American Military History: From Colonials to Counterinsurgents
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Narrated by:
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Wesley K. Clark
About this listen
Wars have played a crucial role in defining the United States and its place in the world. No one is better equipped to analyze this subject in depth than retired US Army Gen. Wesley K. Clark - decorated combat veteran, author, Rhodes Scholar, and former NATO Supreme Commander. In this course, Gen. Clark explores the full scope of America's armed conflicts, from the French and Indian War in the mid-18th century to the Global War on Terrorism in the 21st. These 24 absorbing half-hour lectures chart the remarkable growth of the United States from a colonial backwater into the most powerful nation on Earth, thanks in large part to its talent for rising to the occasion when called to war.
Drawing on his decades of study and military experience, Gen. Clark sheds light on the tactics and strategy behind such famous battles as Yorktown, New Orleans, Gettysburg, D-Day, Inchon, and Operation Desert Storm, among many others. He also recounts his own experiences in combat during the Vietnam War, which he barely survived. This presentation is the closest most listeners will get to studying war the way military officers do - with every battle serving as a textbook for possible paths to victory.
Among the many examples, you learn that the ideal time to attack is when an opposing force is separated, distracted, and disorganized due to crossing an obstacle such as a river, as happened to British Gen. Edward Braddock's troops while fording the Monongahela River during the French and Indian War. You also learn that the fall of Fort Donelson during the Civil War was due to incoherent strategy by the Confederates, combined with brilliant tactics by Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, who went on to win the war for the North. In one of the last lectures, Gen. Clark gives insight into his own strategy for halting Serbian ethnic cleansing during Operation Allied Force in 1999, when he was the general in charge.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.
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Prosecuting attorney in the Manson trial Vincent Bugliosi held a unique insider's position in one of the most baffling and horrifying cases of the 20th century: the cold-blooded Tate-LaBianca murders carried out by Charles Manson and four of his followers. What motivated Manson in his seemingly mindless selection of victims, and what was his hold over the young women who obeyed his orders? Now available for the first time in unabridged audio, the gripping story of this famous and haunting crime is brought to life by acclaimed narrator Scott Brick.
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Everything I remembered about the case was wrong..
- By karen on 06-22-12
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Fingerprints of the Gods
- The Quest Continues
- By: Graham Hancock
- Narrated by: Graham Hancock
- Length: 18 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Fingerprints of the Gods is the revolutionary rewrite of history that has persuaded millions of listeners throughout the world to change their preconceptions about the history behind modern society. An intellectual detective story, this unique history audiobook directs probing questions at orthodox history, presenting disturbing new evidence that historians have tried - but failed - to explain.
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Classic in Historical Mysteries
- By Kelly on 09-05-19
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The Secret History of Christmas
- By: Bill Bryson
- Narrated by: Bill Bryson
- Length: 3 hrs and 3 mins
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Christmas is the single biggest annual event on the planet, a time for merry-making, over-indulgence, peace, goodwill, and the occasional family row. It’s as comfortable and familiar as a pair of old shoes and yet still glittery and exciting. But what do you really know about it? It’s stuffed full of traditions and rituals that most of us have been observing all our lives without having the slightest idea of where they come from.
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Fascinating and Entertaining
- By Laura Carrington on 11-23-22
By: Bill Bryson
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World War 2 in the Pacific Collection: Across Wake Island, Bataan, Guadalcanal, Corregidor, and Iwo Jima
- Helmet for My Pillow: From Parris Island to the Pacific, The Saga of Pappy Gunn, On Valor's Side, The Coastwatchers, They Call it Pacific, Joe Foss Flying Marine, South from Corregidor, The Story of Wake Island, & Mission Beyond Darkness
- By: Robert Lackie, General George C. Kenney, T. Grady Gallant, and others
- Narrated by: Museum Audiobooks Cast
- Length: 66 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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This is a nine-book bundle on the Pacific War, the theatre of World War II that was fought in Asia, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean and Oceania. The Pacific War saw the Allies pitted against Japan, aided by Thailand and its Axis allies, Germany and Italy. Fighting included some of the largest naval battles in history, and the war culminated in the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
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Good collection, great bargain well worth a credit
- By R. Denton on 08-13-21
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Black Elk Speaks
- Being the Life Story of a Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux, The Premier Edition
- By: John G. Neihardt
- Narrated by: Robin Neihardt
- Length: 6 hrs and 35 mins
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Widely hailed as a spiritual classic, this inspirational and unfailingly powerful story reveals the life and visions of the Lakota healer Nicholas Black Elk (1863–1950) and the tragic history of his Sioux people during the epic closing decades of the Old West. In 1930, the aging Black Elk met a kindred spirit, the famed poet, writer, and critic John G. Neihardt (1881–1973) on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.
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Tale of tears
- By William Sanders on 01-25-15
By: John G. Neihardt
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bad recording audio. too many breaks and crackles,
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Often, much of what is misunderstood about Islam is the result of a lack of information - and some dangerous and prolific myths. To combat these myths and better understand the complex Islamic tradition, Dr. Martyn Oliver, a senior professorial lecturer at American University, presents 12 in-depth lectures to provide you with a multifaceted approach to Muhammad, Islam, and the revelation known today as the Qur'an.
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A Fine Survey
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World War II is the defining conflict of the 20th century, one that created a line in the sands of history dividing the pre-war and post-war eras. In this epoch-defining conflict lies another definitive moment: the invasion of a 50-mile stretch of coast in Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944. This battle, also known as D-Day, was the pivot point of the war in Europe. Its success led to a nearly yearlong, bloody campaign that saw the liberation of France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands, followed by the final defeat of Hitler’s Third Reich.
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Poor narration
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What listeners say about American Military History: From Colonials to Counterinsurgents
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- StephenH
- 10-26-22
Not bad - could be better
I have a lot of respect for General Clark and his contributions to the US military. This Great Course, however, was not his finest work. There is nothing wrong with the course, and the product may be exactly what he was contracted to do. The problem is that it could've been so much more.
In brief, Clark offers a general overview of the conflicts in which the United States has been involved and describes the major campaigns in each. That's it. Any number of people could've provided these lectures, even armchair military historians. With someone of Clark's caliber, you'd expect more. There's limited discussion of leadership and none about the change in leadership concepts.over the past 200+ years of the US military. Worse, there's little discussion of strategy, usually it's limited to specific.leaders. If Clark isn't familiar with the broad picture, he certainly could discuss how the US formulates strategy and implements it. Similarly, there's no discussion of organization or military reforms. Clark is well positioned to give more nuanced, most advanced lectures but is limited to the basics. He is much better when discussing conflicts about which he has first hand knowledge (he's very critical of the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts), and, arguably, should have limited his lectures to the past 50 years and done a deeper dive of the period. Graduated escalation = bad, overwhelming force = good doesn't cut it. As an aside - oddly - Clark makes no mention of the Indian wars of the latter half of the 19th century.
As a narrator, Clark is satisfactory, better than some other Great Course lecturers and worse than some others. The upside for some readers are Clark's personal vignettes related to some of the topics.
I don't recommend this series for anyone who has a reasonable grasp of US military history - it's nothing new. If you are looking for an overview, this might be for you.
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- Tommy D'Angelo
- 07-03-21
Fell Short of My Expectations
I respect General Wesley Clark on multiple levels: from his knowledge of the US military and its history of armed conflicts to his vast personal achievements as a general living these wars first hand. It is clear he knows the inner workings of the US military better than just about every man or woman alive today.
However, as a Great Courses lecturer something was lacking. It was hard for me to put him up there with the typical elite presenters of which The Great Courses always seem to have an unending supply. While his knowledge and personal experience brings value to this course others could not, his presentation style wasn't able to fully pull me in and engage me. I had a hard time following his points at times and at others his "lessons" seemed too simplified. In both cases I wish he would've expounded more. His narrative of the conflicts at times just didn't resonate with me.
There were exceptions: Lectures 10 (US-Spanish War), 11-12 (World War II), 17 (Korean War), 20 (Grenada and Panama), and 23 (Afghanistan and Iraq) were keepers and I am happy to retain those in my library. Otherwise if you are familiar with the topics in the other lectures I'm not sure you will gain much here.
Yes, this this is a course one would suspect would dedicate lots of time on tactical battle movements but I was still hoping this would be complemented with more info on strategic aims relating to the individual battles so more sense could be made out of what at times could sound like an endless string of battles: how did they fit in to the bigger picture of the war? What were the objectives?
I was a bit surprised that there wasn’t much history on how the US military evolved over time from their formations to organizational units to their weaponry. There was some of discussion in this realm but not as much as one would think from the course's title. Lectures focused on each engagement in isolation without an analysis on how the military as an entity changed over the centuries.
I was pleasantly surprised to find video clips of World War I battle action...I did not know those existed!
Now for the real annoying aspects of this course: the sound effects! The placement of sounds randomly in the lectures as the lecturer was talking proved highly annoying and distracting. These included:
1- The re-enactment of battle sounds in earlier lectures like yells, shots fired, and clanging while the lecturer was talking. What value did this add? Who in quality control thought a bunch of modern men yelling and simulating cannon sounds would add atmosphere or put the listener in the action? Terrible decision.
2- When the location on a map wanted to be highlighted this weird sound went off: way too loud and piercing, sounding too much like an alarm clock which caused more alarm than learning enhancement. I can't tell you how many times I jumped a little and checked my phone to see if some alarm clock setting was going off until I (begrudgingly) got used to the sound.
This wasn't a bad course. I've experienced quite a few of those through the years. But try as I might I can't stand behind calling this a great one either. There are many other military and US history courses in TGC catalog that do the trick better. To the average TGC listener it is hard for me to recommend the entire course (though I do think there is value in listening to lectures 10-12, 17, 20, and 23). However, my one caveat to that would be this: those who have a military background or have followed General Clark's career may find this course very interesting (especially considering he weaves in many of his personal experiences and stories into the narratives).
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- Road Reader
- 01-22-23
Great book, but last chapter is optional
I really enjoyed Gen. Clark walking is through the history of the IS military and weaving in anecdotes from his career. However, the last chapter is more bloviating from his failed presidential campaign. Basically that chapter boils down to: (1) War is bad unless I’m in command and (2) military officers should not be partisan, unless it’s me lecturing that I’m a better diplomat than experienced civil servants
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- J H
- 02-02-20
Good summaries
A sweeping overview of the different wars of our history. Pretty good reference for further reading.
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- Jason P. Stanford
- 10-12-23
I came away with a newfound respect for the military
Since 9/11 as I matured I began to stop reflexively criticizing the military. As I began to take on responsibilities, especially logistics, it dawned on me just how complex the whole enterprise is. And that’s before you get to fighting/dying. I learned a bit from friends who were deployed. This lecture series has given me a concise overview about our country’s military history and it’s fascinating.
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- Colorado Midlife Crisis
- 02-15-19
Great Summary of US Military History
This is a great lecture series from one of America's great generals. He gives the general political background and well summarizes the battles and campaigns. it is amazing the breadth and scope of this course.
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- John Petroski
- 09-08-21
Comprehensive but biased.
Good info from an informed person covering a large history, however you're only going to get a positive view of U.S. history, with negative or controversial points glossed over.
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- Sabs ben
- 06-27-18
Simply Outstanding
This course has it all. It’s engaging informative and thought provoking. I will be recommending it to everyone I can.
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- Whitney L Jackson
- 10-27-22
Surprised how balanced this was
A really good Summary of American military history from the voice of experience. I was surprised at how balanced the lecture was.... not all "rah rah America." It was an interesting perspective. There were certainly things I disagreed with, but nothing unsubstantiated. Gave me a lot to think on.
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- Drew Daniels
- 09-09-23
Interesting to say the least. Kept me on the edge of my seat.
I never really got into military history until recently. Additionally, it’s because I wanted to know more about the history of war and military strategy. This book is very interesting to say the least.
I cannot wait to read more about our military history at a later date and time. But this title definitely my seal of approval. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out.
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