American Military Technology: The Life Story of a Technology

by Barton C. Hacker, Margaret Vining

Overview

War is part of American history. This book examines how military technology both molded and reflected interactions between American military institutions and other American institutions. The growth of engineering and science has reshaped military technology, organization, and practice from the Colonial era to the present day. At the same time, military concerns influenced, and and sometimes channeled, American engineering and scientific development.

American Military Technology chronicles the interactions of technology and science with America's armed forces from colonial times to the end of the 20th century. Each period of the nation's history brought new and influential changes to the interaction of the military and technology.

The book is an excellent springboard for understanding the complex relationship of science, technology, and war in American history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313333088
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	03/30/2006
Series:	Greenwood Technographies
Pages:	232
Product dimensions:	6.14(w) x 9.21(h) x 0.56(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Barton C. Hacker is curator of Military History at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. He is a recipient of the Leonardo da Vinci Medal of the Society for the History of Technology and of several writing prizes. He has curated major exhibits on Submarines in the Cold War and West Point in the Making of America. His publications include books on the history of Project Gemini, radiation safety in nuclear weapons testing, and world military institutions, as well as many articles and book reviews on a wide range of topics in the history of military technology.

Margaret Vining is Curatorial Specialist in Military History at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. She is also Secretary-General of the U.S. Commission on Military History. She has curated or co-curated major exhibits on the G.I. in World War II, Submarines in the Cold War, and West Point in the Making of America, as well as smaller exhibits on the G.I. Bill, the buffalo soldiers in the West, and navy women in World War I. Her publications include a book on West Point plus articles and reviews on military uniforms and women's military history.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Before Industrialization: Through the Early 19th Century
Transition to the Industrial Age: Mid-19th Century
Military-Technological Revolution: Late 19th Century
The Naval-Technological Revolution and the Rise of Navalism: Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries
Catastrophe of Industrial War, 1914-1918
From War to War, 1919-1941
Climax of Mechanization, 1942-1945
Military Research Institutionalized, 1945-1951
Strategic Technologies Ascendant, 1952-1965
The Impact of Vietnam, 1965-1980
A New Era in Warfare? 1980-2000
Selected Readings

Editorial Reviews

Follows a straightforward chronological timeline (indeed, the book includes an actual timeline in its front matter), with the exception of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, where military and naval developments are covered in parallel chapters. The chapters for each era, in turban, are organized thematically…. a useful overview of the subject, and the select bibliography suggests further readings over a wide range of accessibility.” —H-War

“[P]rovides solid historical underpinnings for more advanced discussions about, and research into, these and similar subjects.” —The Jourbanal of Military History

“Aimed at students and general readers, this volume surveys the development of American military technology from the early 19th century through the end of the 20th century. The technological innovations described are also placed in the larger context of American social, political, and economic development. Supplementary materials include a timeline and a glossary of terms. Hacker is curator of military history at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.” —SciTech Book News

From the Publisher

An attractive primer that should prove useful to readers looking for a straightforward and jargon-free introduction to the complex relationship existing between the American military and its tools (and toolmakers) of war.

Journal of Military History

The broad coverage and integrative approach of this survey, combined with its attractive packaging and price, will make it a useful text for introductory courses in U.S. military history and the history of technology.

Journal of Military History - Robert G. Angevine

Definitely offers worthwhile reading for a broader perspective on military procurement, operations, and thinking.

Air Power History - Col. Brett Morris

Definitely offers worthwhile reading for a broader perspective on military procurement, operations, and thinking.

— Col. Brett Morris

Air Power History