# Born Fighting by Jim Webb



## Brian King (Jan 2, 2012)

> "More than 27 million Americans today can trace their lineage to the Scots, whose bloodline was stained by centuries of continuous warfare along the border between England and Scotland, and later in the bitter settlements of Englands Ulster Plantation in Northern Ireland. Between 250,000 and 400,000 Scots-Irish migrated to America in the eighteenth century, traveling in groups of families and bringing with them not only long experience as rebels and outcasts but also unparalleled skills as frontiersmen and guerrilla fighters. Their cultural identity reflected acute individualism, dislike of aristocracy and a military tradition, and, over time, the Scots-Irish defined the attitudes and values of the military, of working class America, and even of the peculiarly populist form of American democracy itself.
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> _Born Fighting_ is the first book to chronicle the full journey of this remarkable cultural group, and the profound, but unrecognized, role it has played in the shaping of America. Written with the storytelling verve that has earned his works such acclaim as captivating . . . unforgettable (the_ Wall Street Journal _on _Lost Soliders_), Scots-Irishman James Webb, Vietnam combat veteran and former Naval Secretary, traces the history of his people, beginning nearly two thousand years ago at Hadrians Wall, when the nation of Scotland was formed north of the Wall through armed conflict in contrast to Englands formation to the south through commerce and trade. Webb recounts the Scots odysseytheir clashes with the English in Scotland and then in Ulster, their retreat from one war-ravaged land to another. Through engrossing chronicles of the challenges the Scots-Irish faced, Webb vividly portrays how they developed the qualities that helped settle the American frontier and define the American character.
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http://www.amazon.com/Born-Fighting...tmm_hrd_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1325563237&sr=8-4

An interesting look going back thousands of years of a peoples and a culture. So much of this book deals with history Romans, British, Irish, Scottish, and the U.S. Well written and documented yet easily read and simple to comprehend. The 'troubles' today so related to the troubles of yesterday. I enjoyed this book and learned quite a bit. Lots of highlights and notes from this text. Recommended for a different perspective and look at an area of history not often otherwise covered.

Wish this book had been available during my service years as it so directly describes and helps to explain so many that honorably serve. Highly recommend this book regardless of bloodlines and nationality. 

Regards
Brian King


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