Military Periodicals - (Historical Guides to the World's Periodicals and Newspapers) by Michael Unsworth (Hardcover)

About the Book

This newest addition to Greenwood Press' Historical Guides to the World's Periodicals and Newspapers examines the histories of selected non-classified periodicals, primarily American, that are devoted to military and naval subjects. Criteria for selection included a journal's impact on the armed forces of the United States and on American military thought. Foreign journals, with the exception of the British Army Quarterly and Defence Review and the Soviet Military Review, were chosen for their coverage of international developments and their availability in the United States.

This guide is organized in three main sections. Part one contains detailed profiles of the most prominent military journals. Each journal in this section was chosen for its influence on miliary thought or organizations and/or its length of publication. Each essay discusses the historical milieu, the influence of the issuing body/parent organization and of the editors on the development of the journal, and the publication's impact on the military profession. Following each profile are two sections that outline basic details of the title's publication history and provide locations and sources for further information. Part two provides shorter descriptions of other periodicals, mainly those which have appeared since World War II. Part three is devoted to four titles that were produced in multiple editions. For these, a narrative description, followed by detailed bibliographic information, is provided. The profiles are preceded by an introductory history of U.S. military journals which assesses their place in the development of American military thought and their value for research. This valuable book fills a gap in military historiography. Until now, there has been no book-length examination of these journals which have played an important role in the history of America's armed forces. Military Periodicals will provide essential information for an often neglected area of military arts and science.

Book Synopsis

This newest addition to Greenwood Press' Historical Guides to the World's Periodicals and Newspapers examines the histories of selected non-classified periodicals, primarily American, that are devoted to military and naval subjects. Criteria for selection included a journal's impact on the armed forces of the United States and on American military thought. Foreign journals, with the exception of the British Army Quarterly and Defence Review and the Soviet Military Review, were chosen for their coverage of international developments and their availability in the United States.

This guide is organized in three main sections. Part one contains detailed profiles of the most prominent military journals. Each journal in this section was chosen for its influence on miliary thought or organizations and/or its length of publication. Each essay discusses the historical milieu, the influence of the issuing body/parent organization and of the editors on the development of the journal, and the publication's impact on the military profession. Following each profile are two sections that outline basic details of the title's publication history and provide locations and sources for further information. Part two provides shorter descriptions of other periodicals, mainly those which have appeared since World War II. Part three is devoted to four titles that were produced in multiple editions. For these, a narrative description, followed by detailed bibliographic information, is provided. The profiles are preceded by an introductory history of U.S. military journals which assesses their place in the development of American military thought and their value for research. This valuable book fills a gap in military historiography. Until now, there has been no book-length examination of these journals which have played an important role in the history of America's armed forces. Military Periodicals will provide essential information for an often neglected area of military arts and science.

Review Quotes

.,."every military library should have at least one copy, and all Infantrymen, particularly those who want to write for publication, should become familiar with its contents."-Infantry Magazine

?. . . a superlative guide to the vast body of periodicals and journals issued by United States military forces and their affiliated associations and societies from the early nineteenth century to the present. Military Periodicals will prove to be an important addition to American military research collections.?-Montana

?. . . this reviewer found the profiles of the journals - the heart of this work - rich, erudite, and extremely valuable. . . . The editor's insightful introduction places the subject of United States military periodicals in its historic context. The listing and the evaluative, analytical annotation make this a particularly valuable work for historians, librarians, or anyone else who is seriously interested in the military past of the United States.?-Research and Reference Tools

?...every military library should have at least one copy, and all Infantrymen, particularly those who want to write for publication, should become familiar with its contents.?-Infantry Magazine

?Military Periodicals is a fine reference tool and will be of interest to all scholars interested in studying any aspect of the development of the United States military. It should find its way onto the shelves of all libraries serving military and academic clients.?-Government Publications Review

?Unsworth (Michigan State) and his contributors examine the histories of nonclassified, selected, English-language (American, mostly) military/naval journals (including periodicals, newspapers, bulletins, and reoccurring pamphlets'). Criteria for inclusion were past impact on the US armed forces and military thought or potential future value. Excluded are veterans' journals, merchant marine titles, military base publications, and printings from the various state reserve/militia organizations. The guide is arranged in three main sections: detailed profiles of the most prominent journals; shorter descriptions of others; and brief commentary on multiple-edition publications. Within the sections, arrangement is alphabetical by last known title and historical data are current as of December 1988. Within the long profiles, extremely detailed bibliographic information is provided, including location sources, as well as publication history which notes title/editor/issuer changes, volumes, frequency, etc. The work is concluded with a chronology and helpful index. Extremely interesting if extremely specialized, the work is somewhat erratic in its dealing with the more popular newsstand-type journals, including, for example, Soldier of Fortune, but omitting the likes of Civil War Times Illustrated and Sea Classics. University-level and special interest collections.?-Choice

?Unsworth and his 15 contributors are to be congratulated for their useful addition to the field of military reference books.?-Best Reference Books, 1986-1990

..."every military library should have at least one copy, and all Infantrymen, particularly those who want to write for publication, should become familiar with its contents."-Infantry Magazine

." . . a superlative guide to the vast body of periodicals and journals issued by United States military forces and their affiliated associations and societies from the early nineteenth century to the present. Military Periodicals will prove to be an important addition to American military research collections."-Montana

." . . this reviewer found the profiles of the journals - the heart of this work - rich, erudite, and extremely valuable. . . . The editor's insightful introduction places the subject of United States military periodicals in its historic context. The listing and the evaluative, analytical annotation make this a particularly valuable work for historians, librarians, or anyone else who is seriously interested in the military past of the United States."-Research and Reference Tools

"Military Periodicals is a fine reference tool and will be of interest to all scholars interested in studying any aspect of the development of the United States military. It should find its way onto the shelves of all libraries serving military and academic clients."-Government Publications Review

"Unsworth and his 15 contributors are to be congratulated for their useful addition to the field of military reference books."-Best Reference Books, 1986-1990

"Unsworth (Michigan State) and his contributors examine the histories of nonclassified, selected, English-language (American, mostly) military/naval journals (including periodicals, newspapers, bulletins, and reoccurring pamphlets'). Criteria for inclusion were past impact on the US armed forces and military thought or potential future value. Excluded are veterans' journals, merchant marine titles, military base publications, and printings from the various state reserve/militia organizations. The guide is arranged in three main sections: detailed profiles of the most prominent journals; shorter descriptions of others; and brief commentary on multiple-edition publications. Within the sections, arrangement is alphabetical by last known title and historical data are current as of December 1988. Within the long profiles, extremely detailed bibliographic information is provided, including location sources, as well as publication history which notes title/editor/issuer changes, volumes, frequency, etc. The work is concluded with a chronology and helpful index. Extremely interesting if extremely specialized, the work is somewhat erratic in its dealing with the more popular newsstand-type journals, including, for example, Soldier of Fortune, but omitting the likes of Civil War Times Illustrated and Sea Classics. University-level and special interest collections."-Choice

About the Author

MICHAEL E. UNSWORTH is the History Bibliographer at the Michigan State University Libraries. He is the coauthor of Future War Novels and has contributed articles to World War II, Marine Corps Gazette, Microform Review, and American Libraries.