In this book, [the author] takes a look at how the American twentieth century was shaped by our obsession with war preparation. Home to Fort Bragg, the largest U.S. Army base, Fayetteville has earned the nicknames Fatalville and Fayettenam. Unusual and not-so-unusual features of the town include gross income inequalities, an extraordinarily high incidence of venereal disease, miles and miles of strip malls, and a history of racial violence. Although most Americans don't live in military towns, [the book] reveals the burdens that military preparedness creates for all of us. [It] identifies military preparedness as an invisible yet profound shaper of American life in the twentieth century. Without condemning the military, the book prompts new ways of thinking about the place of organized violence in America.
Includes bibliographical references (pages [259]-305) and index.