The Boys of '98

A battleship's arrival in Havana harbour opens James Otis's account of the Spanish-American War. The Maine exchanges formal greetings with other vessels, while newspaper extracts reveal the tension surrounding its visit. Details of the ship's construction, equipment and officers place naval affairs beside the competing public explanations for its presence. The chapter list extends the account to Manila Bay, Santiago, El Caney and peace.

In the fighting near Guantanamo, the focus narrows to a camp of marines. Ordinary duties are interrupted by scattered shots, and the men struggle to locate opponents in the surrounding country. Ships, field guns and searchlights become part of the scene. Illustrations, photographs and appendices on places, vessels and signals give the book the form of a military chronicle. Readers studying older American accounts of the conflict can examine how technical detail and patriotic feeling work together in Otis's presentation.