The Saber and Scroll Journal • Volume 9 , Number 3 • Winter 2020
Book Review : Russell Crandall ’ s Gunboat Democracy : U . S . Interventions in the Dominican Republic , Grenada , and Panama
Lt . Chris Booth United States Coast Guard
Gunboat Democracy : U . S . Interventions in the Dominican Republic , Grenada , and Panama by Russell Crandall . New York : Rowman & Littlefield Publishers , Inc ., 2006 . ISBN 978-0742550483 . Pp 256 . Paperback $ 41 .
The military actions of the United
States during the Cold War have been well researched and documented , and while not as regularly discussed as wars from other periods such as World War II or the Civil War , its military efforts during the latter half of the 20 th Century were still incredibly impactful to American foreign policy and the global power struggle . One piece of solid literature based on American military operations during the Cold War is Russel Crandall ’ s Gunboat Democracy : U . S . Interventions in the Dominican Republic , Grenada , and Panama , an engaging and thought-provoking book that focuses on three of the least discussed military actions in American history . Overall , the book is well researched and strikes a fair balance of giving credit where it is due for the various successes of each military intervention , while also exacting sharp criticisms when warranted for leadership errors or miscalculations . However , the book is not without its flaws . The author ’ s choice to focus solely on the strategic and operational levels of war while ignoring almost completely the tactical level of decision making is an omission that leaves the book with a lack of depth and context , otherwise easily achieved with even a token observation of ground-level military action .
Historically speaking , U . S . military actions in the Dominican Republic , Grenada , and Panama are some of the shortest conflicts in which the country has participated . Nevertheless , many important books have been writ-
209 doi : 10.18278 / sshj . 9.3.16