Table of Contents

1. A century of war; 2. The economics of war; 3. The Spanish-American War; 4. The Philippine-American War; 5. World War I; 6. World War II; 7. The Korean War; 8. The Cold War; 9. The Vietnam War; 10. The Persian Gulf War; 11. The American way of war.

Promotional Information

This revealing book exposes the influence of economics and finance on how America waged war in the twentieth century.

About the Author

Hugh Rockoff is a Professor of Economics at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey and a Research Associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research. His publications include numerous papers in professional journals, The Free Banking Era: A Re-examination (1975), Drastic Measures: A History of Wage and Price Controls in the United States (1984) and a textbook History of the American Economy (with Gary Walton).

Reviews

'Based on extensive research, Rockoff provides an excellent analysis of the economic, financial, and human costs of America's wars between 1898 and 1991. This is a major contribution to the study of twentieth-century US life and thought.' Stanley L. Engerman, University of Rochester

'Economic historians often tiptoe around wars as if they were accidental or incidental. In reality, warfare has generally been economically formative as well as destructive. America's Economic Way of War is packed with important new insights into how America fought and paid for the wars of the twentieth century in blood and treasure, and how these wars changed America.' Mark Harrison, University of Warwick

'Hugh Rockoff calmly demonstrates that America's wars have been far costlier in economic terms than we have been led to believe. He carefully compiles the true costs and exposes the methods our leaders have used to disguise those costs and hide them from us. This is an informative and thought-provoking book.' Richard Sylla, New York University

'America's Economic Way of War is essential reading for those interested in the history of the United States, the functioning of wartime economies, and how wars (even when they are over) continue to shape our lives.' Journal of Economic History