Authentic letters, diaries and documents penned by the men who served America in the Spanish American War are included in this volume. It has been one of the author’s goals to locate and preserve the words and photos of real people and to share their view of the world during their sojourn on earth. These are personal opinions of life and war conditions that may diverge from media or government reports of the era but are an individual’s truth. The spelling and punctuation have been left as written, except for inserting dashes when there is absolutely no mark to indicate sentences.
The following words are not an explanation of war, or a comprehensive overview; they are the penned, very personal thoughts of the men who lived and died serving their country. The photos bring to life the conditions of war in the United States and in foreign lands, on ships, and in swamps during the Spanish American War of 1898. This war was short in length but was a huge eye-opening experience at the expense of the average soldier. The government and the military were not prepared to become a world power but did so despite lacking even the basic needs for the fighting men. American Civil War veterans, particularly officers, of both North and South, were called for duty and served together with former foes to save the United States from a foreign enemy. The letters are just as written and should not be judged by today’s sketchy political correctness. These words open a window to the past, to learn from and to appreciate. A wealth of vintage photographs and facsimile reprints of original documents, including news articles and advertisements, enhance the text.
Suzanne Meredith
2023, 8½x11, paper, , 290 pp.
ISBN: 9780788429620
101-M2962
