"Film moves audiences like no other medium; both documentaries and feature films are especially remarkable for their ability to Influence viewers. In Why We Fought: America's Wars in Film and History, editors Peter C. Rollins and John E. O'Connor explore tile complexities of war films, describing the ways in which such productions interpret history and illuminate American values, politics, and culture." "This comprehensive volume covers representations of war in film from the American Revolution to today's Global War on Terror. The contributors examine iconic battle films such as The Big Parade (1925), All Quiet on the Western Front (1930), From Here to Eternity (1953), and Platoon (1986), considering them as historical artifacts. The authors explain how film shapes our cultural understanding of military conflicts, analyzing the depiction of war on television programs, through news media outlets, and in fictional and factual texts."--Jacket.