Verified Document

Respectable Army: The Military Origins Research Proposal

However, these poor, landless and mercenary men, despite the fact they worked for hire still frequently exhibited selfless behavior for their fellow soldiers in the face of adversity, such as at Valley Forge. One of the most unique aspects of this book is its methodology. It attempts to integrate evidence about battles, armaments, military technology and the history of the early army into the greater social and political history of the revolution. However, it is not merely an analysis of battles and tactics. It is a truly integrative approach of social and military history. The dual backgrounds of Martin in history and Lender in military strategy enable them to merge what often are competing disciplines, namely the political struggles of why and how a nation goes to war, and the day-to-day struggles in fighting that war. Martin and Lender are also willing to highlight unflattering aspects of the early American army and the revolutionary fight for independence, such as the desertion of the army by many farmers who were more interested in harvesting their crops than ideals of liberty. Washington emerges as one of the heroes of the book, not just for his military genius but his willingness to put aside the ideal of a new nation with no standing army when faced with the realities of battle.

The veracity of Martin and Lender's bracing look at the American evolution was welcomed by many reviewers. However, one reviewer, Lawrence Delbert Cress of the Journal of Southern History, questioned how innovative their theory was, stating that historians never seriously entertained the prospect that an amateur army won the day for the Americans. Cress points out that little new evidence, such as Washington's demand for more aid before the Constitutional Congress, is summoned in the book to justify its thesis -- Washington's demand for a respectable army has long been known by historians and was not a new discovery on the authors' part. Cress also takes issue to the degree to which Lender and Martin stress the cynical motives of all...

1, Feb., 1984, p.112) the two motivations of money and freedom are not, he argues mutually exclusive as their book suggests. He also believes the authors overstate the class tensions within the army. Cress believes resentment of the professional military had more to do with fears of an expansion of a standing army, not dislike of the poorer, landless men in its ranks. While Cress coolly acknowledges the author's thoroughness, he also implies their analysis is overly Marxist in its orientation. In contrast to Cress, historian Richard K. Showman of the William and Mary Quarterly praises the work for examining the military as a specific social entity, unlike most other histories of the period (Showman, the William and Mary Quarterly, Third Series, 41. 2, Apr., 1984, pp. 312-314). Another reviewer, Robert E. May praises the volume's usefulness as an introduction to the period although May critiqued Martin and Lender for glorifying the lower-class soldiers, in contrast to their land-owning counterparts (May, the History Teacher, Vol. 16, No. 2 (Feb., 1983), pp. 304-305).
Thus Cress thinks that not enough significance is given to the true, ideological desire for freedom of the lower-class soldiers, May believes that evidence of mutinies throughout the American Revolution suggests that the fervor of both citizens and professional soldier's patriotism often wavered. However, these dissenting reviews speak well, rather than ill of the balanced and comprehensive nature of the work. The book takes on a difficult take -- to unpack the myths that have become American legends, and make far-off history and tactical information seem like a gripping narrative. Yet the authors succeed in taking on this impressive challenge, and cause the reader to admire individuals, like landless mercenary soldiers and Hessian soldiers, long forgotten in the broad brush that has been used to characterize this…

Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Military Finding Oneself in the
Words: 1272 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

That is why I became Treasurer of the Wives Club, out of gratefulness for this extended family. I know many people of my generation struggle to find 'who they are' but the structure of the military offers a potent and compelling answer to that question. To serve means always to be at home amongst people who understand exactly what you are going through: "Home is the place where, when

Origins of Al Qaeda the
Words: 7002 Length: 25 Document Type: Term Paper

His extremism has always been well-known and knowingly harboring him is a significant international offense. In December of 2000 the United Nations imposed sanctions against an Afghanistan struggling under Taliban rule, as a way to get the official government to hand Bin-laden over to international authorities, to answer for his already long list of terrorist crimes and collusions. Since 1998 more than 150 members of Al-Qaeda has been arrested in

United States Army Do to
Words: 7293 Length: 20 Document Type: Term Paper

Hearing loss is very case specific because one person who has hearing loss or impairment may be able to hear certain sounds or be completely deaf. Impairment entails something is not working as well as it should but there may still be some basic functioning. Hearing loss can go by many terms such as deaf, deafness, or hard of hearing. All could be one and the same situation but as

American Revolution American Victory and
Words: 937 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

In the Continental Army was not just a force that was motivated by its service to a united cause, but by the democratic impulses that differentiated this from the British system of nobility and military rank. As a result, the dedication to cause elicited from the Continental Army solider was inherently more driven by the theoretical opportunities to follow victory. Certainly, for those who took part in the struggle

Political Science History
Words: 6252 Length: 23 Document Type: Term Paper

conservative intellectual movement, but also the role of William Buckley and William Rusher in the blossoming of the youth conservative movement Talk about structure of paper, who not strictly chronologically placed (ie hayek before the rest) - in this order for thematic purposes, to enhance the genuiness of the paper (branches of the movement brought up in order of importance to youth conservative revolt) For instance, Hayek had perhaps the

Cuba's 1958 Revolution
Words: 2787 Length: 8 Document Type: Term Paper

Revolution of 1958 inevitable? Cuba. This island is known everywhere in the world. Everybody knows such names as Fidel Castro and Che Guevara. Also Cuba is associated with Caribbean crisis, which had frightened both the U.S.A. And USSR. That's all that common person knows about this land and nation famous for specific culture and interesting history (especially of the 20th century). Cuba has always been a region of American interests

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now