Books, Articles, and Essays
Books, Articles, and Essays
My approach to conflict history focuses on the human experience, examining the ways in which conflict impacts both soldiers and societies. I also study the historical ways in which imperialism, colonialism, and racism continue to affect the societies in which we live today. I write a great deal about the history of military law because I'm deeply interested in the story of how military justice (or injustice, as is too often the case) affects the lives of those who serve under its authority. I am increasingly interested in racial justice topics, and my latest book examines that subject.
Coming Soon: Black Soldiers, White Laws: The Tragedy of the 24th Infantry in 1917 Houston
Coming Soon: Black Soldiers, White Laws: The Tragedy of the 24th Infantry in 1917 Houston
My latest book, published by Grove Atlantic, will be released on July 15, 2025.
In 1917, during WWI and at the height of Jim Crow racial segregation in the American South, 118 African American soldiers of the famous 24th Infantry Regiment were accused of mutinying and rioting in Houston, Texas. In a series of three courts-martial, the US Army convicted 110 of those men: ninety-one men were sent to prison and nineteen were executed. The first of those military trials, US v. Nesbit, was the largest murder trial in American history. The hanging of the first thirteen men was conducted in secret, without allowing any chance for appeal of the death sentences.
This book tells the story of what happened in Houston that summer, of the weeks of racist abuse and harassment the soldiers endured in that era of Jim Crow segregation, and how it all came to a violent clash on the night of August 23, 1917. The story then turns to the hasty, irregular trials that followed, and the harsh sentences handed down on men who steadfastly maintained their innocence, then relates personal stories of the men who spent years in prison. The book concludes with an examination of the long effort to petition the modern Army to overturn those convictions and restore clemency to those soldiers, an effort which finally succeeded in November 2023.
It's never too late to correct an old injustice.
October 19, 2024: Simon & Schuster will be producing the
audiobook version of this book.
McFarland & Company, 2016
Print ISBN: 978-1-4766-6510-8
Ebook ISBN: 978-1-4766-2507-2
16 photos, appendix, notes, bibliography, index
Ebook ISBN: 978-1-4766-2507-2
16 photos, appendix, notes, bibliography, index
My second book, The American Soldier 1866-1916: The Enlisted Man and the Transformation of the United States Army, is a study of the ordinary soldier's experience in the US Army in the years between the end of the Civil War and the US entry into WWI. That 50-year period was a time of both existential crisis and elemental transformation for the army; years of atrophy and neglect that also saw the laying of the foundations of a new professionalism. The army began that era as a frontier constabulary; by 1916 it was the military arm of an increasingly robust and aggressive American foreign policy. During that period it was also the force of a nascent American imperialism, a moral problem that many soldiers struggled with on a personal and professional level.
Drawing heavily on soldiers' personal narratives as well as a wealth of official primary sources, this book combines pristine scholarship with an engaging narrative, exploring what it was like to be a soldier in those years of hardship, deprivation, and ethical dilemmas. Published by McFarland & Co. in March 2018.
Articles and Essays:
Articles and Essays:
In addition to book-length projects, my work is also published in scholarly journals, commercial periodicals, and at academic conferences. Here are a few of my publication credits:
"The Muted Voice: The Limitations of Military Museums and the Depiction of Controversial History." Museum & Society 13, No. 4, November 2015.
"Laws of War: The Bloody Code." Military History Quarterly, Vol. 29, No. 2 (Winter 2017).
"Churchill's Improbable Army." Military History Quarterly, Vol. 29, No. 3 (Spring 2017). [The issue's cover is the image pictured at left.]
"Laws of War: The Court-Martial of Thomas Knox." Military History Quarterly, Vol. 29, No. 4 (Summer 2017).
"Laws of War: Founding Fathers -- Hugo Grotius and Emmerich de Vattel." Military History Quarterly, Vol. 30, No. 1 (Autumn 2017).
"Laws of War: The Murky Line." Military History Quarterly, Volume 30, No. 2 (Winter 2017).
"Laws of War: Kill Orders." Military History Quarterly, Volume 30, No. 3 (Spring 2018).
"Laws of War: The Codemaker." Military History Quarterly, Volume 30, No. 4 (Summer 2018).
"Unwilling Accomplice: The Tragedy of Adam Czerniakow and the Jews of the Warsaw Ghetto." Military History Quarterly, Volume 31, No. 1 (Autumn 2018).
"Hospital Stewards, 1865-1899." The AMEDD Historian, (Army Medical Department Center of History and Heritage) Number 23, 'The Indian Wars,' (Autumn 2018).
"Laws of War: The Port Chicago Mutiny." Military History Quarterly, Volume 31, No. 2 (Winter 2018).
"The Waste of War." Military History Quarterly, Vol. 31, No. 3 (Spring 2019).
"Laws of War: A Neck for a Neck." Military History Quarterly, Vol. 31, No. 3 (Spring 2019).
"Laws of War: The Origins of Restraint." Military History Quarterly, Vol. 31, No. 4 (Summer 2019).
"Laws of War: Ambiguous Orders." Military History Quarterly, Vol. 32, No. 1 (Autumn 2019).
“Laws of War: Mistaken Targets.” Military History Quarterly, Vol. 32, No. 3 (Spring 2020).
“Laws of War: The Scapegoating of an Admiral.” Military History Quarterly, Vol. 33, No. 1 (Autumn 2020).
“Laws of War: Disparate Justice.” Military History Quarterly, Vol. 33, No. 2 (Winter 2020).
“Tempest in Texas: The 1917 Houston Uprising.” Military History Quarterly, Vol.33, No. 3 (Spring 2021).
“The 1917 Houston Incident: Racism, Military Law, and a Crisis of National Security in the First World War.” (Co-authored with Dru Brenner-Beck) Journal of International Security and Strategic Studies, Vol. I (August 2021).
"Laws of War: Matters of Proportion." Military History Quarterly, Vol. 33, No. 4 (Summer 2021).
"Laws of War: Rights of Passage." Military History Quarterly, Vol. 34, No. 1 (Autumn 2021).
"Racial Inequities in Military Justice: Déjà vu, All Over, and Over, Again." 61 South Texas Law Review 5 (2022).
"Laws of War: Laying off the Lash." Military History Quarterly, Vol. 35, No. 2 (Autumn 2022).
"Surviving Napoleon's Wars." Military History Quarterly, Vol. 35, No. 2, (Winter 2023).
"Laws of War: Killed by Their Own." Military History Quarterly, Vol. 35, No. 2 (Winter 2023).
“Laws of War: The Commissar Order.” Military History Quarterly, Vol. 35, No. 3, (Summer 2023).
“The Muted Voice: The Limitations of Military Museums and the Depiction of Controversial Histories.” Paper presented at the British National Army Museum, Chelsea, London, September 13, 2013.
"Oppositional Mythologies: The Origins and Conduct of the Korean War in American and Chinese Histories." Paper presented at the British Commission on Military History's New Research Conference at the University of Kent, Canterbury, November 22, 2013.
"Crimes or Culture: Conflicting Cultures and the Laws of War in the US-Dakota War of 1862." Paper presented at the Violence of War: Experiences and Images of War conference at University College, London, June 20, 2014.
"Faces of War: Medical and Social Responses to Traumatic Facial Wounds in the First World War." Paper presented at the Medical History of the First World War conference at the U.S. Army Medical School Center of History and Heritage, Fort Sam Houston, TX, March 23, 2018.
"Black Soldiers, White Laws: The 1917 Houston Riot, Courts-martial, and Executions." Paper presented at the Society for Military Historal panel of the 2018 Northern Great Plains History Conference in Mankato, MN September 21, 2018.
“Atrocities, Vengeance, and Justice: Newspaper Depictions of the US-Dakota War and Public Perceptions of a Tragedy.” Paper presented at the Symposium on the 19th Century Press, the Civil War, and Free Expression at the University of Tennessee Chattanooga, TN, November 12, 2021.
Military History Quarterly, Vol. 29, No. 3, Spring 2017
McFarland & Company, 2018
Print ISBN: 978-1-4766-6725-6
Ebook ISBN: 978-1-4766-3208-7
ca. 60 photos, appendix, notes, bibliography.
Ebook ISBN: 978-1-4766-3208-7
ca. 60 photos, appendix, notes, bibliography.
Reviews for The Infamous Dakota War Trials of 1862:
"Impressively researched and notably well written, organized and presented... an exceptional work of historical scholarship and very strongly recommended." (Midwest Book Review, 2016)
"This excellent, well-researched book is an illuminating study, ripe for discussion in both historical and legal settings... highly recommended." (Choice , Assoc. of College & Research Libraries, 2016)
"Haymond brings a new perspective to the Dakota War trials... tackles this emotionally charged subject with surprising empathy... his work deserves close attention." (Journal of Military History, 2017)
"Brilliantly researched... judicious in all respects, both compassionate and passionate in its analysis... establishes the standards of scholarship and rational analysis against which all other histories of the Dakota Conflict will be judged." (John Beckmann, JD)
"Haymond is at his best in depicting how historians have treated the war over the years... provides an objective commentary and answers to these questions based on evaluating reliable sources." (Civil War Times, 2016)
"The quality of Haymond's research is unquestionable... Once his thesis is stated, he stands by it, and his criticism of the findings of other scholars stands up to the test..." (American Nineteenth Century History, 2018)
"Thought-provoking... refereshing and enlightening... challenges and debunks many long-held stories about the war, while lending credence to many of its most tragic events." (North Dakota History: Journal of the Northern Plains, 2017)
The American Soldier, 1866-1916
Soldiers: A Global History of the Fighting Man, 1800-1945 was published by Stackpole Books, an imprint of Rowman & Littlefield, in October 2018. This book is an international, comparative history of common soldiers' experiences during the period of 1800 to 1945. It is a truly international study -- the bulk of the sources are American and British, naturally enough, but I have thrown the net wide to draw in as many sources as possible, and the text includes the perspectives of German, French, Australian, Canadian, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Chinese, Russian, Turkish, and Spanish soldiers. The book is arranged thematically, tracing soldiers' experiences of initial enlistment, training, active service, and daily life. There are chapters on rations, discipline, battle, garrison life, and the sundry realities of what it was like to be among the rank and file in armies around the world during those years.
This is a soldier's view of army life as seen from the ranks, from the bottom up.
Soldiers: A Global History of the Fighting Man, 1800-1945
Stackpole Books, 2018
ISBN-10: 0811737950
ISBN-13: 978-0811737951
ca 54 photos, appendix, notes, bibliography
Reviews for The American Soldier, 1866-1916:
"A rewarding study of the soldier in the post-Civil War era... recommended." (Choice, Assoc. of College and Research Libraries, 2018)
"Haymond gives an excellent portrait of the enlisted mens' lives on topics ranging from fighting, training, leisure activities, and general quality of life. His contributions regarding African American soldiers and relations with the Native Americans are especially noteworthy." (On Point: The Journal of Army History, 2018)
Reviews for Soldiers: A Global History of the Fighting Man, 1800-1945:
"What makes Soldiers an interesting read is Haymond's writing style and technique of comparing the common experiences of fighting men... highly recommended for both scholars and students alike. It is a must for readers interested in the experience and psychology of being a warrior in this period." (Military Review: The Professional Journal of the U.S. Army. Vol. 98, No. 6 (Nov-Dec 2018)
"Soldiers succeeds in being both informative and engaging, striking a balance between historical accuracy and narrative appeal. It offers valuable insights into the human dimension of warfare, making it a worthwhile read for anyone interested in military history or the psychological and emotional aspects of combat." (Chelan Johnson, Amazon review, 2024)
Reviews for Soldiers: A Global History of the Fighting Man, 1800-1945:
"What makes Soldiers an interesting read is Haymond's writing style and technique of comparing the common experiences of fighting men... highly recommended for both scholars and students alike. It is a must for readers interested in the experience and psychology of being a warrior in this period." (Military Review: The Professional Journal of the U.S. Army. Vol. 98, No. 6 (Nov-Dec 2018)
"Soldiers succeeds in being both informative and engaging, striking a balance between historical accuracy and narrative appeal. It offers valuable insights into the human dimension of warfare, making it a worthwhile read for anyone interested in military history or the psychological and emotional aspects of combat." (Chelan Johnson, Amazon review, 2024)
The Infamous Dakota War Trials of 1862: Revenge, Military Law and the Judgment of History
The US-Dakota War of 1862 was unique in the history of American frontier warfare for several reasons: it resulted in the greatest loss of life of any Indian war; it was the only war in which Indians made repeated attacks against forts and towns; it was followed by the trial of 391 defendants by hastily convened military tribunal; and it ended in the largest simultaneous execution in US history, when 38 Native American men were hanged in Mankato, Minnesota.
This book is the first study of this conflict undertaken from the essential perspective of 19th century military law, and it examines the most controversial questions that surround this event: Were the widespread claims of atrocity and massacre factual or exaggerated? Was the army correct to impanel a military commission to try Indian combatants? Were those trials fair, or even legal?
Since its publication in 2016, this book, my first, has gained a reputation as the authorative, definitive work on this history of these trials.