Henry Buhl Library: U.S. Military History: General U.S. Military History

Encyclopedias & Books

Salem History Online This link opens in a new window
Full-text access to the Great Lives & Great Events Encyclopedias, which provide overviews of important events and major figures throughout history.
World at War: Conflict and Society This link opens in a new window
Provides background information, timelines, primary documents and more related to wars beginning in medieval Europe and continuing to the 21st century Middle East conflict. Articles are available for events (i.e. Battle of Tippecanoe), individuals, groups, and organizations. Highlighted entries: World War I; World War II; Vietnam War

Wars That Changed History: 50 of the World's Greatest Conflicts
Call Number: Ref D 25 .T83 2015
A thorough study of significant wars throughout history and their influence on world affairs, from ancient times into the 21st century.
The Roots and Consequences of 20th-Century Warfare
Call Number: D 431 .T83 2016
This unique reference book introduces readers to the causes and effects of the 20th century's most significant conflicts and explains how the impact of these conflicts still resonates today.
Encyclopedia of Invasions and Conquests
Call Number: Ref D 25 .A2 D38 2023
This new edition is a comprehensive guide to over 200 invasions, conquests, battles and occupations, from ancient times to the present.
The Encyclopedia of War
Covers all aspects of war, including battles, cultures and society, key figures, strategy and tactics, and weapons across all continents and all periods of human history.
Military History: The Definitive Visual Guide to the Objects of Warfare
Call Number: Oversz D 25 .M486 2012
Covers the iconic weapons, armor, equipment, and battles that have defined war through the ages, showing the impact of changes in military technology on the very fabric of history.
Encyclopedia of U.S. Political History
Call Number: Ref E 183 .E53 2009 v.1-7
Encyclopedia of U.S. Political History explores the events, policies, activities, institutions, groups, people, and movements that have created and shaped political life in the United States.

An Encyclopedia of American Women at War
Call Number: Ref UB 418 .W65 E53 2013 v. 1-2
Contains entries on all of the major themes, organizations, wars, and biographies related to the history of women and the American military from the colonial conflicts with European powers to the current War on Terror.
Encyclopedia of War and American Society
Call Number: Ref E 181 .E634 2006 v.1-3
Covers topics surrounding wartime ranging from art, culture, and memory to education and religion, as well as coverage of key people and the wars themselves. Primary sources are available for each military conflict in Volume 3.
The SAGE Encyclopedia of War: Social Science Perspectives
Call Number: Ref U 21.2 .S323 2017 v. 1-4
The SAGE Encyclopedia of War: Social Science Perspective views war through the lens of the social sciences, looking at the causes, processes and effects of war and drawing from a vast group of fields such as communication and mass media, economics, political science and law, psychology and sociology.
Encyclopedia of American Foreign Policy
Call Number: Ref E183.7 .E52 2002 v. 1-3
General category coverage includes concepts and doctrines, policymaking, commerce and science, human rights and arms control.

American National Biography This link opens in a new window
Contains over 19,000 biographies of significant, influential, or notorious figures from American history written by prominent scholars. The American National Biography (ANB) is the successor to The Dictionary of American Biography (DAB).
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography This link opens in a new window
Contains 60,000+ biographies of important British historical figures from the Roman era to the present day, with 11,000+ portraits
Salem History Online This link opens in a new window
Full-text access to the Great Lives encyclopedias.
Biography Reference Bank This link opens in a new window
Offers a comprehensive collection of more than 461,000 full-text biographies. Includes biographies such as Jefferson Davis; John Paul Jones; John Dulles; & Andrew Jackson.

Search for these series

Very Short Introductions
Highlighted Titles in this Series:
Cold War ; First World War ; World War II
Historical Dictionaries of ...
Highlighted Titles in this Series:
the Civil War; the Civil War and Reconstruction; the Cold War; the Korean War; the war in Vietnam ; World War I Intelligence; World War II Intelligence

Primary Sources

Understanding U. S. Military Conflicts Through Primary Sources
Call Number: Ref E 181 .U53 2016 v. 1-4
* Covers benchmark documents in U.S. diplomatic and military history from 14 conflicts.
Forever a Soldier by Tom Wiener
Call Number: U 52 .F66 2005
This book is a product of the Veterans History Project. A companion website is available at http://www.loc.gov/vets/stories/foreverasoldier/
Voices of War
Call Number: U 52 .V55 2004
A compelling oral history of U.S. veterans' experiences in World War I and II, Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf.
When Janey Comes Marching Home
Call Number: Oversz U 52 .W475 2010
Forty-eight women who have served in combat zones in the Iraq and the Afghanistan wars discuss their experiences with loss, injuries, difficult choices, and sacrifice, in a text that includes photographic portraits of each woman.

American Presidency Project
Call Number: Search HENRY by President as AUTHOR for call numbers
Search the papers of the presidents from George Washington through Joe Biden. Users can search by president, date, keyword, document type, and more.
The American Republic
Call Number: Oversz E 173 .A7535 2002
A collection of primary sources related to American history from 1610-1858. Documents include letters, speeches, selected Federalist Papers, and more.
The American Nation
Call Number: Oversz E 173 .A747 2008
The American Nation makes available, in one volume, many of the most crucial documents necessary for understanding the variety of policies and viewpoints driving American public life during an important, substantive part of American history. Covers the Civil War through our entrance into WWII.
Documents of American History
Call Number: Ref E 173 .C66 1963 and Ref E 173 .C66 1973b v.1-2
Includes a selection of primary documents related to American history. Coverage begins in 1492 and continues into the twentieth century. Highlighted documents include: documents from the First Continental Congress, accounts of the Battle of Lexington, and the Articles of Confederation.
Milestone Documents in American History
Includes important primary sources related to American history from 1763 to 2003.
Milestone Documents in American History, 2nd ed.
Call Number: Oversz E 173 .M62 2020 v. 1-4
Includes documents from African American history, women's history, immigration history, as well as 21st-century issues ranging from terrorism to campaign finance to LGBTQ rights. Vol. 1 1619-1831. -- v.2 1832-1898. -- v.3 1901-1956. -- v.4 1957-2019.
Milestone Documents of American Leaders
Call Number: Oversz E 173 .M62 2009 v.1-4
Milestone Documents of American Leaders features important full-text sources written by presidents, jurists, legislators and other influential people who helped shape the nation.

Military & Government Collection This link opens in a new window
Access to journal and magazine articles, books, government documents, speech transcripts, etc. relating to the military and government. Both primary and secondary sources are available here.

U.S. Naval History & Heritage Command
Access information, biographies, digital collections, and other primary sources related to the U.S. Navy beginning with the American Revolution through the present.

Suggested search terms

Speeches, addresses, etc., American
United States -- History -- Sources
United States -- Politics and government -- Sources
United States -- Social conditions -- Sources

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