The Hidden History of America at War: Untold Tales from Yorktown to Fallujah

Davis is the author of popular history books in the "Don't Know Much About" series, which provide thought-provoking retakes on well-known subjects. This volume intends to offer an understanding of the United States's uneasy relationship with its military via lengthy essays on six battles. Davis explores uncomfortable facts about the Siege of Yorktown (1781) in the American Revolution, the Siege of Petersburg (1864) in the Civil War, the Balangiga massacre (1901) in the Philippine-American War, the fight for Berlin (1945) in World War II, the Battle of Hue (1968) in the Vietnam War, and the First Battle of Fallujah (2004) in the Iraq War. These explorations add depth and context to the heroic narratives of popular imagination. As with most books that offer the "hidden" or "untold" story, the events are not in dispute but the author's interpretation, presentation, and point-of-view attack the supposed romantic myth. In the case of Berlin, for example, the grinding misery of the bomber offensive and the implacable Soviet siege are well documented, but the author's detailing of the horrors is emotionally effective. Similarly, the American conquest of Philippine insurrectionists, nearly forgotten now, is a look into the costs of early American expansion.