Born Fighting

Born Fighting: How the Scots-Irish Shaped America
AuthorJames Webb
LanguageEnglish
GenreHistory
PublisherBroadway Books
Publication date
October 5, 2004
Publication placeUnited States
Pages384
ISBN0-7679-1688-3

Born Fighting: How the Scots-Irish Shaped America is a book by American politician and author James "Jim" Webb. It describes the history of the Scots-Irish ethnic group, summarising their Scottish roots and time in Ulster and the Plantation of Ulster before entering a more elaborate narrative of their time in the United States. Webb describes what he considers to be their inherent characteristics, such as their senses of militarism, independence and staunch opposition to adversaries. He notes their roles in the creation of country music and the Bible Belt.[1]

Webb notes how the Scots-Irish played significant roles in American conflicts, particularly the American Civil War, largely as Confederates, and the Vietnam War. Webb describes what he feels has been the "Nazification" of the Confederate cause, emphasising that only five percent of Southerners were slave owners and detailing the economic crippling of the South by the Northern-based government, both before and after the conflict. Webb also describes the vilification of soldiers in the Vietnam War at the hands of a liberal, anti-war public.[1]

The book was generally praised. Writing for the Ashbrook Center, Mackubin Thomas Owens of the Naval War College praised the book as a "tour de force", agreeing with Webb that American politicians need to take more notice of the Scots-Irish.[2] Jeff Minick of Smoky Mountain Living magazine described it as "vivid".[3] Kirkus Reviews, while questioning the underlying message of the book, found "plenty of good information and interpretation".[4] However, historian Michael S. Newton was deeply critical of the book, among many complaints writing that Webb "comes across as an apologist for the legacy of racism in the South". He accused Webb of "taking history personally" and generally lambasted the book for what seemed to be an intentionally misleading narrative.[5]

Born Fighting was the basis for a two-part Smithsonian Channel program on the Scots-Irish influence in America.[6]

References

  1. ^ a b Webb, James (2004). Born Fighting: How the Scots-Irish Shaped America. New York, USA: Broadway Books. ISBN 0-7679-1688-3.
  2. ^ Owens, Mackubin (December 2004). "Review of James Webb's Born Fighting: How the Scots-Irish Shaped America". The Ashbrook Center.
  3. ^ Minick, Jeff (2015-10-01). "Great Scots". Smoky Mountain Living. Retrieved 2021-05-05.
  4. ^ "BORN FIGHTING: HOW THE SCOTS-IRISH SHAPED AMERICA". Kirkus Reviews. August 1, 2004. Archived from the original on 2021-05-10. Retrieved 2021-05-05.
  5. ^ Newton, Michael S. (September 2006). "Review essay of Born Fighting: How the Scots-Irish Shaped America". History Scotland.
  6. ^ The Reliable Source (2011-04-10). "Sen. Jim Webb, end of Senate career in sight, stars in new Scots-Irish documentary, "Born Fighting."". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2012-11-10. Retrieved 2021-05-05.
Stub icon

This article about a non-fiction book on U.S. history is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by adding missing information.

Content Disclaimer

Informasi ini disarikan dari Wikipedia dan disajikan kembali untuk tujuan edukasi. Konten tersedia di bawah lisensi CC BY-SA 3.0. Kami tidak bertanggung jawab atas ketidakakuratan data yang bersumber dari kontribusi publik tersebut.

  1. The information displayed on this website is sourced in part or in whole from Wikipedia and has been adapted for the purpose of restating it. We strive to provide accurate and relevant information, however:
  2. There is no guarantee of absolute accuracy. Wikipedia is an open, collaborative project that can be edited by anyone, so information is subject to change.
  3. It is not intended to constitute professional advice. The content displayed is for informational and educational purposes only. For important decisions (e.g., medical, legal, or financial), please consult a professional.
  4. Content copyright. Wikipedia is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License (CC BY-SA). This means that content may be reused with appropriate attribution and shared under a similar license.
  5. Responsible use. Any risk arising from the use of information from this website is entirely the responsibility of the user.