"This is a history not of battles and campaigns but of the Army as an institution maintained by the nation to fight its battle and campaigns, or to deter a need to fight them" -- From the preface.

U.S. Army Chief of Staff's Professional reading list, 2017. "A Midland book" --Cover.

pt. 1. The foundations : 1607-1794. The Colonial militias : 1607-1757 -- The arrival of regulars : 1754-75 -- The creation of an American Army : 1775-82 -- The Continental Army : 1775-82 -- Arms and the Constitution : 1778-94 -- pt. 2. The formative century : 1794-1898. Arms and the young Republic : 1794-1812 -- War, nationalism and the Army : 1812-21 -- The professionalization of the regular Army : 1821-46 -- Regulars and volunteers : 1846-61 -- The grand Army : 1861-65 -- The perplexities of Civil War : 1861-77 -- Twilight of the old Army : 1865-98 -- pt. 3. A destiny of world power : 1898-1945. The leap overseas : 1898-99 -- The new Army : 1899-1914 -- Preparedness : 1914-17 -- The First World War : 1917-18 -- Between two wars : 1918-39 -- The Army and the arsenal of democracy : 1939-45 -- Global war : 1941-45 -- pt. 4. Since 1945. Post war and Cold War : 1945-50 -- The impact of Korea : 1950-61 -- The Army of the 1960's.