America Invades: How We've Invaded or been Militarily Involved with almost Every Country on Earth, by Christopher Kelly, Stuart Laycock
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America Invades: How We've Invaded or been Militarily Involved with almost Every Country on Earth, by Christopher Kelly, Stuart Laycock
Free Ebook Online America Invades: How We've Invaded or been Militarily Involved with almost Every Country on Earth, by Christopher Kelly, Stuart Laycock
Americans have invaded nearly half the world's countries and been militarily involved with all the rest, except Andorra, Bhutan and Liechtenstein. Christopher Kelly and Stuart Laycock take you on a global tour of America's military activity around the world from the halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli and everywhere in-between. Whatever your political views this is an extraordinary and often surprising story. With personal photos, maps and an index to assist America Invades: How We've Invaded or Been Militarily Involved with Almost Every Country on Earth gives us history as it should be taught--calling out for more!
America Invades: How We've Invaded or been Militarily Involved with almost Every Country on Earth, by Christopher Kelly, Stuart Laycock - Amazon Sales Rank: #500159 in Books
- Published on: 2015-10-06
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 9.10" h x 1.40" w x 6.10" l, 1.85 pounds
- Binding: Hardcover
- 416 pages
America Invades: How We've Invaded or been Militarily Involved with almost Every Country on Earth, by Christopher Kelly, Stuart Laycock Review In this extensive, whimsical volume, the authors posit what many have long suspected: the United States has invaded or been militarily involved with almost every country on the globe.
Kelly, a longtime military-history buff, readily admits in his introduction that he drew inspiration for his first book from Laycock's previous work All the Countries We Invaded: And a Few We Never Got Round To, 2012) which covers Great Britain's overseas excursions. The two got to talking and discovered that the U.S. offered even greater fodder for such a compilation. It has invaded 84 out of the 194 countries recognized by the United Nations and has been militarily involved with 191 of those. (The holdouts, the authors note, are Andorra, Bhutan, and Liechtenstein.) Military action is never too far away for America, as Kelly notes: "Americans are always hoping for peace but usually preparing for war. The American Eagle is an ambivalent bird holding arrows in the talons of one foot and an olive branch in the other." A work such as this has the potential for being academically stodgy, but Kelly and Laycock deftly avoid that trap. Instead, they find colorful, obscure episodes from each country's past. Take, for example, Panama's Watermelon War of 1856: "It was really more of a Watermelon Riot, which was triggered by an intoxicated American railroad traveler who took a slice of watermelon from a Panamanian fruit merchant and refused payment. Fifteen Americans were killed in Panama City, and we sent our troops in to restore order." One drawback is that readers can get cast adrift on the sea of military and political acronyms in the book, but the authors do provide supporting materials, such as a glossary, maps, and a comprehensive index, at the back of the volume to provide perspective for those seeking clarification. Still, for a dedicated history fan, this is an invigorating travelogue, taking readers around the world and backward and forward through time.
An intensive compendium of America's interactions, both good and bad, with other countries that rightly leaves out the philosophizing. --Kirkus ReviewsAmerica Invades. A provocative title for sure. Is this an account of American imperial aggression a la Howard Zinn, or perhaps a more neocon examination of historical nation building? Thankfully, nothing like that at all. The subtitle explains perfectly: How We've Invaded or Been Militarily Involved with Almost Every Country on Earth. That is completely accurate and leaves nothing out. Books like these almost always veer into political/idealogical riffing, and I can happily say that this doesn't happen once in this book. The purpose of America Invades is simple: inform in an entertaining fashion. And my does it succeed.
A warning: if the subtitle sounds boring to you, you will probably be bored. Not much to do there. But for the interested, this incredibly accessible book promises to make you look at the world map a bit differently. I read Mr. Laycock's book first, the British version entitled All the Countries We've Ever Invaded (And the Few We Never Got Round To) while abroad in Edinburgh. The title grabbed my attention instantly, being a sucker for trivia and "Did you know" factoids. The emergence of Mr. Kelly's more relatable (being an American) book was pleasantly surprising, even more so on seeing the collaboration between the two men. Both books are written in a very conversational style; some may be turned off by that approach, but I found it appropriate. This is not a textbook and it does not claim to be; it's more "popular history." The book stays light throughout (think wordplay and terrible puns), both in tone and substance, making it easy for those who may have forgotten their world history lessons. I found myself frequently smiling or even laughing out loud as I read about our abundant (and sometimes awkward) international exploits.
Another nice, if infrequent, plus about America Invades is that you don't necessarily have to read it front to back. The book is organized alphabetically by country, so it's easy to jump ahead and read the section on, say, Kenya, if that's what you would like to know. The book promises to be a good starting point for research, allowing the reader to make more informed and specific inquiries of more in-depth books.
America Invades is exactly what it promises to be. In short, you'll likely know from the outset if you'd find this book interesting. If so, pick it up. It's one of those books you'll thumb through again at random times. If nothing else, both Mr. Kelly and Mr. Laycock are helping keep obscure (though no less valuable) history alive. Mr. Kelly promises to update future editions of America Invades (we can start with the section on Syria, which seems intent on burning itself down). I look forward to it. --2nd Lieutenant Aidan Fahnestock, U.S. ArmyThis informative yet entertaining history text presents a factual account of United States military involvement throughout the world.
In America Invades, Christopher Kelly and Stuart Laycock delve into all types of US military foreign interaction; everything from territorial acquisition to devastating war to beneficial assistance, even touching lightly on cultural indoctrination. Alphabetically listed, every country the US has ever entered on a battle mission or in an official capacity makes an appearance in this well-researched reference tool. Backed by maps, glossy photographs, charts, a glossary, and an index, the knowledgeable authors provide essential details without overwhelming the narrative with unnecessary repetition or opinionated commentary.
The artwork on the cover is misleading, and a visual attack on the senses; its shocking depiction of Uncle Sam grasping a U.S. flag, with warplanes overhead and armed soldiers beneath, looks like a prelude to hard-hitting criticism. It's not. This concise book is pro-American without being ethnocentric--five percent of sales proceeds will go to military charities. It is written from a critical angle in a conversational style that veers into occasional off-the-cuff remarks to lighten the serious tone with dark (perhaps inappropriate) humor. "Among other interesting facts about Romania, you can find Transylvania there, legendary home of vampires and actual birthplace of Vlad Dracula, who also had the not very cuddly nickname Vlad the Impaler."
Anyone but a history aficionado will be astounded at the extent of the United States' involvement overseas. Packed with expected material pertaining to major conflicts and global wars, as well as a considerable amount of unexpected trivia, the overall impression will vary dramatically depending on political standpoint or national perspective. Since this subject is a hot topic for analysis and debate, information contained in these pages will provoke either sincere admiration or adamant disapproval. In the end, it may boil down to whether a country benefited or suffered as a result of US intervention.
Christopher Kelly, a retired television executive with a passion for military history, earned a degree from UC-Berkeley. Stuart Laycock is the author of several history books in the UK, with a diverse background in advertising and marketing, as well as TV. Even an avid history buff will learn something from the book--a little-known tidbit or a frequent ignored fact--making Kelly and Laycock's work a worthwhile read. The authors' involvement in television lends an attention-grabbing tone to the writing, steering the content away from academia and toward a mainstream audience. This compilation of data required extensive education, time, and diligence. Regardless of whether an individual approaches the text with a patriotic or non-patriotic viewpoint, no preconceived judgement will detract from the value of the reading experience. --Julia Ann Charpentier
About the Author Christopher Kelly is the former Chairman of Chyron Corporation and a retired television executive. He has had a lifelong passion for military history, and many of his family have fought in previous American wars including one, Stephen Van Rensselaer of NY, who led an ill-fated invasion of Canada. He is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley.
Stuart Laycock has a degree from Cambridge University. He has worked in advertising, marketing, and TV. Stuart has authored or co-authored a number of history books in the UK, including All the Countries We've Ever Invaded and the Few We Never Got Round To.
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Most helpful customer reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful. Historical Eye-Opener, but with Flaws By Nyssa The United States has been involved with many countries militarily over the nation's lifespan, both as an ally, an opponent, or as advisors and trainers. Just how many countries have come under the may come as an eye-opener or even a shock to those not familiar with the details of history.The authors present each country with which the United States has had some form of military contact, friendly or unfriendly, in alphabetical order. Some sections are brief, such as the entries for Ivory Coast and Liechtenstein, while others are much longer and have more detail such as the entry for Vietnam.I was surprised to note that included in many of the countries' entries were references that various state national guard units are "partnered" with specific countries. I would be interested in finding out what these partnerships entail and what obligations those units might have towards their partners. No specific information was given in the book about these partnerships or how they were assigned or by whom.There are no footnotes, references, or bibliography included for any of the information presented in the book. There is a glossary at the end for some of the acronyms used in the text. The charts at the end which were meant to summarize the types of contact the US has had with each country that was covered in the book, but it does not display properly on a Kindle. I would have liked to have seen a time line indicating when each action cited in the book occurred in history to put them into a better overall context.The tone of the text often tries to be cute or cool which detracts from the subject matter. The authors rush to assure us that the Commodore Matthew Perry who traveled to Japan in the 19th century is not the same person as the actor on a popular television show, twice. Often the style of writing seems to be that of a term paper (but without the footnotes or references), with the simple cataloging facts and over-uses the phrase "for instance" unnecessarily to the point that it can become annoying to the reader.Tangential information is put in, again in an attempt to be "cool" no doubt, to link various countries or actions with popular stars that do not have anything to do with the stated subject of the book. Did we really need to be told that David Bowie's wife is from Somalia? Yet fact-checking on more important points seems to be lax as when discussing Turkey, they miss that the capital of modern Turkey is Ankara, not Istanbul.This book was not meant to be a scholarly work, but should have at least been held to some minimal standards of proper attributions and references.Mildly recommended as a starting place for those interested in the military history of the United States and its foreign involvements and alliances.A free copy of this ebook was provided to me by the publisher for review purposes.
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful. America Invades by Christopher Kelly and Stuart Laycock offers a useful and handy place to look By Paul Windels Have you ever wanted to find out about the history of relations between the United States and a country you don't know much about? America Invades by Christopher Kelly and Stuart Laycock offers a useful and handy place to look. You can get a good picture from the concise accounts of each country's dealings with the United States. This applies not only to the so-called usual suspects such as Russia, China, Germany, or the United Kingdom; America Invades provides even greater value with respect to less-well-known but not-insignificant players (such as Cuba, Poland, Viet Nam, and most of South America). The reader also has the opportunity to glean what there is from our sparse dealings with such far-flung locales as the Seychelles and Bhutan.By sprinkling the a little-known fact or a lively anecdote into most of the articles, the authors give each country a unique identity in the reader's mind. Yuri Gagarin's first space flight draws Kazakhstan to our attention today, just as it drew President Kennedy's attention in 1961. Who can easily forget the failed Polish uprising against Russia of the 1830's after learning that Edgar Allen Poe unsuccessfully tried to join it? And when we think of Thailand, the image of author Chris Kelly feeling the bullet holes in the actual Bridge over the River Kwai flashes before our eyes.America Invades is a useful book, bursting with information, well-organized, and clearly written. And it's loads of fun to leaf through.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Invisible US Military Invasions By Beau Grosscup,Ph.D. There is a big hole in this account as it completely leaves out US military invasions of Indigenous Nations (who were recognized by US government). As well, the notion that US became an imperialist power late in the 19th century is not true as the annexation of lands belonging to Indigenous Nations as well as Mexico makes it an imperialist power much earlier.(Is not the Reservation system nothing more than the colonialization of Indigenous Peoples?) It is troubling that the authors make no 'moral' judgements about US military imperialism thus allowing the myth of the US as an 'exception' and 'benevolent' power to go unchallenged. Finally, many of the US invasions accounted for here are for neo-imperialist purposes (often overthrowing democratically elected governments and/or dictators who didn't serve 'US interests' only to install one that would.) There is a much more morally corrupt and extensive history of US military invasions than offered here. Though partial, their list is troubling enough.
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America Invades: How We've Invaded or been Militarily Involved with almost Every Country on Earth, by Christopher Kelly, Stuart Laycock
America Invades: How We've Invaded or been Militarily Involved with almost Every Country on Earth, by Christopher Kelly, Stuart Laycock
