A New York Times bestselling author writes about West Point. This new paperback edition of Stephen E. Ambrose's highly regarded history of the United States Military Academy features the original foreword by Dwight D. Eisenhower and a new afterword by former West Point superintendent Andrew J. Goodpaster.

A group of friends from the Irish section of the Bronx are graduating from college during a period of great political unrest. Communism was gaining support throughout the world, threatening the sovereignty of the United States. The lines of battle were being drawn, the Cold War was heating up, as the Soviet Union was stepping up its pressure on the United States in Wars of National Liberation; especially in Cuba and Vietnam. These native New Yorkers must make life-altering decisions; should they concentrate on starting their careers and finding love, or must they postpone personal aspirations in order to serve a greater purpose. These young men were part of an all but forgotten American culture that were willing to put themselves in harms way by answering the call to Duty, Honor, Country.

After graduating from West Point in 1892, Charles Pelot Summerall (1867–1955) launched a distinguished military career, fighting Filipino insurgents in 1899 and Boxers in China in 1900. His remarkable service included brigade, division, and corps commands in World War I; duty as chief of staff of the U.S. Army from 1926 to 1930; and presidency of the Citadel for twenty years, where he was instrumental in establishing the school’s national reputation. Previously available only in the Citadel’s archives, Summerall’s memoir offers an eyewitness account of a formative period in U.S. Army history. Edited and annotated by Timothy K. Nenninger, the memoir documents critical moments in American military history and details Summerall’s personal life, from his impoverished childhood in Florida to his retirement from the Citadel in 1953. From the perspective of both a soldier and a general, Summerall describes how the very nature of war changed irrevocably during his lifetime.

"This book was written to provide and preserve an oral history of the eighty-four men and women who were interviewed...sharing their memories of World War II. The stories include seventy-six veterans and eight women who served as USO volunteers, Red Cross service workers, a Holocaust survivor, and women who worked on the home front...All of the veterans and the women who served in various support roles have a connection to Indiana"--from the Preface.

Towel Snapping the Press follows the president's lifelong association with the media, showing how he has developed and, over the years, modified his tactics. During Bush's early years in the public eye, the press did not scrutinize him; but as president he became a subject of intense analysis. Still, many reporters find the president's disposition charming, even while they are frustrated by his message discipline and rigid control of press access to administration sources. This book not only presents interesting stories about the president from reporters' points of view, but also raises important issues that any civically engaged citizen will want to explore.