Citizen and Soldier: A Sourcebook on Military Service and National Defense from Colonial America to the Present provides a useful framework and supporting documentary evidence for an informed discussion of the development of the American ideal of the "Citizen Soldier". Presented with insightful introductions and useful discussion questions, this concise collection of 27 primary documents takes a close look at the United States military and shows how it became entwined with the rise of American national identity.
Henry C. Dethloff is Professor Emeritus of History at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. He is the author of many books, the latest being Texas Aggies Go to War: In Service of Their Country.
Gerald E. Shenk is Professor of Social History at California State University, Monterey Bay and author of Work or Fight! Race, Gender, and the Draft in World War One.