Teaching US Military History

An essential guide to teaching US military history-what to teach, why it matters, and how to do it.

Written for professors teaching the many high-demand courses in military history, this book provides practical, classroom-tested approaches to teaching topics from warfare and battle to race and technology. Leading scholars with diverse approaches and considerable teaching experience share their successful pedagogical approaches and course designs.This practical, wide-ranging guide to teaching one of the most popular and challenging fields in US history is written by leading scholars who have extensive classroom experience. Organized around key topics and innovative teaching methods, the essays provide concrete, tested approaches, from teaching World War II, the Vietnam War, and the Iraq War to using film, wargaming, staff rides, and public-facing projects. The authors also directly address and reflect on some of the pedagogical challenges and controversies of teaching about war. The book bridges traditional military history and 'war and society' approaches to integrate the operational side of military history with broader social, cultural, and political aspects and consequences. Designed for instructors at high school and college level, as well as graduate students preparing to teach, it is an essential resource for anyone seeking to engage students more effectively with a field that remains central to understanding the United States.