Books for the Military History Buff in Your Life

Charlotte was a hotbed of Revolutionary activity well before the fervency of revolt reached its boiling point in New England. Considered a wild frontier region at the time, Mecklenburg County welcomed the Reverend Alexander Craighead with ready hands for battle. Craighead's fiery rhetoric inspired the people of the region to action. What resulted was the creation of the Mecklenburg Declaration of Independence, the first such document in the nation, and although the county had less than 3 percent of the colony's population, its Patriots accounted for over one-quarter of North Carolina's Revolutionary troops. Join author Richard P. Plumer as he reveals how the Queen City played an integral role in the formation of a proud and free America.

World War II served as a rallying call in Asheville and Western North Carolina, putting the citizens back to work. Asheville's two strongest economic sectors, tourism and medicine; its beautiful isolation; and advanced hospitals served the nation's needs during the Second World War. The United States secreted German and Japanese businessmen, federal agencies, and valuable art in these mountains, and recuperating soldiers found solace in the camps and inns. Meanwhile our citizens-black and white men, women, and children-offered themselves up for service. Images of America: Asheville and Western North Carolina in World War II tells their stories, from Pearl Harbor's bombing to the study of the long-term effects of radiation on the Japanese, from the far Pacific to stateside support groups and local sacrifices.

Rutherford County gave generously and selflessly to World War II. Local men and women participated in every significant engagement of the war, in every imaginable capacity, and in every branch of service-from the infantrymen, to the sailors, to airmen, to Marines. These individuals gave their best, distinguishing themselves with bravery, dignity, and unselfishness. At Pearl Harbor, Seaman Mark Alexander Rhodes died on the USS Arizona, and sacrifices continued from December 1941 through 1945. One hundred forty-nine men from the county died and nearly 5,000 others-almost a quarter of the county's men and twice the county's portion-served their nation and served it well. At home, window banners displayed blue stars for each child serving and gold stars for each who died. Three county families displayed two gold stars. Joseph A. McKinney sent seven sons; only five returned. County veterans received almost every commendation, but most have not shared their distinguished services, their memories, or their photographs-until now.

Brigadier General George Willcox McIver's life spanned a time of unparalleled dramatic transformation in American history. A native of Davidson, North Carolina, McIver lived through the Civil War, fought in the Spanish-American War and World War I, and served in posts all across America and Europe over his illustrious forty-year military career. Jonathan Dembo has carefully edited and annotated McIver's original autobiography, published here for the first time.