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Crucible of Empire: The Spanish-American War & Its Aftermath. Ed. by James C. Bradford. (Annapolis: Naval Institute Press, 1993. xxiv, 263 pp. $31.95, ISBN 1-55750-079-7.)
James C. Bradford edited the nine essays in Crucible of Empire to provide coverage of military developments during the Spanish-American War that are not included in David F. Trask's standard account, The War with Spain in 1898 (1981). Bradford considers the war a transforming event in United States history; it brought about a revolution in American foreign and military affairs. The essays focus largely on the United States Navy. They examine diplomatic and military intelligence, the William T. Sampson-Winfield S. Schley controversy, joint navy-army operations, the marines, the campaign to subdue the Philippine island of Samar, the effect of Asiatic service on naval officers' careers, and William McKinley's decision to annex the Philippine Islands. For the most part the authors find many American successes in the war. Gone is the...