"This book challenges several longstanding notions about the American way of war. It examines American military practice from the War of Independence to the campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan to determine what patterns, if any, exist in the way Americans have used military force against their adversaries. It argues that many beliefs concerning the American way of war?such as its alleged apolitical and astrategic character and its reputation for using overwhelming force to achieve decisive results?do not, in fact, hold up to scrutiny. American uses of force were typically driven more by political considerations than military ones, and the amount of force employed was rarely overwhelming or decisive". -- PREFACE.