This ground-breaking work explores the lives of average soldiers from the American Revolution through the 21st-century conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

What was life really like for U.S. soldiers during America's wars? Were they conscripted or did they volunteer? What did they eat, wear, believe, think, and do for fun? Most important, how did they deal with the rigors of combat and coming home?



This comprehensive book will answer all of those questions and much more, with separate chapters on the American Revolution, the War of 1812, the Mexican-American War, the Civil War, the Indian Wars, the Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II in Europe, World War II in the Pacific, the Cold War, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War, the Afghanistan War and War on Terror, and the Iraq War.



Each chapter includes such topical sections as Conscription and Volunteers, Training, Religion, Pop Culture, Weaponry, Combat, Special Forces, Prisoners of War, Homefront, and Veteran Issues. This work also examines the role of minorities and women in each conflict as well as delves into the disciplinary problems in the military, including alcoholism, drugs, crimes, and desertion. Selected primary sources, bibliographies, and timelines complement the topical sections of each chapter.









Provides readers with an understanding of the daily lives of soldiers in America's wars, greatly complementing more standard histories of battles and leaders



Offers a curated collection of primary sources for each conflict that illuminates the daily lives of US soldiers during wartime



Includes detailed bibliographies that offer many accessible sources needed by students and researchers looking to further explore the topics



Provides a comprehensive chronology for each conflict that helps readers to place it within the proper historical context



Spans nearly 250 years of national history from the American Revolution to the Afghanistan War