Foreword: The Center Of Military History first published Secretaries of War and Secretaries of the Army: Portraits & biographical sketches in 1981 during the bicentennial of the American Revolution and the US Constitution. The book reflected two major themes of the Army's commemoration: the role of the soldier-statesmen of the revolution in the creation of our government and the constitutional principle of civilian control of the military. This updated printing continues to recognize those twin legacies. The first Secretaries of War were prominent members of the soldier-statesmen generation, and they and their successors have embodied the Founding Fathers' intent to ensure civilian leadership in military affairs. Secretaries of War and Secretaries of the Army is relevant to students and scholars in such diverse fields as military history, political science, American studies, and art and portraiture. We trust that this new edition will continue to be useful as background for the nomination of Army secretaries, as a handbook for the congressional armed services committees, and as a reference book throughout the Army. It has been a valuable source of information for libraries, and we hope that its distinctive perspective on the history of the Army will interest a new generation of the American public as well.

The definitive history of abortion in the United States, with a new preface that equips readers for what’s to come. When Abortion Was a Crime is the must-read book on abortion history. Originally published ahead of the thirtieth anniversary of Roe v. Wade, this award-winning study was the first to examine the entire period during which abortion was illegal in the United States, beginning in the mid-nineteenth century and ending with that monumental case in 1973. When Abortion Was a Crime is filled with intimate stories and nuanced analysis, demonstrating how abortion was criminalized and policed—and how millions of women sought abortions regardless of the law. With this edition, Leslie J. Reagan provides a new preface that addresses the dangerous and ongoing threats to abortion access across the country, and the precarity of our current moment. While abortions have typically been portrayed as grim "back alley" operations, this deeply researched history confirms that many abortion providers—including physicians—practiced openly and safely, despite prohibitions by the state and the American Medical Association. Women could find cooperative and reliable practitioners; but prosecution, public humiliation, loss of privacy, and inferior medical care were a constant threat. Reagan's analysis of previously untapped sources, including inquest records and trial transcripts, shows the fragility of patient rights and raises provocative questions about the relationship between medicine and law. With the right to abortion increasingly under attack, this book remains the definitive history of abortion in the United States, offering vital lessons for every American concerned with health care, civil liberties, and personal and sexual freedom.