Books.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
Overview
"It has been a splendid little war..." wrote John Hay to Theodore Roosevelt as the Spanish-American War ended in 1898. Indeed it was splendid for the American public, but for the Rough Riders and other soldiers it was as grim, dirty and bloody as any war. Only the ineptitude of the Spaniards, and the luck of the Americans, kept it from stretching into a disastrous struggle.The Splendid Little War is the compelling story of this often overlooked conflict, told largely in the words of the participants themselves. It was a war people by the famous and those soon to be: Theodore Roosevelt, Stephen Crane, Clara Barton and William Jennings Bryan are among those who played key roles in the war against Spain. Above all, as Freidel writes, the Spanish-American War marked the end of an era: "Beyond the 'splendid little war' hung the indefinite shadow of world cataclysm....Few Americans dreamed how different the United States would be afterwards."
Synopsis
Indeed it was splendid for the American public, but for the Rough Riders and other soldiers it was as grim, dirty, and bloody as any other war.
Library Journal
The title was lifted from a remark made by John Hay, U.S. ambassador to England, to Teddy Roosevelt at the conclusion of the Spanish-American War. "Splendid" was far from how the soldiers who fought the war would have described it, however. Even though the conflict lasted only four months, the combatants experienced the horror of war at its fullest. This 1958 volume draws heavily from the firsthand experiences of the soldiers and other players involved. The text is buttressed throughout with many photos and illustrations. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.