Includes bibliographical references (p. 245-254) and index.

1. The Revolutionary War -- Corporal punishment -- Arduous military duty -- Lack of food -- Lack of clothing and related provisions -- Illness -- Lack of pay -- Homesickness -- Economic need -- British enticement -- British prisoners of war -- Bounty-jumping -- Ambivalence to the cause -- Fear -- Self-preservation -- 2. The War of 1812 -- Problems with pay -- Lack of supplies -- Lack of food -- Illness -- Poor leadership -- Inadequate weaponry -- 3. The Mexican-American War -- Harsh conditions -- Poor leadership -- Corporal punishment -- Lack of belief in the cause -- Lack of basic rights as American citizens -- Poor wages -- Discrimination -- 4. The Civil War -- Nine categories of reasons for desertion -- Union policy on desertion during the Civil War -- 5. The Philippine-American War -- Horror of war, and apathy toward the cause of the war -- 6. World War I -- Absent without official leave -- Straggling -- Desertion -- 7. World War II -- Inability to adjust to military life -- Disagreement with or apathy towards the war -- Incompetent leadership -- Horror of war -- Family considerations -- 8.The Korean War -- Disagreement with the purpose of the war -- Poor leadership -- Horror at war's atrocities -- Family and home concerns -- 9. The Vietnam War -- Disagreement with the cause of the war -- The horrors or war -- Resistance to military life -- Family and personal needs -- 10. The Gulf War -- Cruelty towards the Iraqis -- living conditions -- Disagreement with the war -- The "stop loss" policy -- 11. The Iraq War -- Disagreement with the war -- The horror of war -- The stop-loss program -- 12. Other conflicts ; peacetime desertion -- Poor pay -- Conditions -- Inability to adjust to military life -- Poor leadership -- 13. Summary and analysis -- Contact injustices -- Judicial injustices.

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