Book Description

Foreword: The Center Of Military History first published Secretaries of War and Secretaries of the Army: Portraits & biographical sketches in 1981 during the bicentennial of the American Revolution and the US Constitution. The book reflected two major themes of the Army's commemoration: the role of the soldier-statesmen of the revolution in the creation of our government and the constitutional principle of civilian control of the military. This updated printing continues to recognize those twin legacies. The first Secretaries of War were prominent members of the soldier-statesmen generation, and they and their successors have embodied the Founding Fathers' intent to ensure civilian leadership in military affairs. Secretaries of War and Secretaries of the Army is relevant to students and scholars in such diverse fields as military history, political science, American studies, and art and portraiture. We trust that this new edition will continue to be useful as background for the nomination of Army secretaries, as a handbook for the congressional armed services committees, and as a reference book throughout the Army. It has been a valuable source of information for libraries, and we hope that its distinctive perspective on the history of the Army will interest a new generation of the American public as well.