Booklist Review

A lavishly pictorial presentation with hundreds of color images, this volume chronologically ranges from the Revolutionary War's Continental army to today's volunteer armed force. Giangreco, a biographer of Harry Truman (The Soldier from Independence, 2009), pictured in uniform in this work, writes a compact narrative of wartime battles and peacetime training, squeezed among the profusion of visuals. Amid the paintings and photographs of combat, one ocular consistency flows through this work: esprit de corps, as instilled through uniforms, insignia of ranks and units, medals for service and valor, and manual arms, like swords and pistols. These items from each era receive special attention; the Medal of Honor, once established in the Civil War, stands out in sidebars about individual recipients. They and many others, from privates to generals, embody through their portraits the pride that martial clothing and accoutrements promote. Instilling the U.S. Army's sense of itself and its traditions, Giangreco and his illustrations will arrest anyone interested in military affairs.--Taylor, Gilbert Copyright 2010 Booklist