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American Soldiers Overseas The Global Military Presence
Anni P. Baker
Book Code: C7354
ISBN: 0-275-97354-9
ISBN-13: 978-0-275-97354-4
240 pages, maps; photos
Praeger Publishers
Publication: 9/30/2004
List Price: $49.95 (UK Sterling Price: £27.95)
Availability: In Stock
Media Type: Hardcover
Trim Size: 6 1/8 x 9 1/4
Subjects: Reviews:
  • This work is an outstanding example of the new military history. During WW II and the Cold War, the US established military bases across the world; many became "little Americas," as families accompanied military personnel overseas for long-term assignments. Indeed, these bases took on a relative permanence, some housing as many as 30,000 US soldiers and their families, though most were smaller in scale. In a series of case studies focusing on Germany, Panama, the Philippines, Okinawa, and South Korea, Baker examines the social, economic, political, and cultural impact these bases have had on both the host countries and the US military establishment. She notes that interaction between US soldiers and their dependents with the surrounding communities had both positive and negative outcomes, and her work strongly suggests there are techniques to be learned by today's military. Many Cold War bases are now gone or substantially reduced in size and influence. Lessons learned from these earlier experiences should pay dividends for society as the US military faces the need for a new overseas base structure to combat terrorism. Highly recommended. Most levels/libraries.
    —Choice     May 2005
  • Endorsement From Charles Moskos,
    Professor of Sociology, Northwestern University:     Anni Baker has done a great service by highlighting a most significant, but rarely understood feature of American foreign policy. Armed with clear prose, this is a work of impressive historical detail and geographic scope.... This book offers profound lessons that are more timely than ever.
  • Endorsement From Richard H. Immerman,
    Edward J. Buthusiem Family Distinguished Faculty Fellow and Chair of History
    Temple University:     The question of how others perceive the United States, its leadership, and its citizens has long occupied the attention of scholars.... So, too, has the inseparable question of what influences how others perceive the United States: Religious tracts? The cinema? Propaganda? Race? The exchange of goods and ideas? One robust influence is the stationing of U.S. armed forces throughout the globe. Baker has produced a pioneering history of the effects of the global presence of the U.S. military throughout the Cold War. We can learn much from it about then--and about now.
Description: Over the past 60 years, the U.S. armed forces have created a web of military bases all over the world, from Australia to Iceland to Saudi Arabia. This is the aspect of military service that the majority of soldiers know and remember. Interaction between U.S. personnel and local populations is almost a given, and it is inevitable that the American and host communities will influence each other in numerous ways. This book looks at the history and impact of American military communities overseas. It discusses how U.S. bases affected economic and political life in the host communities, how host societies shape the profile and activities of military communities, and what happens when relations break down. Through case studies of communities around the world, Baker shows that the U.S. armed forces have had a surprisingly large impact both positive and negative on the affairs of many (but not all) host societies, including economic revitalization, cultural change, and, sometimes, tragic social consequences. In not a few cases, the U.S. military presence has become politically controversial on a national level. On the other hand, many host nations have successfully circumscribed the activities of military communities, rendering their potentially disruptive presence almost invisible.
LC Card Number: 2004050864
LCC Class: UA26
Dewey Class: 306
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