More Precious Than Peace: A New History of America in World War I
Justus D. Doenecke's monumental study covers diplomatic, military, and ideological aspects of U.S. involvement as a full-scale participant in World War I.
The entry of America into the "war to end all wars" in April 1917 marks one of the major turning points in the nation's history. In the span of just nineteen months, the United States sent nearly two million troops overseas, established a robust propaganda apparatus, and created an unparalleled war machine that played a major role in securing Allied victory in the fall of 1918. At the helm of the nation, Woodrow Wilson and his administration battled against political dissidence, domestic and international controversies, and their own lack of experience leading a massive war effort.
In More Precious than Peace, the long-awaited successor to his critically acclaimed work Nothing Less than War, Justus D. Doenecke examines the entirety of the American experience as a full-scale belligerent in World War I. This book covers American combat on the western front, the conscription controversy, and scandals in military training and production. Doenecke explores the Wilson administration's quest for national unity, the Creel Committee, and "patriotic" crusades. Weaving together these topics and many others, including the U.S. reaction to the Russian revolutions, Doenecke creates a lively and comprehensive narrative. Based on impressive research, this balanced appraisal challenges historiographical controversies and will be of great use to students, scholars, and any reader interested in the history of World War I.
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Justus D. Doenecke is professor emeritus of history at New College of Florida. He is the author of numerous books, including Storm on the Horizon: The Challenge to American Intervention, 1939-1941, winner of the Herbert Hoover Book Award, and Nothing Less than War: A New History of America's Entry into World War I.
"Anyone seeking a comprehensive history of the involvement of the United States in World War I should read this book." --Lloyd E. Ambrosius, author of Wilsonianism
"An excellent treatment of America's role as a belligerent in World War I. It is thoughtful, insightful, and comprehensive." --John Milton Cooper, Jr., author of Woodrow Wilson: A Biography, a Pulitzer Prize finalist in biography
"Justus D. Doenecke has written a masterful synthesis of Wilson's wartime leadership that digs deeply into the challenges his administration faced from conscription to censorship at home and from war to peace in diplomacy. More Precious than Peace will immediately become the go-to book for those new to the history of World War I as well as for specialists who need answers on specific questions. Here is political history in the grand tradition." --Lloyd Gardner, author of Killing Machine
"Justus D. Doenecke's More Precious than Peace is a richly detailed political, diplomatic, and military history of America's involvement in World War I. Clearly written and packed with useful information, Doenecke offers a nuanced, balanced interpretation of Woodrow Wilson's complicated and controversial wartime policies. He also provides an outstanding bibliographic essay sure to be of use to any student of the period." --Ross A. Kennedy, author of The Will to Believe
"With this vivid and judicious narrative, Justus D. Doenecke enables us to understand the profound divisions among Americans during one of the most critical periods in our history. More Precious than Peace is one of the best books ever written about what the Great War meant for the United States, both on the battlefield and at home." --Michael Kazin, author of War Against War
"Justus Doenecke's depth of research and knowledge of secondary sources covering the early 20th century in the U.S. greatly strengthens this book, More Precious Than Peace. In particular, he builds on his Nothing Less Than War, a history of the events leading up to America's declaration of war in April 1917." --Naval Historical Foundation
"Doenecke draws from the words of participants--pundits, politicians, soldiers, activists--as well as historians who came before him, weighing their comments and presenting balanced conclusions." --Shepherd Express
"The past decade has seen numerous books related to the First World War published in conjunction with its centennial. What separates Doenecke's from its predecessors is his willingness to give a podium to dissent." --The American Conservative
"More Precious than Peace is the author's follow-up volume to Nothing Less than War. Here, Doenecke makes clear that despite historical analysis of President Woodrow Wilson as a dynamic and intellectual wartime leader, Wilson had major flaws that corresponded with the eventual dissolution of US foreign policy following the war." --Choice
"The congressional and public debates that Doenecke helpfully describes make the book a nice addition to the World War I literature and a valuable reminder of the people's war at home." --H-Net
"Justus Doenecke is a reliable and stimulating expositor and interpreter of the history of the United States in the crucial era of World War I."--Anglican and Episcopal History
