In 1898, American troops fought in what Secretary of State John Hay referred to as a ""splendid little war"" in Cuba and the Philippines. In its effort to oust Spanish rule in those colonies, the United States opened the door to world power for itself. Excerpts from the writings of Teddy Roosevelt, &""yellow journalists,"" war correspondents, and American soldiers give the reader a sense of the fervor with which the Americans engaged in this war. The photographs from the war, an account of Clara Barton, the key role of Black regiments, recollections of the Rough Riders, and the poetry of Stephen Crane add to the story.