The Spanish-American War
A Documentary History with Commentaries
Foreword by Kalman Goldstein Edited by Brad K. Berner

Publication date:
27 March 2014Length of book:
280 pagesPublisher
Fairleigh Dickinson University PressDimensions:
235x163mm6x9"
ISBN-13: 9781611475746
This documentary history is intended for specialist and non-specialist alike. The introductions to the book’s sections, together with introductions to each document, provide a general history of the war. The contents cover the pre-war, war, and post-war periods in Cuba, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Spain, the Philippines, and the United States. Included are documents on the main battles and diplomatic history of the war, along with internal situations in Cuba, Puerto Rico, Spain, the Philippines, and the United States. Of particular interest is the section on Black Americans’ views and participation in the war, and the section on the views of many participants, military and non-military.
In this edited volume, historian Berner provides readers with an insightful look at the Spanish American War. He covers the pre- and postwar periods as well as the war itself in areas ranging from Guam to the Philippines, and from the US to Cuba and beyond. Readers will appreciate the varied and distinctive historical documents, which include those produced by authors ranging from presidents and generals to reporters and clergy. This volume includes often-overlooked sources, e.g., African Americans and poets, in addition to minor Spanish periodicals. Though this war is habitually ignored, its impact continues to this day. Divided into chapters with specific time frames and geographic locations, the entries in this volume are numbered and easy to follow. Examples include 'Joseph Pulitzer Demands U.S. Intervention in Cuba,' 'President William McKinley's Ultimatum to Spain,' 'Booker T. Washington Extols the Bravery of African-American Soldiers in the War,' 'Carl Sandburg Recounts His Experience at War,' and 'The Schley Court of Inquiry.' Summing Up: Recommended. Lower- and upper-level undergraduates, graduate students, and general readers.