Primarily designed for children, Irving Werstein book, 1898: Spanish-American War, focuses on what made the war between the United States and Spain inevitable. He does this not only through words, but also uses many photos and sketches, which makes it easier for children to comprehend.
The pictures show details of the events that took place during the war. The maps show the position of the ships and the military maneuvers. It is interesting to see pictures and explained in words how the United States and Spain took action against each other. This book displays photos like current day television media today, i.e. CNN, FOX News etc.
The First Casualty of War
Werstein begins his book with a sketched picture of the USS Maine at sea heading toward the Havana Harbor. He explains the importance of the USS Maine and its purpose for eventually docking at Havana. The United States hoped to show Spain that they supported Cuba and their desire for independence. Once the Maine arrived in the Cuban Harbor a reception was held. For three weeks not a battle or a riot occurred throughout Cuba. Then on Feb. 15, 1898, the Maine exploded killing 266 crewmen. The explosion of the Maine gave the United States reason enough to go to war with Spain. The United States believed Spain was behind the explosion; however, today the cause of the blast is unknown. Many historians believe the blast was caused by a faulty boiler on the ship and had nothing to do with Spain. Spain disputed their involvement of the tragedy.
Through Werstein’s words and pictures depicting the intensity of the war and the decisions that were made by the men that led the battles allows the reader to go back in time and be there with each event and the soldiers that fought one of the most important wars the United States was ever involved in.
This book gives a strong overview of the battles that took place. It is recommended to anyone who would like to see what actually took place during the Spanish-American War and how important the Spanish-American War was to the United States.
Irving Werstein published over 50 books mainly on American history and geared towards children. He was born in Queens, New York.
Source:
Werstein, Irving. 1898: The Spanish-American War. New York: Cooper Square Publishers, Inc., 1966.
