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The Spanish War: An American Epic, 1898
On the night of February 15, 1898, the U.S. battleship Maine was ripped in half by an explosion in Havana harbor with the loss of 266 American lives. War with Spain followed nine weeks later. After a three-month fight on two fronts half a world apart, the era of isolation was gone forever, as the United States formed alliances and gained spheres of influence that would shape its desstiny for decades to come.
G. J. A. O'Toole colorfully depicts the sweep of events and also presents new findings on the mysterious mission of the Maine and on the part played by Washington in the expansion of the conflict.
G. J. A. O'Toole colorfully depicts the sweep of events and also presents new findings on the mysterious mission of the Maine and on the part played by Washington in the expansion of the conflict.
448 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
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March 6, 2022
“Spontaneous combustion, as Captain [Charles] Sigsbee pointed out, is a gradual process. The explosion that destroyed the Maine could as easily have happened when she was at Key West, or after she went to New Orleans, which was to have been her next port of call. It is reasonable to ask, then, why the coal reached the point of ignition in Havana harbor, and why, of the more than twenty cases of coal bunker fires aboard warships in the U.S. Navy in this period, the only one resulting in an explosion occurred at a time and in a place where it would blow America from her traditional and cherished isolation. The answer to such questions lies beyond the realm of chemistry, physics, or naval architecture. Each must find it within his own personal understanding of the universe. However, there seem to be but three answers to choose from: God, chance, or the impatient hand of destiny…”
- G.J.A. O’Toole, The Spanish War: An American Epic 1898
The United States has been a global superpower for so long it is sometimes hard to remember that for much of its history, it has been decidedly isolationist in its outlook. To be sure, it always aspired to be a continental empire, fighting Great Britain, Mexico, and numerous American Indian tribes for possession of a vast expanse of North America. Up until the sunset of the nineteenth century, however, it had not ventured any further. Unlike much of Europe and Japan, it mostly stayed out of the “scramble” for colonies and concessions in Africa and China.
Then, the U.S.S. Maine blew up in Havana Harbor and everything changed.
The Spanish-American War is strikingly overshadowed in comparison to its consequences. Fought over the course of roughly three months, the war turned the former colony of the United States into a colonizer, gave it new, far-flung spheres of influence in the Pacific, and changed the course of national destiny. Obviously, America would not have its big coming out party until 1917, when it tipped the scales of World War I, but by that point, the die had already been cast.
This is a subject that had always been on my radar, if only because parts of it have become iconic in American history, whether that is the destruction of the Maine or Theodore Roosevelt’s charge up San Juan Hill (or Kettle Hill, on the San Juan Heights, if we’re being joyless pedants). When I came across G.J.A. O’Toole’s The Spanish War, I was looking for a volume to tie all the loose strands of my admittedly-facile knowledge together, and to give me a coherent look at the whole picture, with all its different moving parts.
In exactly 400-pages of well-paced text, O’Toole does just that.
***
The Spanish-American War came about due to a variety of factors. For purposes of simplification, it suffices to say that Cuba was a Spanish colony, and had been since the time of Columbus. In 1895, Cubans began a war of independence against their colonizers. This was of interest to the United States for several reasons, though I’ll highlight just three. First, America was uncomfortable with a war going on in their backyard, especially one concerning an old European power that mocked the premises of the Monroe Doctrine. Second, American business concerns wanted to open new markets. Finally, many Americans felt that supporting the Cubans was a moral imperative.
This last factor was driven by Spain’s handling of the Cuban revolutionaries, which engendered considerable controversy. While the “yellow press” tended to sensationalize atrocities, there is no doubt that Spain’s reconcentrado plan was exceptionally brutal. Meant to separate the peasants – who allegedly supported, housed, and fed the resistance – from the rebels, the policy called for herding civilians into concentration camps, where as many as thirty percent died from inadequate food, sanitation, and medical care.
Into this fraught situation sailed the U.S.S. Maine. On February 15, 1898, the ship blew up in Havana Harbor. The Maine’s captain, a court of inquiry, a bellowing Teddy Roosevelt, and much of the American public blamed a Spanish mine or torpedo, creating a push for war that President William McKinley could not deny. By the time Admiral Hyman Rickover determined in – in 1976 – that the Maine had probably been the victim of an internal coal bunker fire next to a magazine filled with 6-inch shells, it was long past too late.
***
O’Toole takes you through the war at a rapid clip. This is not an in-depth military history. There are a few maps, but nothing technical. Generally, O’Toole sets the stage, gives you one lengthy primary account from a participant, and then moves on to the next topic. The action on the battlefield is continually cross-cut with the political machinations in Washington, D.C., where McKinley had to decide what to demand of Spain.
The solidity of the book’s structure (aided by a timeline), the well-chosen quotations, and O’Toole’s ability to nimbly encompass the war’s widely-separated tangents – with military encounters in both Cuba and the Philippines – made for an engrossing reading experience. Having only a shallow foreknowledge about the subject, I learned a lot, never got lost, and came out of this with a deeper appreciation for the aftershocks of a conflict that can still be sensed today. It should also be added that the prose is lively and incisive, as with this portrait of General Valeriano “the Butcher” Weyler, who carried out Spain’s reconcentration policy:
In a book that is relatively short, given the epic scale of the events it is covering, O’Toole is able to make the most of each page.
***
When America went to war against Spain, the issue seemed in doubt. Very quickly, however, it became clear that Spain was a shell of its former imperial self. Admiral George Dewey smashed the Spanish fleet at Manila. American ground forces – including a mismatched assortment of Union veterans, Confederate veterans, black troops, and the irritatingly blustery Teddy Roosevelt – won victories at Las Guasimas, El Caney, the San Juan Heights, and then lay siege to Santiago. At Santiago de Cuba, Admiral William Sampson’s ships destroyed the fleeing fleet of Admiral Pascual Cervera. The deadliest enemy faced by American troops was – as in every 19th century war – disease.
In the final analysis – in terms of lives lost versus territories gained – the Spanish-American War was a fantastically successful endeavor for the United States, at least depending on your definition of “successful,” and your tolerance for unintended consequences. For a total loss of 385 men killed in action (not counting 260 who died on the Maine), and some 2,000 dead of disease, the United States became a world power, with a sphere of influence and colonies stretching from “the Caribbean to the Far East.”
Yet time showed this to be a complicated victory, dolefully muddying America’s already complex moral position.
In the Philippines, American troops practicing “benevolent assimilation” were responsible for thousands of Filipino deaths (and also started perfecting the use of waterboarding). Meanwhile, all those Pacific islands suddenly under the American umbrella put the United States on a collision course with Japan. The two sides would meet at Pearl Harbor in 1941, and at many other islands thereafter. Later still, the relationship between the United States and Cuba degraded to the point where the whole world almost blew to hell in 1962. And of course there is our own little reconcentrado in Guantanamo Bay, a distant vestige of the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903, which festers still.
It is likely that the United States would have emerged from its isolationist position with or without the Spanish-American War. Still, it was an inflection point that forever changed the trajectory of the United States, its relationship to the wider world, and its conception of itself.
- G.J.A. O’Toole, The Spanish War: An American Epic 1898
The United States has been a global superpower for so long it is sometimes hard to remember that for much of its history, it has been decidedly isolationist in its outlook. To be sure, it always aspired to be a continental empire, fighting Great Britain, Mexico, and numerous American Indian tribes for possession of a vast expanse of North America. Up until the sunset of the nineteenth century, however, it had not ventured any further. Unlike much of Europe and Japan, it mostly stayed out of the “scramble” for colonies and concessions in Africa and China.
Then, the U.S.S. Maine blew up in Havana Harbor and everything changed.
The Spanish-American War is strikingly overshadowed in comparison to its consequences. Fought over the course of roughly three months, the war turned the former colony of the United States into a colonizer, gave it new, far-flung spheres of influence in the Pacific, and changed the course of national destiny. Obviously, America would not have its big coming out party until 1917, when it tipped the scales of World War I, but by that point, the die had already been cast.
This is a subject that had always been on my radar, if only because parts of it have become iconic in American history, whether that is the destruction of the Maine or Theodore Roosevelt’s charge up San Juan Hill (or Kettle Hill, on the San Juan Heights, if we’re being joyless pedants). When I came across G.J.A. O’Toole’s The Spanish War, I was looking for a volume to tie all the loose strands of my admittedly-facile knowledge together, and to give me a coherent look at the whole picture, with all its different moving parts.
In exactly 400-pages of well-paced text, O’Toole does just that.
***
The Spanish-American War came about due to a variety of factors. For purposes of simplification, it suffices to say that Cuba was a Spanish colony, and had been since the time of Columbus. In 1895, Cubans began a war of independence against their colonizers. This was of interest to the United States for several reasons, though I’ll highlight just three. First, America was uncomfortable with a war going on in their backyard, especially one concerning an old European power that mocked the premises of the Monroe Doctrine. Second, American business concerns wanted to open new markets. Finally, many Americans felt that supporting the Cubans was a moral imperative.
This last factor was driven by Spain’s handling of the Cuban revolutionaries, which engendered considerable controversy. While the “yellow press” tended to sensationalize atrocities, there is no doubt that Spain’s reconcentrado plan was exceptionally brutal. Meant to separate the peasants – who allegedly supported, housed, and fed the resistance – from the rebels, the policy called for herding civilians into concentration camps, where as many as thirty percent died from inadequate food, sanitation, and medical care.
Into this fraught situation sailed the U.S.S. Maine. On February 15, 1898, the ship blew up in Havana Harbor. The Maine’s captain, a court of inquiry, a bellowing Teddy Roosevelt, and much of the American public blamed a Spanish mine or torpedo, creating a push for war that President William McKinley could not deny. By the time Admiral Hyman Rickover determined in – in 1976 – that the Maine had probably been the victim of an internal coal bunker fire next to a magazine filled with 6-inch shells, it was long past too late.
***
O’Toole takes you through the war at a rapid clip. This is not an in-depth military history. There are a few maps, but nothing technical. Generally, O’Toole sets the stage, gives you one lengthy primary account from a participant, and then moves on to the next topic. The action on the battlefield is continually cross-cut with the political machinations in Washington, D.C., where McKinley had to decide what to demand of Spain.
The solidity of the book’s structure (aided by a timeline), the well-chosen quotations, and O’Toole’s ability to nimbly encompass the war’s widely-separated tangents – with military encounters in both Cuba and the Philippines – made for an engrossing reading experience. Having only a shallow foreknowledge about the subject, I learned a lot, never got lost, and came out of this with a deeper appreciation for the aftershocks of a conflict that can still be sensed today. It should also be added that the prose is lively and incisive, as with this portrait of General Valeriano “the Butcher” Weyler, who carried out Spain’s reconcentration policy:
He was the descendant of German émigrés who settled in the Balearics generations before. Shorty, wiry, Spartan, energetic, possessed of a stern Prussian countenance and steel blue eyes, he had a reputation for efficiency and a disregard for personal hardship and danger. Unlike much of the Spanish officer corps, he had advanced more through performance than politics. He was neither heartless brute nor cold-blooded murderer. He was a professional soldier prepared to carry out with complete single-mindedness the only policy that had any chance of defeating the rebels. But to hundreds of thousands of Cuban peasants, this distinction was to be of absolutely no importance.
In a book that is relatively short, given the epic scale of the events it is covering, O’Toole is able to make the most of each page.
***
When America went to war against Spain, the issue seemed in doubt. Very quickly, however, it became clear that Spain was a shell of its former imperial self. Admiral George Dewey smashed the Spanish fleet at Manila. American ground forces – including a mismatched assortment of Union veterans, Confederate veterans, black troops, and the irritatingly blustery Teddy Roosevelt – won victories at Las Guasimas, El Caney, the San Juan Heights, and then lay siege to Santiago. At Santiago de Cuba, Admiral William Sampson’s ships destroyed the fleeing fleet of Admiral Pascual Cervera. The deadliest enemy faced by American troops was – as in every 19th century war – disease.
In the final analysis – in terms of lives lost versus territories gained – the Spanish-American War was a fantastically successful endeavor for the United States, at least depending on your definition of “successful,” and your tolerance for unintended consequences. For a total loss of 385 men killed in action (not counting 260 who died on the Maine), and some 2,000 dead of disease, the United States became a world power, with a sphere of influence and colonies stretching from “the Caribbean to the Far East.”
Yet time showed this to be a complicated victory, dolefully muddying America’s already complex moral position.
In the Philippines, American troops practicing “benevolent assimilation” were responsible for thousands of Filipino deaths (and also started perfecting the use of waterboarding). Meanwhile, all those Pacific islands suddenly under the American umbrella put the United States on a collision course with Japan. The two sides would meet at Pearl Harbor in 1941, and at many other islands thereafter. Later still, the relationship between the United States and Cuba degraded to the point where the whole world almost blew to hell in 1962. And of course there is our own little reconcentrado in Guantanamo Bay, a distant vestige of the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903, which festers still.
It is likely that the United States would have emerged from its isolationist position with or without the Spanish-American War. Still, it was an inflection point that forever changed the trajectory of the United States, its relationship to the wider world, and its conception of itself.
March 12, 2023
This was a very informative explanation of the cause of the U.S. war with the diminishing Spanish empire. The war in 1898 lasted only three months but the author's clearly defined reasons and lead up to war began a few years prior. The Spanish in Cuba were accused of blowing up the battleship Maine in Havana. More recent research also indicates a likely accident. This was a two-front war in Cuba and Puerto Rico in the Caribbean and the Philipine Islands in the Pacific.
I was drawn into this history by the author's narrative and research. This was a little known history to me and I enjoyed it and learned all I needed to know on the subject.
Theodore Roosevelt played a good part in the war but so did others, likewise in favor and some against the war. And of course, there were other combat heroes besides T.R. At the time Americans were generally eager for this conflict which ultimately led to American expansion in the world.
I was drawn into this history by the author's narrative and research. This was a little known history to me and I enjoyed it and learned all I needed to know on the subject.
Theodore Roosevelt played a good part in the war but so did others, likewise in favor and some against the war. And of course, there were other combat heroes besides T.R. At the time Americans were generally eager for this conflict which ultimately led to American expansion in the world.
February 5, 2020
Hits all the main events and people, but reads like a novel. Add some bios of McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt, and the Philippine War, and you'll understand the entire subject. Robert Merry's "President McKinley," Mark Lee Gardner's "Rough Riders," and Brian McAllister Linn's "The Philippine War" are good choices.
March 8, 2018
While American history was never my favorite in school, I did pay attention. Before reading O'Toole's book, I somehow pictured the sinking of the battleship Maine in Cuba leading to a war with Spain. But why does the U.S. have possession of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba? Why did General MacArthur have an entire army just sitting in the Philippines in December 1941? I realized I, or my textbooks, had forgotten an entire war somehow.
O'Toole is a skillful writer who always seems to tease the ironic relationships and chance-happenings from the clutter that make this event so interesting to me. It also helps that there is a virtual cavalcade of interesting characters cued up at the ready to make the tale so enjoyable. Teddy Roosevelt was of course a bizarre personality but there are many others like the author/war correspondent Stephen Crane. War intelligence and electronic communication (telegraphy) would also emerge as a critical determinant to the outcome. The navies of the world were still coming to understand the new technologies of ironclad steam-powered warships so different than the wooden tall ships they had learned their craft from. If you ever wondered how America evolved from a sleepy agrarian backwater to become a global force in the twentieth century this one-sided little war might help enlighten you - and entertain your itch for true adventure along the way.
O'Toole is a skillful writer who always seems to tease the ironic relationships and chance-happenings from the clutter that make this event so interesting to me. It also helps that there is a virtual cavalcade of interesting characters cued up at the ready to make the tale so enjoyable. Teddy Roosevelt was of course a bizarre personality but there are many others like the author/war correspondent Stephen Crane. War intelligence and electronic communication (telegraphy) would also emerge as a critical determinant to the outcome. The navies of the world were still coming to understand the new technologies of ironclad steam-powered warships so different than the wooden tall ships they had learned their craft from. If you ever wondered how America evolved from a sleepy agrarian backwater to become a global force in the twentieth century this one-sided little war might help enlighten you - and entertain your itch for true adventure along the way.
August 3, 2023
USA MAKES HER GRAND APPEAREANCE ON THE WORLD STAGE!
The jump from the Cleveland Admin to the McKinley Admin is like a jump from the dark ages to today. It's a gigantic shift of ideals, philosophy, political power and setting the stage for future and even current battles we have today. O'Toole does an amazing job of walking through the set up to the declaration of war, the battles, the after effects and even future studies of what happened to the Maine. The hands down best is the day by day(yes he does break it down by actual day) break down in the chapter "sixty-six days" following the events of the Maine disaster to the declaration of war.
TR does take up major sections of this book and some may walk away with the shine of one of the most popular presidents being rubbed off. That isn't to say that is O'Toole's intention as he writes in a non-biased, fact based way. The best sense of his writing comes near the end of the book about the complete circle the United States government does with partly why they started the war with Cuba and what they did with the Filipino citizens.
The book does touch on the Philippine War but does not spend enough time on it understandably. America was caught in a tough position in this country without using presentism. 1. Let the country have it's independence.(This independence wouldn't last as Germany was in the harbor during the fighting to scoop this country up.) 2. Work with the insurgents. This wouldn't have worked already as each had a tense relationship from the start. The big take away here is that I look forward to studying this war in more detail.
The only complaint would be is there is not enough detail given about the treaty and how the administration acted to the events. Yes, they do get mentioned through out the book but unlike other "war" books, this part was lacking.
The book mentions three studies done with regards to the explosion, when the explosion took place, one in 1911 and one in the 1970's. The first two found that it was an outside explosion that started the sinking of the Maine while the 3rd one mentions that it was from internal combustion from the coal. However; a 4th more recent study done by a computer program indicated it was from an outside explosion again. There is good evidence of both of these conclusions. I do have to leave it in the words of O'Toole. It was more than likely "God, chance, or the impatient hand of destiny."
Book: 4.4/5 Starrs
The jump from the Cleveland Admin to the McKinley Admin is like a jump from the dark ages to today. It's a gigantic shift of ideals, philosophy, political power and setting the stage for future and even current battles we have today. O'Toole does an amazing job of walking through the set up to the declaration of war, the battles, the after effects and even future studies of what happened to the Maine. The hands down best is the day by day(yes he does break it down by actual day) break down in the chapter "sixty-six days" following the events of the Maine disaster to the declaration of war.
TR does take up major sections of this book and some may walk away with the shine of one of the most popular presidents being rubbed off. That isn't to say that is O'Toole's intention as he writes in a non-biased, fact based way. The best sense of his writing comes near the end of the book about the complete circle the United States government does with partly why they started the war with Cuba and what they did with the Filipino citizens.
The book does touch on the Philippine War but does not spend enough time on it understandably. America was caught in a tough position in this country without using presentism. 1. Let the country have it's independence.(This independence wouldn't last as Germany was in the harbor during the fighting to scoop this country up.) 2. Work with the insurgents. This wouldn't have worked already as each had a tense relationship from the start. The big take away here is that I look forward to studying this war in more detail.
The only complaint would be is there is not enough detail given about the treaty and how the administration acted to the events. Yes, they do get mentioned through out the book but unlike other "war" books, this part was lacking.
The book mentions three studies done with regards to the explosion, when the explosion took place, one in 1911 and one in the 1970's. The first two found that it was an outside explosion that started the sinking of the Maine while the 3rd one mentions that it was from internal combustion from the coal. However; a 4th more recent study done by a computer program indicated it was from an outside explosion again. There is good evidence of both of these conclusions. I do have to leave it in the words of O'Toole. It was more than likely "God, chance, or the impatient hand of destiny."
Book: 4.4/5 Starrs
June 17, 2018
It is all too easy for history — as written — to turn into a mind-numbing collection of dates and fameous people. Mr O’Toole has taken his considerable narrative talent and gift for engaging story telling and used them in service of making history interesting. The subtitle “an American Epic “ is all too apt. He deals with the emotions, views of life, America in a late 19th century context without a sneering revisionist approach. This “splendid little war” ( unfortunately not my phrase) moved America onto the international stage for the entire 20th century. A book that is very engaging and hard to walk away from
December 20, 2018
A nuts and bolts history of the Spanish American War. For the most part it moves through chronologically, sometimes going day by day and breaking out important items during the day. Historiographically, its a little dated. There has been a lot written since 1984 about the growth of American empire in the late nineteenth century. McKinley, too, as received something of a make over in the last few decades.
November 4, 2025
Engaging and thorough history of the Spanish-American War. It was a little less interpretive than some of the more modern narrative history I've read recently, which was not necessarily bad but I think made it a little more disjointed. The only other down side was that a lot of pretty tangential single-event characters are brought in. But overall would highly recommend to anybody interested in the history of the Spanish American War.
October 14, 2022
This is an excellent overview of the Spanish American War. The author provides the reader with both strategic and tactical views of the war’s battles while also following the activities in Madrid and Washington. It is very readable and well researched.
April 23, 2018
Fantastic read. Exactly what a popular history should be.
December 6, 2018
O'Toole's short history of the Spanish American War is a model of its kind.
August 31, 2024
This is a very thoroughly researched and highly detailed history of the Spanish-American war. I enjoyed it immensely. Very well written.
September 17, 2013
The author’s purpose for writing The Spanish War is pretty straightforward. As the book is nonfiction; the author, G.J.A O’Toole, wrote the book to inform people of the little know war between Spain and America. This war did not come as a surprise, the amounting struggle in Cuba between Spain and her rebellious subject was right on America’s doorstep. O’Toole goes into great detail on the political side of the war, exposing many poor decisions and terrible mistakes made on and off the front. Due to how the book was written and overall outcome of the war, the author was making a patriotic point in telling the story. The subtitle, “An American Epic,” supports that thought. O’Toole wanted people to know about one of America’s more successful wars while understanding its imperfections. I would say the purpose was indeed fulfilled.
The theme of this book resides in the repeated references to mistakes and misunderstandings on both sides. These suggest the theme is purely political, that no matter the situation the government never pulls off any operation smoothly. While America is powerful, we are only as capable as we are united and connected. Multiple times during the war errs committed on both sides lead to failed offensives and redundant orders. Had everyone been prepared and efficiently organized, a lot less chaos would have befallen the navy and ground forces. At one point, rather than relying on probable intel and logic, the naval command ordered the attack squadron to guard a place Admiral Cevera was most certainly not at. (O’Toole 216) While the fleet could not see the Spanish Armada anywhere near, the Admiral in charge of US forces insisted on staying put, giving the Spanish a much-needed escape route. However, due to poor management on the side of the Spanish, Cevera’s fleet squandered valuable escape time and fought a bitter battle to the end. The overarching theme is best surmised by Winston Churchill “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” Our brave generals and captains boldly act without question and the order of their superiors, even if the order seems to deny all logic and common sense. O’Toole obviously wanted to explain these things through the telling of The Spanish War.
The style of this book was purely descriptive, the only opinion residing in the adjectives used to describe situations. For example, O’Toole rarely ever told solely the American side. He expertly weaved both sides of every story in such a way as to not show complete outward bias. However, it is true that since America won O’Toole was more than happy to describe the elation surrounding the climatic finale to the war. The effectiveness of the description is high; the author successfully portrayed the story of the Maine, Oregon, and Cristobal Colón in a beautifully executed manner. The telling of this American epic was fantastic, complementing all aspects of the battles within.
I believe that the book was well written and executed perfectly. I loved the in depth descriptions of action and conflict within the book. However, there was an overwhelming amount of political and bureaucratic information. The sheer number of names was enough to blow my mind. In its defense, each name was necessary to the telling of the story. I would omit the passages referencing singular unimportant events and create a timeline in the back with those events on it. That way the reader is not swamped with information regarding many different perspectives on a single action. I would also add setting descriptions like they have in movies, i.e. Madrid 1898. That would improve the choppiness around the sudden changes from one conversation to another. This book is like one other book I have read, The Wars of America. This book summarizes in detail the entirety of American conflicts until the close of the Vietnam War. They are very similar in organization and presentation of information, yet The Spanish War was definitely more political.
The theme of this book resides in the repeated references to mistakes and misunderstandings on both sides. These suggest the theme is purely political, that no matter the situation the government never pulls off any operation smoothly. While America is powerful, we are only as capable as we are united and connected. Multiple times during the war errs committed on both sides lead to failed offensives and redundant orders. Had everyone been prepared and efficiently organized, a lot less chaos would have befallen the navy and ground forces. At one point, rather than relying on probable intel and logic, the naval command ordered the attack squadron to guard a place Admiral Cevera was most certainly not at. (O’Toole 216) While the fleet could not see the Spanish Armada anywhere near, the Admiral in charge of US forces insisted on staying put, giving the Spanish a much-needed escape route. However, due to poor management on the side of the Spanish, Cevera’s fleet squandered valuable escape time and fought a bitter battle to the end. The overarching theme is best surmised by Winston Churchill “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” Our brave generals and captains boldly act without question and the order of their superiors, even if the order seems to deny all logic and common sense. O’Toole obviously wanted to explain these things through the telling of The Spanish War.
The style of this book was purely descriptive, the only opinion residing in the adjectives used to describe situations. For example, O’Toole rarely ever told solely the American side. He expertly weaved both sides of every story in such a way as to not show complete outward bias. However, it is true that since America won O’Toole was more than happy to describe the elation surrounding the climatic finale to the war. The effectiveness of the description is high; the author successfully portrayed the story of the Maine, Oregon, and Cristobal Colón in a beautifully executed manner. The telling of this American epic was fantastic, complementing all aspects of the battles within.
I believe that the book was well written and executed perfectly. I loved the in depth descriptions of action and conflict within the book. However, there was an overwhelming amount of political and bureaucratic information. The sheer number of names was enough to blow my mind. In its defense, each name was necessary to the telling of the story. I would omit the passages referencing singular unimportant events and create a timeline in the back with those events on it. That way the reader is not swamped with information regarding many different perspectives on a single action. I would also add setting descriptions like they have in movies, i.e. Madrid 1898. That would improve the choppiness around the sudden changes from one conversation to another. This book is like one other book I have read, The Wars of America. This book summarizes in detail the entirety of American conflicts until the close of the Vietnam War. They are very similar in organization and presentation of information, yet The Spanish War was definitely more political.
November 18, 2014
I hadn't really thought much about the Spanish-American War since studying it back in high school many years ago. This book is very straight-forward, chronological, and gives a nice biographical sketch of the major players involved: Teddy Roosevelt, President McKinley, William Randolph Hearst, Commodore Dewey, Jose Marti, Maximilo Gomez, Admiral Cerera, and Emiliano Aguinaldo.
The chapters about Cuba and its war of independence from Spain was especially interesting, as was the author's coverage of the destruction of the USS Maine.
The only real (yet slight) criticism I had was that the author tended to give the Philippines aspect of the war considerably shorter shrift than the Cuban.
All in all, a recommended book for anyone who'd like to know more about the history of a young United States learning to flex its international muscles for the first time.
The chapters about Cuba and its war of independence from Spain was especially interesting, as was the author's coverage of the destruction of the USS Maine.
The only real (yet slight) criticism I had was that the author tended to give the Philippines aspect of the war considerably shorter shrift than the Cuban.
All in all, a recommended book for anyone who'd like to know more about the history of a young United States learning to flex its international muscles for the first time.
March 27, 2010
Great read about a nasty little ,113 day war that catipultated Teddy Roosevelt to Gov. of New York. Some things to be proud of as an American,freeing Cuba from Spanish control. Also some things to be ashamed of...the war in the Philipines where we slaughtered Filipinos who just wanted their freedom......History it's whats happening..
August 9, 2015
Very detailed account of the forgotten Spanish-American war and its geopolitical aftermath.
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