Praise for Instrument of War

Winner, ASCAP Foundation Deems Taylor/Virgil Thompson Book Prize

“Wonderful and incisive… The book and its focus on music can also help us better understand parts of history that the military itself would prefer to erase.” — Matthew Delmont, Public Books

“[Instrument of War is a] thoroughgoing look at the essential role that music plays in the US armed forces. Suisman’s research reveals that music has been as indispensable to the US’s warmaking machinery as tanks and uniforms going back at least to the 1860s and the Civil War.” — The Wire

“Masterful… Expertly researched and documented, Instrument of War is written in clear, yet professional prose informing novices and experts alike.” — Journal of Military History

“Music scholarship needs more of Suisman’s kind of political analysis. This is not politics through the lens of partisanship necessarily. This is politics from the angle of institution building and how music helped legitimize state power.” — Joseph Thompson, Public Books

“[A] nuanced history of music and pop culture in wartime” — Library Journal (starred review)

“Instrument of War: Music and the Making of America’s Soldiers offers a groundbreaking analysis of the role of music throughout American military history. In his book, Suisman sets off to understand how music, and those who make it, has enabled the execution of American wars. He argues convincingly that a fundamental relationship exists between the processes of making music and making war, focusing on ways in which music is made, utilized, experienced and interpreted…. From brass bands to iPods, Instrument of War is recommended for anyone interested in the transformative power of music throughout the Army’s history.” — ARMY Magazine

“Instrument of War is a meticulously researched and extraordinarily well written book that combines an awareness of the complexity of military life with a profound understanding of music's ability to shape and express nuances of collective and individual feeling. A remarkable achievement. —Barry Shank, author of The Political Force of Musical Beauty

Suisman has given us a brilliant work of historical reimagination, a work full of stories worth sharing and insights that may alter our understanding of warfare itself. —Beth Bailey, author of An Army Afire: How the US Army Confronted Its Racial Crisis in the Vietnam Era

Military music is one of those topics that you can go years without thinking about, until a book like Suisman's shows you just how fascinating it is. Then you notice it everywhere. Deftly written and full of interest, Instrument of War is an excellent cultural history. —Daniel Immerwahr, author of How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States

Crisply written and deeply researched, this is a fascinating, nuanced study of music's role in the making of the military and the making of war. Suisman is a detailed historian and a subtle critic. He listens carefully to the music of war and empire, so that ultimately he can listen for the possibility of peace. —Josh Kun, author of Audiotopia: Music, Race, and America