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This book is published by Combined Books in Pennsylvania and is presented in hardback with eight chapters, 352 pages, extensive Appendixes, maps, biographies, sidebars and illustrations. The book offers a clear and concise account of the Spanish - American War fought in 1898. The author reveals the reasons and circumstances leading up to this conflict after giving an account of Commodore George Dewey's attack on the Spanish squadron under the command of Rear Admiral Patricio Montojo y Pasaron at Manila Bay on the 1st May 1898. The author then covers the Santiago Expedition to Cuba, the naval campaign of Santiago, the fall of Santiago, the American campaign in Puerto Rico, the campaign in the Philippines and then finally the result and outcome of the war. Overall the story is easy to read and the narrative flows along quite well. A small number of typing errors where noted which should have been picked up by the editor but these were very minor in nature. The book is well presented and researched and offers the reader details on other good books covering specific areas of the conflict for further reading. The author also offers details on places to visit (in the United States only), simulation games on the market and films. An interesting detail about this book, which is common with most Combined Books, is the use of 'sidebars'. These sidebars are at the end of each chapter and they provide further or more detailed information about subjects in the narrative. Being at the end of the chapter they do not interrupt the reader, as some footnotes tend to do. The sidebars are there if you wish to obtain further information on a certain personality, weapon, organisation or incident. You do not have to read these sidebars to keep abreast of what the author is telling you, you can miss them all together and go onto the next chapter if you so wish. I found some of the sidebars very interesting, like the one covering why the USS Maine blew up, the 'Rough Riders' or the Medal of Honor. Overall this! is an enjoyable book offering the reader a decent account of this "splendid little war".
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