Making the Frontier Man: Violence, White Manhood, & Authority in the Early Western Backcountry, by Matthew C. Ward, reviewed by Marcus Gallo, 190–92
The Road to Ticonderoga: The Campaign of 1758 in the Champlain Valley, by Michael G. Laramie, reviewed by Jenifer Ishee, 192–94
Piracy and the Making of the Spanish Pacific World, by Kristie Patricia Flannery, reviewed by Ricardo Padrón, 194–95
Hessians: German Soldiers in the American Revolutionary War, by Friederike Baer, reviewed by Kieran J. O’Keefe, 196–97
George Washington’s Momentous Year: Twelve Months that Transformed the Revolution. Volume 1, by Gary Ecelbarger, reviewed by Kelsa Pellettiere, 197–98
Revolutionary Blacks: Discovering the Frank Brothers, Freeborn Men of Color, Soldiers of Independence, by Shirley L. Green, reviewed by Debra J. Sheffer, 199–200
French Invasions of Britain & Ireland, 1792–1815: The Revolutionaries & Spies who Sought to Topple the Government of King George, by Paul L. Dawson, reviewed by Michael V. Leggiere, 200–2
The German Liberation War of 1813: The Memoirs of a Russian Artilleryman. Volume 2. By Ilya Timofeyevi Radozhitskii, reviewed by James R. Arnold, 202–3
Remembering Conquest: Mexican Americans, Memory, and Citizenship, by Omar Valerio-Jiménez, reviewed by Matthew D. Harris, 204–5
Swiss Mercenaries in the Dutch East Indies: A Transimperial History of Military Labour, 1848–1914, by Philipp Krauer, reviewed by Marcel Berni, 205–6
The Iron Dice of Battle: Albert Sidney Johnston and the Civil War in the West, by Timothy B. Smith, reviewed by G. David Schieffler, 207–8
The Age of Reconstruction: How Lincoln’s New Birth of Freedom Remade the World, by Don H. Doyle, reviewed by Mark Wahlgren Summers, 208–10
Generals and Admirals, Criminals and Crooks: Dishonorable Leadership in the U.S. Military, by Jeffrey J. Matthews, reviewed by H. Allen Skinner, 210–11
The Gas and Flame Men: Baseball and the Chemical Warfare Service during World War I, by Jim Leeke, reviewed by Alex Mayhew, 212–13
Making Sense of the Great War: Crisis, Englishness, and Morale on the Western Front, by Alex Mayhew, reviewed by Nicholas Sambaluk, 214–15
America’s First Aircraft Carrier: USS Langley and the Dawn of U.S. Naval Aviation, by David F. Winkler, reviewed by Jared D. Johnson, 215–16
MacArthur and West Point: How the General and the Academy Shaped Each Other, by Sherman L. Fleek, reviewed by Joe Eanett, 216–18
Too Far on a Whim: The Limits of High-Steam Propulsion in the US Navy, by Tyler A. Pitrof, reviewed by Rich Myrick, 218–20
Air Force: Disappointments, Mistakes, and Failures, 1940–1990, by Kenneth P. Werrell, reviewed by Brian Laslie, 220–21
Warlord Hitler: With Reference to the Campaign in Southern Russia in 1942, by Alan Donohue, reviewed by Klaus Schmider, 221–22
Skies of Thunder: The Deadly World War II Mission Over the Roof of the World, by Caroline Alexander, reviewed by John C. Hanley, 223–24
India in the Second World War: An Emotional History, by Diya Gupta, reviewed by Rishika Yadav, 224–26
Fascism, the War, and Structures of Feeling in Italy, 1943–1945: Tales in Chiaroscuro, by Simonetta Falasca-Zamponi, reviewed by Michael B. Limmer, 226–28
Fury and Ice: Greenland, the United States and Germany in World War II, by Peter Harmsen, reviewed by Michael Fung, 228–29
Patton’s Tactician: The War Diary of Lieutenant General Geoffrey Keyes, edited by James W. Holsinger Jr., reviewed by Alan M. Anderson, 230–31
Forgotten Casualties: Downed American Airmen and Axis Violence in World War II, by Kevin T. Hall, reviewed by Robert H. Clemm, 232–33
Earning Their Wings: The WASPs of World War II and the Fight for Veteran Recognition, by Sarah Parry Myers; and The Women with Silver Wings: The Inspiring True Story of the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II, by Katherine Sharp Landdeck, reviewed by Susan R. Grayzel, 233–35
Of Love and War: Pacific Brides of World War II, by Angela Wanhalla; and Picture Bride, War Bride: The Role of Marriage in Shaping Japanese America, by Sonia C. Gomez, reviewed by Samantha Lanevi, 236–38
China Between Peace and War: Mao, Chiang and the Americans, 1945–1947, by Victor S. C. Cheng, reviewed by Dominic Meng-Hsuan Yang, 238–40
The Lumumba Plot: The Secret History of the CIA and a Cold War Assassination, by Stuart A. Reid, reviewed by Didier Gondola, 240–42
Does Counter-Terrorism Work? By Richard English, reviewed by Alex Hobson, 242–43
Prisoners After War: Veterans in the Age of Mass Incarceration, by Jason A. Higgins, reviewed by Anna Marie Anderson, 244–45
Opération Crevette: Benin, Mercenaries, and the Survival of a New State, by Les Sosnowski and Monique Sosnowski, reviewed by Juste Codjo, 245–47
Cornerstone of the Nation: The Defense Industry and the Building of Modern Korea under Park Chung Hee, by Peter Banseok Kwon, reviewed by Syrus Solo Jin, 247–48
The Gulf War: George H. W. Bush and American Grand Strategy in the Post-Cold War Era, by Spencer D. Bakich, reviewed by William Thomas Allison, 249–50
Death, Dominance, and State-Building: The US in Iraq and the Future of American Military Intervention, by Roger D. Petersen, reviewed by Kate Tietzen-Wisdom, 250–52
Martial Culture in the Lifeways of U.S. Servicemembers and Veterans, by Nathan J. Hogan, reviewed by Karl Rubis, 252–54
Military Medicine and the Hidden Costs of War, by Tanisha M. Fazal, reviewed by Mark Harrison, 254–55
The Guarded Age: Fortification in the Twenty-First Century, by David J. Betz, reviewed by José de Arimatéia da Cruz, 256–57
BOOKS RECEIVED: 258–60
RECENT JOURNAL ARTICLES: 261–67
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: 268–71
The Globe and Anchor Men: U.S. Marines and American Manhood in the Great War Era, by Mark Ryland Folse, reviewed by Garrett Gatzemeyer and by Joshua R. Schroeder, 171–74
Central Asia in World War II: The Impact and Legacy of Fighting for the Soviet Union, by Vicky Davis, reviewed by Martin Comack and by Kara Irvin, 174–78
A Call to Arms: The Day War was Invented, by Anne Lehoërff, reviewed by Rachel J. Crellin, 178–79
Inside the Roman Legions: The Soldier’s Experience 264–107 BCE, by Kathryn H. Milne, reviewed by Bret C. Devereaux, 179–81
The Third Macedonian War and the Battle of Pydna: Perseus’ Neglect of Combined-Arms Tactics and the Real Reasons for the Roman Victory, by Graham Wrightson, reviewed by Michael J. Taylor, 181–82
Sextus Julius Frontinus and the Roman Empire: Author of Stratagems, Advisor to Emperors, Governor of Britain, Pacifier of Wales, by John D. Grainger, reviewed by Miriam Raub Vivian, 183–84
The Leadership of Muhammad: A Historical Reconstruction; and The Warrior Prophet: Muhammad & War, by Joel Hayward, reviewed by H. Morgan Nix and Devon Provencher, 185–87
Gustavus v Wallenstein: Military Revolution, Rivalry & Tragedy in the Thirty Years War, by John Pike, reviewed by Jeremy Black, 187–89
The Military History of the Russian Empire from Peter the Great until Nicholas II, by John M. Steinberg, reviewed by John P. LeDonne, 189–90
Making the Frontier Man: Violence, White Manhood, & Authority in the Early Western Backcountry, by Matthew C. Ward, reviewed by Marcus Gallo, 190–92
The Road to Ticonderoga: The Campaign of 1758 in the Champlain Valley, by Michael G. Laramie, reviewed by Jenifer Ishee, 192–94
Piracy and the Making of the Spanish Pacific World, by Kristie Patricia Flannery, reviewed by Ricardo Padrón, 194–95
Hessians: German Soldiers in the American Revolutionary War, by Friederike Baer, reviewed by Kieran J. O’Keefe, 196–97
George Washington’s Momentous Year: Twelve Months that Transformed the Revolution. Volume 1, by Gary Ecelbarger, reviewed by Kelsa Pellettiere, 197–98
Revolutionary Blacks: Discovering the Frank Brothers, Freeborn Men of Color, Soldiers of Independence, by Shirley L. Green, reviewed by Debra J. Sheffer, 199–200
French Invasions of Britain & Ireland, 1792–1815: The Revolutionaries & Spies who Sought to Topple the Government of King George, by Paul L. Dawson, reviewed by Michael V. Leggiere, 200–2
The German Liberation War of 1813: The Memoirs of a Russian Artilleryman. Volume 2. By Ilya Timofeyevi Radozhitskii, reviewed by James R. Arnold, 202–3
Remembering Conquest: Mexican Americans, Memory, and Citizenship, by Omar Valerio-Jiménez, reviewed by Matthew D. Harris, 204–5
Swiss Mercenaries in the Dutch East Indies: A Transimperial History of Military Labour, 1848–1914, by Philipp Krauer, reviewed by Marcel Berni, 205–6
The Iron Dice of Battle: Albert Sidney Johnston and the Civil War in the West, by Timothy B. Smith, reviewed by G. David Schieffler, 207–8
The Age of Reconstruction: How Lincoln’s New Birth of Freedom Remade the World, by Don H. Doyle, reviewed by Mark Wahlgren Summers, 208–10
Generals and Admirals, Criminals and Crooks: Dishonorable Leadership in the U.S. Military, by Jeffrey J. Matthews, reviewed by H. Allen Skinner, 210–11
The Gas and Flame Men: Baseball and the Chemical Warfare Service during World War I, by Jim Leeke, reviewed by Alex Mayhew, 212–13
Making Sense of the Great War: Crisis, Englishness, and Morale on the Western Front, by Alex Mayhew, reviewed by Nicholas Sambaluk, 214–15
America’s First Aircraft Carrier: USS Langley and the Dawn of U.S. Naval Aviation, by David F. Winkler, reviewed by Jared D. Johnson, 215–16
MacArthur and West Point: How the General and the Academy Shaped Each Other, by Sherman L. Fleek, reviewed by Joe Eanett, 216–18
Too Far on a Whim: The Limits of High-Steam Propulsion in the US Navy, by Tyler A. Pitrof, reviewed by Rich Myrick, 218–20
Air Force: Disappointments, Mistakes, and Failures, 1940–1990, by Kenneth P. Werrell, reviewed by Brian Laslie, 220–21
Warlord Hitler: With Reference to the Campaign in Southern Russia in 1942, by Alan Donohue, reviewed by Klaus Schmider, 221–22
Skies of Thunder: The Deadly World War II Mission Over the Roof of the World, by Caroline Alexander, reviewed by John C. Hanley, 223–24
India in the Second World War: An Emotional History, by Diya Gupta, reviewed by Rishika Yadav, 224–26
Fascism, the War, and Structures of Feeling in Italy, 1943–1945: Tales in Chiaroscuro, by Simonetta Falasca-Zamponi, reviewed by Michael B. Limmer, 226–28
Fury and Ice: Greenland, the United States and Germany in World War II, by Peter Harmsen, reviewed by Michael Fung, 228–29
Patton’s Tactician: The War Diary of Lieutenant General Geoffrey Keyes, edited by James W. Holsinger Jr., reviewed by Alan M. Anderson, 230–31
Forgotten Casualties: Downed American Airmen and Axis Violence in World War II, by Kevin T. Hall, reviewed by Robert H. Clemm, 232–33
Earning Their Wings: The WASPs of World War II and the Fight for Veteran Recognition, by Sarah Parry Myers; and The Women with Silver Wings: The Inspiring True Story of the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II, by Katherine Sharp Landdeck, reviewed by Susan R. Grayzel, 233–35
Of Love and War: Pacific Brides of World War II, by Angela Wanhalla; and Picture Bride, War Bride: The Role of Marriage in Shaping Japanese America, by Sonia C. Gomez, reviewed by Samantha Lanevi, 236–38
China Between Peace and War: Mao, Chiang and the Americans, 1945–1947, by Victor S. C. Cheng, reviewed by Dominic Meng-Hsuan Yang, 238–40
The Lumumba Plot: The Secret History of the CIA and a Cold War Assassination, by Stuart A. Reid, reviewed by Didier Gondola, 240–42
Does Counter-Terrorism Work? By Richard English, reviewed by Alex Hobson, 242–43
Prisoners After War: Veterans in the Age of Mass Incarceration, by Jason A. Higgins, reviewed by Anna Marie Anderson, 244–45
Opération Crevette: Benin, Mercenaries, and the Survival of a New State, by Les Sosnowski and Monique Sosnowski, reviewed by Juste Codjo, 245–47
Cornerstone of the Nation: The Defense Industry and the Building of Modern Korea under Park Chung Hee, by Peter Banseok Kwon, reviewed by Syrus Solo Jin, 247–48
The Gulf War: George H. W. Bush and American Grand Strategy in the Post-Cold War Era, by Spencer D. Bakich, reviewed by William Thomas Allison, 249–50
Death, Dominance, and State-Building: The US in Iraq and the Future of American Military Intervention, by Roger D. Petersen, reviewed by Kate Tietzen-Wisdom, 250–52
Martial Culture in the Lifeways of U.S. Servicemembers and Veterans, by Nathan J. Hogan, reviewed by Karl Rubis, 252–54
Military Medicine and the Hidden Costs of War, by Tanisha M. Fazal, reviewed by Mark Harrison, 254–55
The Guarded Age: Fortification in the Twenty-First Century, by David J. Betz, reviewed by José de Arimatéia da Cruz, 256–57
BOOKS RECEIVED: 258–60
RECENT JOURNAL ARTICLES: 261–67
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: 268–71
