"This excellent set offers more comprehensive coverage and describes each event in greater detail than John Fredriksen’s Chronology of American Military History (2010). Although other almanacs and chronologies devoted to specific wars expand on this set’s coverage, this chronology will serve students well, especially in libraries that lack Fredriksen’s or that require more granular detail." - Booklist
"For easily understandable and well-written conformity, undergraduates will profit by having Tucker's work available. Recommended." - Choice
"This is by far one of the best military chronologies available today and it deserves a place in most collections." - School Library Journal
"Tucker nails it again in these 2,500 pages of excellent writing that cover a wealth of historical information. For these reasons, plus the fact that military events account for a large subset of general American history, this set is heartily recommended for public and academic libraries." - Library Journal, Starred Review
This set is perfectly in line with what information professionals have come to expect from this author-publisher team. As the title suggests, the bulk of the work is a chronology of our nation's wars, rebellions, revolts, and other examples of armed conflict, both here and abroad. Tucker casts a wide net, including events that are not strictly of a military nature but that impinge on the broader story. Entries begin with Norseman Leif Ericson's 1000 CE landfall at Newfoundland, Canada, and cover strife in the Middle East through December 27, 2011. The text is helpfully divided into sections by major conflict era, which essentially constitute chapters. Therefore, "Forging a Nation" concentrates on the American Revolutionary War, while "Turmoil in the Early American Republic" focuses on the War of 1812, and so on. Each of these discrete units follows a standard format of "Overview," which is an extended essay sketching out the big picture, followed by "Timeline," "Documents," "Statistics," and "Bibliography." All entries are fully fleshed out with plenty of particulars regarding journalism's famous "five w's." The set is replete with special features; numerous text boxes contain biographical sketches of major military figures, explanations of various weapons, and statistical snapshots of battles. Generous end matter consists of appendixes listing military ranks, awards/decorations, and overall statistics, along with a glossary of military terms, a bibliography, and chronological and general indexes. While the set is well illustrated with historic prints, paintings, and maps (many taking up a full page for easy viewing), all are in black and white only. Color printing would have enlivened the page and enabled the reader to discern more details of dress and armament, yet this is a quibble. VERDICT Tucker nails it again in these 2,500 pages of excellent writing that cover a wealth of historical information. For these reasons, plus the fact that military events account for a large subset of general American history, this set is heartily recommended for public and academic libraries. For the fullest accounting of our nation's martial adventures, a supplemental volume is also recommended: The Oxford Companion to American Military History, in which 1,100 entries cover major wars, military leaders, Acts of Congress, peace groups, weapons, and aspects of life in the armed forces. Together, these books should be able to answer just about any question on the subject.—Michael F. Bemis, St. Paul, MN