Customer Reviews (19)

Wrong Book
Bought this by mistake, thought it was a diffewrent one.Will read it sometime in the futre or donate it to local library.

How not to conduct Joint Warfare
Trainor and Gordon do a commendable job explaining the operational level planning and execution of the first Gulf War. I unreservedly recommend this book as the best description of the events comprising Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm that I have read."The Generals' War" explains the challenges of joint integration and deconfliction, the intricacies of fighting with allies, and the blend of political and military concerns faced by a regional combatant commander.

Desert Storm is often described in service schools as a shining example of joint warfare, however the authors expose this statement as overblown and explain the shortfalls in interservice cooperation that plagued Schwarzkopf's CENTCOM, and demonstrate how each service ultimately did its own thing."The Generals' War" demonstrates that Desert Storm was not so much a campaign that combined joint effects to achieve a goal, as it was a campaign that piled each service's effects onto the enemy forces until they collapsed.

The books does not pull punches and examines how problems with phasing and operational tempo allowed many enemy formations to escape capture or destruction.

"The Generals' War" will appeal to the military professional and the average reader alike.Well done.

An insiders look at the Gulf War
The General's War is a well written insider's look at the operational planning and execution of Operation Desert Storm. The detailed discussion of the operational planning teams that designed campaign plan was the highlight.It provided a rare glimpse into the extremely important, but often overlooked subject of campaign planning.While the high-tech smart bombs are what most people remember about the war, it was these small teams of mid-level officers that came up with the plan the liberated Kuwait in 100 hours that deserve much of the credit.The early stumbles at "jointness" are evident throughout the book, as old service rivalries dominated many issues.I can see why this book is the standard at the Marine Corps Command and Staff College for the study of the Gulf War.

A detailed and hard-hitting account of the Gulf War
In "The Generals' War: The Inside Story of the Conflict in the Gulf," Michael R. Gordon and Bernard E. Trainor have crafted a fascinating work of military history.As the title indicates, the book places a heavy emphasis on the actions of the senior military officers involved in the planning and execution of the U.S.-led coalition's 1991 war against Iraq.In the preface, the authors note that this conflict "is without precedent in the annals of warfare.It was the dawn of a new era" (page x).

In their acknowledgements section, the authors discuss in detail the research that went into the writing of this book.They note that they interviewed administration officials, diplomats, allied military officers, and intelligence experts; they observe further that some "talked on the record; others on a not-for-attribution basis."They also drew on written responses that former president George Bush provided to their questions.Their research is meticulously documented in a lengthy set of endnotes (pages 479-520), thus enhancing the book's credibility.The text is further enhanced by thirteen detailed and clearly drawn maps that illuminate many aspects of the war: the Iraqi air defense system, coalition force deployment and movement, locations of oil fields, and more.Also included are photographs of many of the senior leaders involved in the war.

The book is full of fascinating details about many aspects of the war.The authors discuss the participation of various coalition forces in the campaign, as well as the diplomatic activities involving the USSR, Egypt, and other nations.Also discussed are friendly fire incidents and Iraqi POWs.I was particularly interested in the many details about the military hardware used by both coalition and Iraqi forces; the authors cover aircraft, naval vessels, sea and land mines, mine-clearing gear, tanks, and more.There are some really noteworthy battle scenes; particularly vivid is a description of a tank battle between U.S. and Iraqi forces--"an impressive tableau of destruction."

Gordon and Trainor are pointedly critical of many aspects of the conduct of the war.They discuss examples of rivalry and poor coordination between the different branches of the U.S. military, and also criticize the French and the Saudis.But the strongest and most sustained criticism is directed at General Norman Schwarzkopf.The authors assess both his command style and planning of the war and ultimately fault him for failing to achieve true joint warfare.The book places a heavy emphasis on the battle of Khafji; the authors discuss this engagement in detail and criticize both Schwarzkopf and General Colin Powell for failing to grasp its lessons.

Gordon and Trainor note that the Persian Gulf War was "a laboratory for the American military's new weapons and fighting doctrines."This well-written book vividly shows how hardware, tactics, diplomatic concerns, and personalities came together in the fighting of this war.This is a valuable addition to the military history of the late 20th century.

Not the same Gen Franks
To those reviewers who have pointed out that the Gen Franks who comes off as incompetent in "The Generals' War" is ironically the same Gen Franks who led the recent war against Iraq, please read the book again.The Gen Franks in "The Generals' War" is Gen Frederick Franks, while the CENTCOM Commander who led the military forces in the most recent war with Iraq is Gen Tommy Franks.They are NOT the same person. ... Read more

Book Description
Over Lord is the fascinating story of how American tactical air power was developed by General Elwood "Pete" Quesada during World War II, including its decisive role in Operation OVERLORD and the liberation of Europe.

Pete Quesada is one of World War II's unsung yet crucial heroes. With his famous "Ninth Tactical Air Command," Quesada established the best air-ground team in the European theater. he pioneered the use of radar in close air support operations, introducing weapons systems specifically geared to tactical operations. He nurtured new flying methods designed for the kind of precision bombing the battlefields of Europe demanded. And more than anything else, Pete Quesada championed efforts to model air and ground officers into a single fighting unit. His relationships with ground leaders like Generals Omar Bradley and "Lightning Joe" Collins were a model for the kind of interservice harmony that was essential for dislodging the entrenched German Army.

At war's end everybody from General of the Army Dwight Eisenhower to ordinary infantrymen recognized Pete Quesada as the premier expert and dogged patron of close air support. Allied airplanes over the battlefields of Europe had undoubtedly shortened the war and saved many thousands of lives, and Pete Quesada came home to a hero's welcome in 1945. By then he was the personification of tactical air power. Indeed, he was its over lord.

Unfortunately, Quesada's groundbreaking methods were all but forgotten after the war. As the Cold War deepened, Air Force leaders stressed the role of big bombers flying deep into enemy territory and renounced the importance of close air support missions. Quesada himself was shunted into jobs that were both illsuited to his fiery temperament and divorced from his wartime expertise in tactical aviation. Frustrated, he retired from the Air Force in 1951 at forty-seven years of age.

Fortunately, the story of Quesada's innovative tactics did not end there for the American military. In Korea in the 1950s and Vietnam in the 1960s, U.S. servicemen struggled -- and died -- relearning and recreating the kinds of tactics that Quesada had made commonplace in 1944-45. Had the U.S. Air Force nurtured its capacity for close air support, those two conflicts may have unfolded differently. Since then, the Air Force has struggled for a better balance between its bombardment missions and its support functions.

This is the definitive story of an extraordinary man, whose remarkable efforts to aid foot soldiers in World War II contributed significantly to the Allies' success. America's belated rediscovery of Quesada's precepts some forty years later in conflicts like Operation DESERT STORM only underscores the importance of Quesada's story. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Overated view of tactical air power in WW2
If you are interested in the political twist and turns of US tactical air force before, during and after WW2, you might find this book interesting.

However be warned it is full of exaggerated claims of what tactical forces actually did in WW2. For example on page 237, the writer talks about the battle at Mortain to show the effectiveness of the tactical bombing. He claims that Germans losses were 27 tanks and a bit later another 76 tanks lost. In fact, research shows that only 46 German tanks were lost in this action of which nine German tanks were destroyed by the air force.

Part of the problem is that pilots have a habit of exaggerating their actions. Say a tank takes a hit. It goes boom. To the pilot flying overhead it looks like it was destroyed. So he reports it destroyed. In reality all it took was a knock and one of these underrated, brilliant mechanics that both sides in the conflict had in abundance, will manage to fix it a few hours later.

The Allied air force did have an effect. It forced the German units to take repeatable take cover and by destroyed many of the bridges in the area so delayed the movement of the German units. It made the German fuel shortages worse. It was also quite effective at destroying German trucks which increased, the massive shortages of trucks that their armies suffered. It also caused the Germans to divert resources away from the ground to air defence.

Excellent Read
This was a terrific work covering the exploits of America's true tactical ground support pioneer.

He was also the creator of Dulles Air Port& L'Enfant Plaza
I knew the General. In addition to his achievements in WW II, he devoloped the concept of an airport where incoming and out going passengers moved on separate floors (Dulles)With David Rockefeller they created the magnificentL'Enfant Plaza in Wash.D.C. His stories of growing up in Washington couldbe another book, not to mention his civilian achievements in Washington.The story of his flying Ike behind German lines after the D day invasion ina 2 seat P 51 to prove his point over German positions (much to the chagrinof Gen. Bradley) is one of my favorites. He had a picture in his office ofhe and Tooey Spaatz from their early days in "Jennies" with oilall overtheir faces except where their goggles were. Right out of"Dawn Patrol". This book is long over due.

A history lesson that we didn't learn too well.
This book is easy to get into and very informative.The story of Gen. Pete Quesada and the tactical air arm in the European Theater of Operations in WW II is something that anyone interested in military history shouldread. This aspect of the war is often overlooked, which should not be thecase.The working together of ground and tactical air assets should be atop priority for military planners as well as anyone connected with theground troops. ... Read more

Amazon.com
The comic-book world continues to fill in the blanks of the Star Wars universe between the feature films Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith.In Dark Horse's four-issue miniseries General Grievous, a small Jedi strike force attempts to assassinate the six-armed multi-lightsaber-wielding droid before he kills any more of their order, not knowing that he has something even more sinister in mind for a group of young Padawan he's captured.Written by Chuck Dixon (Nightwing) with art by Rick Leonardi and Mark Pennington, General Grievous takes place before Sith and the animated Clone Wars series.--David HoriuchiBook Description
On a rescue mission to Vandos, Padawan Flynn Kybo and his master T'chooka D'oon come face-to-face with General Grievous, one of the leaders of the Separatist army. After Grievous kills Master D'oon, Kybo goes to the Jedi Council with a plan to take the depraved general out immediately. But when the council rebukes his plans for vengeance, Kybo decides to take matters in his own hands. Seeking out others who feel the same as himself, he sets out to stop the Separatist killing machine before more Jedi lives are lost. Meanwhile, Grievous hijacks a transport ship, and its precious cargo may give him a horrible advantage over the Jedi that they would never expect. For now, his sights are on the planet Gentes - and on taking its Ugnaught population and mining facilities as trophies of war! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Not the best, but ...
The art and story is marginal, and Grievous isn't really the focus of the story (in that we learn nothing new about him), but it is a fun story nonetheless.

As with all Star Wars stories from Star Wars, your enjoyment may come from how much you care about the characters focused on.Here they are disposable Jedi, but it still makes for an interesting read with no real conclusion.

The series, which came out before "Episode III," sold like hotcakes, as readers wanted to get as much info on the characters as they could.The General Grievous here is not the injured one we saw in the movie, but that makes no real difference to the story.What does make a difference is the young padawans he captures.That gives the tale its backbone, and makes it worth reading if only for that.

About General Grievous this book is not
This is not a horrible book, but you might be disappointed if you think you'll be getting a story about General Grievous.As with a lot of Star Wars EU, the focus here is on characters you've never heard of and will probably never hear of again, a group of teenaged Padawan who have lost their masters to General Grievous and who strike out on their own, against the wishes of the Jedi council, to hunt down and assassinate the multi-limbed cyborg.As this story takes place before "Revenge of the Sith," you already know their mission will be a failure, so there's not a lot here to create suspense.And since we know that Grievous can wield as many as six lightsabers at a time, you know too how the Padawan are likely to meet their end.

With over a dozen characters in a such a short book, it's a fairly impossible task to make even a handful unique.Having boxed himself in on the plot, writer Chuck Dixon is left with little to do and the story is carried mostly by the very fine illustrations of Rick Leonardi and Mark Pennington.

If you'd like to read more about Grievous, as of this writing the only sources that contain background on the General himself is the novel "Labyrinth of Evil," and the graphic novel "Star Wars Visionaries," which contains one Grievous story.Both of these books come highly recommended.

Had great potential, but didn't deliver
General Grievous could have been much better. Excellent art, frequently showing Grievous as frightening and intimidating, as he should be. The dialogue was what really ruined this. Grievous had several cheesy lines such as
"The Mon Calamari are such a disgusting species. Please tell me they are all slain"
and "Let not one of them leave alive".
Apart from that, the plot was very good, with Grievous capturing several Padawans and planning to turn them into cyborgs like him. This TPB was average, so it gets 3 out of 5. Only serious fans should read this. For anyone else looking for a Star Wars graphic novel starring a villain, I'd reccommend the Darth Maul TPB. ... Read more

Amazon.com
As General MacArthur's air commander in the southwest Pacific, General George C. Kenney has long been regarded as a key to American military success in that theater of the Second World War. Yet MacArthur's Airman is the first extensive treatment he has received from a historian. Using both official documents and Kenney's own private papers, Griffith reveals his subject to be a pioneer in the development of air warfare. Kenney employed flexible tactics to fit local circumstances but retained a consistent belief in the purpose of air power: to limit an enemy's ability to hurt friendly troops. This meant controlling the skies and attacking far behind the front lines. Flanking an enemy is a traditional battle strategy going back to the days of classical warfare, and Kenney understood that the development of reliable combat planes provided a critical new opportunity to employ the oldest trick in the book.

Griffith offers a few biographical details on the Canadian-born Kenney, but mostly concentrates on the command-level experience of airborne warfare, from actual operations to planning missions, gathering intelligence, and maintaining morale. In all, MacArthur's Airman represents an important contribution to our understanding of the war in the Pacific. --John J. MillerBook Description
By the time Hitler declared war on the Soviet Union in 1941, he knew that his military machine was running out of fuel. In response, he launched Operation Blau, a campaign designed to protect Nazi oilfields in Rumania while securing new ones in the Caucasus. All that stood in the way was Stalingrad.

Most accounts of the Battle of Stalingrad have focused on the dismal fate of the German Army. Joel Hayward now chronicles Luftwaffe operations during that campaign, focusing on Hitler's use of the air force as a tactical rather than strategic weapon in close support of ground forces. He vividly details the Luftwaffe's key role as "flying artillery," showing that the army relied on Luftwaffe support to a far greater degree than has been previously revealed and that its successes in the East occurred largely because of the effectiveness of that support.

Hayward analyzes this major German offensive from the standpoint of cooperation between ground and air forces to attain mutually agreed upon objectives. He draws on diaries of both key commanders and regular airmen to recreate crucial battles and convey the drama of Hitler's frustrations and reckless leadership. Ultimately, Hayward shows, the poorly conceived strategies of Hitler, Goering, and others in Berlin doomed the efforts of air commander Wolfram von Richthofen, a courageous and resolute leader attempting to come to grips with an increasingly impossible situation.

Stopped at Stalingrad is a dynamic case study in combined arms warfare that fills in many of the gaps left by other studies of the eastern war. By reconsidering the campaign in the light of a wider body of documentary sources and analyzing many previously ignored events, Hayward provides military historians and general readers a much deeper and more complete understanding of the Battle of Stalingrad and its impact on World War II.

This book is part of the Modern War Studies series. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Somewhat of a dissappointment
I purchased this book with high expectations, but they haven't been met. While there are some interesting facts, it appears that the author depends to a large extent on his own opinion and that of other historians. There are also contradictions - he accuses Kenney of exaggerating certain events, then a few paragraphs later will comment on his military brilliance. It also appears that the author failed to do all of the research he should have. In one instance he refers to a mission in Europe when B-26s went into Holland at low altitude as evidence that Kenney's faith in low-altitude attack was ill-founded. But while the missions - there were actually two - resulted in very heavy losses, about half of the losses were due to operational causes and most of the airplanes shot down were lost to German fighters. Such claims distract from what could have been an excellent book. The author also fails to place the Kenney's decisions in the context of World War II where casualties were expected and accepted, but rather follows the modern military aviation philosophy that casualties of any kind are unacceptable. While I would recommend the book for lack of anything else on the subject, the reader should beware.

A Fine Biography of One of the Less Well-known Air Commanders of World War II
George C. Kenney was one of the most significant air officers of the World War II generation. That is saying quite a lot because such well-known American air commanders as Hap Arnold, Carl Spaatz, Claire Chennault, and Curtis LeMay are also members of that cadre. But Kenney is less well-known than the others. This biography of Douglas MacArthur's air commander in the Pacific Theater is a welcome addition to the literature of air power, rescuing Kenney from obscurity. Born into an elite New England family and educated at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, rather than West Point, Kenney became enamored with flight during World War I and enlisted in the Army Air Service where he became a pilot. He flew 75 combat missions in Europe and shot down two enemy aircraft. He ended the war as a captain, and received the Distinguished Service Cross and the Silver Star for his valor.

The air arm of the Army during the period between the two world wars was small but filled with young officers fired with a vision of independence based on the possibility of strategic bombing to win future conflicts. Kenney was one of those young men. He served in a variety of positions, concentrating on aeronautical development and its application to warfare and pursuing the chimera of victory solely through air power.

In August 1942 with the United States entering the Second World War less than a year earlier, Kenney assumed command of all allied air forces in the Southwest Pacific, and worked throughout the war as MacArthur's air component commander. Kenney found that meeting MacArthur's stiff requirements was not easy. The Japanese were at first stronger, of course, but the distances in the Pacific, the unique climate, the difficulties of logistics, and the dearth of virtually all resources made every campaign a challenge. His abilities as a leader, his willingness to cut through regulations and to innovate with both tactics and equipment, and his unique conceptions on how to organize forces and mass them for victory were critical to success in the Pacific. For instance, as this biography points out, experimentation with ordnance made possible the unusual but successful tactic of skip-bombing Japanese ships. In addition, Kenney's organizational approach of composite units with bombers, fighters, transports, and all support ingredients ensured that smaller units could conduct effective warfare in the expanses of the Pacific.

In 1946 Kenney became commander of the Strategic Air Command, the central organization charged with nuclear bombardment. In October 1948 he became commandant of the Air University. While in this position in 1949 he published a significant book, "General Kenney Reports," a work available in reprint from the Office of Air Force History, which was not only a memoir of his career in World War II but also an explanation of his theories on air superiority.

All of this and more is explored in this biography by Thomas Griffith. It is well-done and fully worth the time necessary to read and absorb its lessons.

Well written WW II chronicle of Gen George C. Kenney
For a man of whom Gen MacArthur stated "I believe that no, repeat, no officer suggested for promotion to General has rendered more outstanding and brilliant service than Kenney... Nothing that Spaatz or any other airofficer has accomplished in the war compares to what Kenney has contributedand none in my opinion is his equal in ability", surprisingly littlehas been written about this innovative and charismatic air power proponent.Griffith changes that with this well written, fast-paced biography. Whilenot a comprehensive biography, Griffith focuses on Kenney's leadership inthe Southwest Pacific Area during World War II. Taking command of a weary,demoralized group of flyers in which MacArthur had lost confidence, andturning them into an offensive-minded, hard-charging unit was perhapsKenney's greatest victory. Griffith clearly explores Kenney's philosophy ofhow to train and treat his men as well as the five point of his air powerformula. Over and over again Griffith points out how Kenney stuck to hisformula with resultant success against the Japanese war machine. Whilelacking the depth and completeness of an exhaustive biography, Griffith'sbook is nonetheless the best and most balanced account of General GeorgeKenney's life to date; especially regarding his role as air componentcommander in the Southwest Pacific. The rather abrupt ending of the book atthe conclusion of WW II leaves the reader wanting more and perhaps somefuture writer will examine Kenney's post-war life. Regardless, MacArthur'sAirman is an excellent place for one to start any research on this superb,somewhat neglected air commander who was instrumental in turning the tideagainst the Japanese in World War II. ... Read more

Amazon.com
AuthorJeff M. Shaara rounds out the Civil War Trilogy started by his late fatherMichael Shaara, whose bookThe Killer Angels described the Battle of Gettysburg. WhileGods and Generals covered action prior to Gettysburg,The Last Full Measure picks up with Confederate General Robert E. Lee's retreat from Pennsylvania and continues through the end of the war. The younger Shaara focuses on the characters of Lee and Union commander Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, both of whom play prominent roles in the earlier books. He also introduces a new one: Ulysses S. Grant, the Union general who would finally defeat the South--something no soldier before him could manage. The Last Full Measure is often exciting and poignant, and fans of The Killer Angels and Gods and Generals won't be disappointed. A nicely boxed edition of this classic historical fiction. --John Miller ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

A very personal perspective of the civil war
Read Killer Angels first, then Gods and Generals followed by The Last Full Measure.The Authors put a very personal edge to historical players of our nation's civil war.In many cases, I couldn't wait to pick the book up again because I longed for the relationship with the characters.

The Civil War Trilogy: Gods and Generals / The Killer Angels / The Last Full Measure [BOX SET]
The Civil War Trilogy: Gods and Generals / The Killer Angels / The Last Full Measure

Should be required reading!
An amazingly well written historical account of the Civil War using a fictionalized approach. Easy reading but rivetting! Astonishingly seamless transition between father and son authors. A well balanced view of "behind the scenes" look at both armies of the north and the south. This should be required reading in our educational system.

Outstanding trilogy, a must for history lovers
These three books should be required reading in school.Very eye opening to the horrors of war.

Gods and Generals - Fascinating portrayal of a sad time in US History, as told from the perspectives of the generals involved in these campaigns. I was most particularly moved by Lee and his torn loyalties to the US Army and his home state of Virginia, and most especially by the great Stonewall Jackson. I've come across the names in history classes (oh so long ago) and the occasional novel covering this period, but it was wonderful to have them brought to life as this author did, and we are once again reminded that was is indeed h***. One moment in the book that particularly touched me was during a retreat of Federal soldiers. One of them slipped in the mud and was told that since the general decreed the roads to be in good condition therefore there is no mud. Four stars instead of five as the author's habit of inserting a comma instead of the word "and" was a bit of a distration for me.

The Killer Angels - The author brings the Battle of Gettysburg and the Civil War to life in this wonderful novel. He uses the alternating views from the officers of both sides of the conflict, thus making you feel as you are right with them, culminating in the horrific and tragic end of the battle. I was truly saddened by the incredible loss of life due to the mistakes of the priveleged few, the generals. No wonder they say Gettysburg is one of the most haunted places in America.

The Last Full Measure - I think this book, and the two preceding it should be required reading in school. I had no idea how horrific this war was, particularly more so as the brutalities committed on both sides were against our own. There were so many moments when I wanted to stop and cry for the loss of life, and especially at the end when the one man who was capable of healing the country and bringing us all back together as one nation, Abraham Lincoln, was assassinated.

The research was impeccable and telling the story from the viewpoints of the various generals absolutely fascinating. The honorable Robert E. Lee, Chamberlain (loved his gracious salute to the surrendering army), and the ever fascinating U.S. Grant.

One quote from so many in the book that just brought tears to my eyes: "Yes, it was horrible, horrible indeed. But he had to tell himself that, remind himself to see it that way. There was no sickening revulsion, no outrage, no indignation at the barbarism. It was just one more scene from this war, one more horror, one more mass of death, blending together with all the rest."

Highly highly recommended.

Five star general
Shaara has the ability to allow the reader to know the generals and soldiers in the Civil War. He must have read countless books in preparation, for he includes details that I haven't read before. Shaara takes the reader to the battlefield, and we learn the strategies and accidents of each battle. Shaara takes the reader to each general's tent, and we find out the strengths and weaknesses of each man. We learn about the horrible wounds and the lack of medical training to treat them. Each battle is described as though Shaara had been there and were writing a diary. The Last Full Measure gives the sorrow of the loss and the dignity of the surrender. ... Read more

Book Description
master historian gives readers a fresh new picture of the Civil War as it really was. Buell examines three pairs of commanders from the North and South, who met each other in battle. Following each pair through the entire war, the author reveals the human dimensions of the drama and brings the battles to life. 38 b&w photos.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Reevaluation of Generals
This is an intriguing book, although not without some controversy.The method is to examine three pairs of generals, one each from the Union and Confederate armies--East and West--at different levels of command.The two top generals at the end of the Civil War,Ulysses Grant and Robert E. Lee are one pair.Two generals of armies in the West--George Thomas with the Union and John Bell Hood with the Confederates--are profiled and compared.Finally, two generals in the East--Francis Barlow and John B. Gordon--are compared, each at Division or Corps command level.

The end result is illuminating.Certainly, Robert E. Lee is not treated kindly.Grant comes in for some hits, as well.Nonetheless the criticisms are handled pretty well and the author does credit each for their strengths.

At the lowest level of command, Barlow and Gordon, we get an interesting tratment of two commanders who may not be as well chronicled as others.Nonetheless, each served with distinction and both were certainly interesting character studies.

Finally, and maybe most controversial, is the juxtaposition of Thomas (Southern born, despised by his family and mistrusted by some in the North) and Hood.The latter is a perfect example of the "Peter Principle," where one gets promoted above one's level of competence.A terrific division commander, Hood was overmatched as an army (and probably even as a corps) commander.Buell's treatment of Thomas is almost over laudatory.To be sure, the record is clear that Thomas was a stalwart, at whatever level of command he held; he excelled from the start of the Civil War, with his crushing of Zellicoffer's army at Mill Springs to his smashing victory over Hood at Nashville. Nonetheless, the treatment of Thomas is perhaps a bit "over the top," despite his genuine accomplishments and the shabby treatment that he received from Grant and Sherman toward the end of the war.

In the end, a very interesting book, marred mainly by the overenthusiastic treatment of Thomas (even though, I would argue, Thomas deserves much more credit as a general than he is often given).

Thought-Provoking; But Are Descriptions of Events Misleading
I enjoyed Mr. Buell's book.As a number of people have noted, the author provides perspectives on Generals Lee and Grant that may be unfair in some respects but are often thought-provoking.The portions on General Thomas explain his greatness in a way I had not read before.

On the other hand, the book's description of a single incident causes me great concern about how much the reader can rely upon the author's descriptions of other events throughout the book.

That one event concerns the so-called Lost Order.On September 9, 1862, General Lee, then at Frederick, MD, issued seven copies of the order (Special Orders No. 191) to his commanders, including D.H. Hill and Stonewall Jackson, directing them to split up and attack Harper's Ferry, VA from three directions, thus dividing his army into four parts.Jackson, not realizing that Lee issued a copy of the order directly to Hill, also issued a copy of the order to Hill, Jackson's subordinate.Hill received the copy of the order from Jackson, but the copy from Lee was somehow lost.Beginning September 12, the Union army moved into Frederick.Incredibly, on September 13, a Union soldier camped on the outskirts of Frederick by chance found the order lying in a field, wrapped around some cigars.The order was ultimately forwarded to General McClellan, leading ultimately to the Battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg) on September 17.

I do not profess to be a Civil War expert, but both books I had read about this incident clearly stated that it was never determined whether Hill received the copy of the order from Lee and therefore should be blamed for its loss.On the one hand, according to those books, Hill always adamantly maintained that he never received the order, and his adjutant supplied an affidavit to that effect.On the other, Lee's adjutant, R.H. Chilton, maintained that, although he did not have a specific recollection or documentary evidence, he was confident that he must have received confirmation that the order was delivered to Hill.Beyond that, no other evidence turned up.No courier confessed carelessness, and the identity of the owner of the cigars was never determined.See, Sears, Landscape Turned Red: The Battle of Antietam, pp. 111-115 and Appendix I; McPherson, Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam, The Battle that Changed the Course of the Civil War, pp. 107-108.

It is certainly fair for an author to suggest that one scenario or the other is the more likely one (in view of the explicit, albeit selfserving, testimony of Hill and his adjutant, I would be inclined to conclude that Hill did not receive the copy of the order, and that in the rush of events [Lee's army was splitting up and moving out] Lee's adjutant did not notice that he did not receive confirmation of receipt).Mr. Buell does not do this, however.Instead, giving no hint of any uncertainty or controversy, he relates one hypothetical scenario as firmly established fact:"Hill . . . received two copies of the special order. . . .Hill snorted at the inept staff work of the high command and tossed away the redundant order.A staff officer retrieved the document and used it to wrap his cigars.When Hill and Lee's army got underway the next morning, September 10, the package was left behind."Buell, pp. 111-112.

Again, I am no expert, but if Messrs. Sears and McPherson are correct in describing the available evidence, Mr. Buell's description is, with all due respect, misleading.He presents the story as gospel, adding vivid details (Hill "snorted" and "tossed away" the order; a "staff officer" retrieved and reused it) that lead the reader to believe that he is relying upon an account by a witness (presumably the messenger or Hill or a member of Hill's staff), when there apparently was none.

This disparity, in turn, causes me to wonder how many other times in the book Mr. Buell may have used similar, apparently misleading techniques to present hypothetical scenarios as fact without alerting the reader that uncertainty exists.

As I have emphasized, I am only a layperson interested in the Civil War.James McPherson apparently did not complain about Mr. Buell's treatment of the Lost Order incident (the book cover includes a blurb by Mr. McPherson praising the book; I have not been able to find his original review), so perhaps I am being unfair.If anyone has other thoughts, I would be delighted to hear them.

Biased and not evenly written, too much on Lee and Grant
Numerous books have been produced concerning many aspects of the American Civil War ranging from specific campaigns, biographies of individuals, as well as a three part series to cover the entire conflict.Thomas Buell presents a succinct look at six of the leading generals of the era using first hand accounts and memoirs that show a glimpse of their individual views as they happen.The three Union Generals are Ulysses Grant, George Thomas and Francis Barlow.In comparison, Buell submits analysis of their closest Confederate counterparts in Robert E. Lee, John Bell Hood, and John B. Gordon to delineate strengths and weaknesses on both sides of the bloodiest conflict in American military history.
Buell opens with an introduction explaining his goal for his book.He introduces each of the six figures to be discussed and provides a title to each, often referring to them by these titles.Although these titles add to each persona, at times during the reading these references can be confusing.The initial chapters supply necessary background to understand the central themes concerning the Civil War and how it started.
The battles begin with Lee's Peninsular Campaign and continue through Appomattox.Throughout each subsequent battle, Buell tends to center more on Grant and the haphazard Lee than any of the other main characters.While Lee is criticized for almost every move he makes, Thomas is hailed as the saving grace of the Union, not to mention the only capable general in the conflict.While Lee relied too much on the tenth principle of dumb luck, portraying him in the manner Buell does begs the question "Why was he not removed earlier?" Buell's slant on Thomas also creates questions to his bias.
The time spent on the four remaining individuals is well balanced, as Buell concentrates on situations comparing Hood with Thomas and Gordon against Barlow.Relationships between the six generals as well as among their respective Presidents is described using sources such as written correspondences, diaries and journals.
Buell includes maps in the beginning and end of the book, in addition to maps in the chapters to assist the reader in understanding location and point of direction.Coupled with the novel-like text, readers are treated to vivid accounts of battles, the field on which they were fought and troop movements.The book is further divided in sections by either Eastern or Western theatres and time periods.This further assists the reader to maintain continuity with battles and locations for readers who are not familiar with the area, especially when Grant moves east.
The book concludes with appendices containing an individual chronology of the six main characters, charts illustrating in which battle each fought, as well as casualty rates (Confederate and Federal statistics).Buell references his extensive bibliography throughout his piece, demonstrating his research and preparation.
While the figures in this book are not considered a who's who of great military leaders compared to George Washington, Napoleon, Winfield Scott or Hannibal, they did take part in the bloodiest war in American history.Some may be portrayed in a better light than they deserve, while others are unduly criticized.Readers able to see past the bias of Buell will find an entertaining, well written, vividly described essay that provides insight to the thoughts and feelings of the pivotal characters. Buell's first hand sources provide credibility to his research not enjoyed by second or third hand hearsay. Buell's contribution will arouse curiosity in novices of the Civil War while allowing veteran Civil War enthusiasts to relive the events included in the book.

Good, thought provoking
Buell analyzes three COnfederate and three Union soldiers with six very different leadership styles.

Buell gives a title to each of the six different men and they are:

The Yoeman: Ulysses S. Grant
The Aristocrat: Rboert E. Lee
The Knight-Errant: John Bell Hood
The Roman: George H. Thomas
The Cavalier: John B . Gordon
The Puritan: Francis C. Barlow

Buell researched this book heavily, including delving into the National Archives to the point that he actually found boxes of papers from the Civil War that had not even been opened since they were packaged and delivered after the war, a fact that I find amazing given the vast number of books written on the war every year.

Buell is quite clear in his book that Robert E. Lee was vastly overrated and quite possibly incompetent (he never says it outright but he infers it). I agree that Lee has been overrated by some, but his incompetence is refuted, in my mind, by his track record against a much larger, better equipped army over the course of the war. To his credit, Buell does not lay the blame for the vast number of casualties in the Seven Days Battles in the Peninsular Campaign on Lee - which I consider fair consider that he was forced to take charge during the battles due to the wounding of Confederate General Joseph Johnston. Lee can't really take the blame for a situation he did not create.

Buell also is extremely critical of Grant, sometimes in a contradictory manner. At the beginning of the book he is critical of Grant's strategy as unimaginative at the end of the war (press Lee constantly, despite the constant casualties since Lee could not replace his casualites and Grant could easily replace his own - it quickly became a numbers game and denied Lee his famed mobility) and then, towards the end of the book he praises it.

Buell's favorite is obviously Thomas, a brilliant organizer who built the army that literally simultaneously destroyed the Confederate Army of Tennessee (under Thomas) and was the core of Sherman's famous March to the Sea through Georgia. However, he was ultimately relieved of command by Grant for being to deliberate - a conclusion that I share with Grant. Buell, however, believes that it was an unjust firing. (Grant believed that action was often more important than preparation - sometimes true, sometimes not, but Thomas never seemed to be prepared enough...)

Although I disagreed with many of his conclusions, I did enjoy Buell's book. It was informative and well written.

Fresh
First, a caveat: If you say, "War of Northern Aggression", hold dear the Lost Cause, and celebrate Massa Robert Lee's birthday as a high holy day, you should avoid this book altogether rather than read it and go on to write an emotional review raving against it and giving only one star. This book dares depart from the usual hagiographic treatment of Lee, suggesting that some of his actions were less than genius, and that some were brutal mistakes. Trust me, if you consider this sacrilege, please avoid this book.
As for everyone else, this is an outstanding book - the freshest take on the Civil War that I have read in years. Buell ignores the received wisdom on such giants as Grant, Lee, Sherman, Hood, and Jackson, and goes back to original sources to reconstruct the actual men behind the legends. His take on these generals is sometimes controversial, usually enlightening, and always interesting.
Buell focuses on three pairs of generals - Grant and Lee, Thomas and Hood, and Barlow and Gordon. This devise works well to allow him to examine each major phase of the war in both the eastern and western theaters. By including the lesser known Barlow and Gordon, Buell is also able to contrast the West Point trained professionals to volunteer generals who made up such a large segment of those who served in the Civil War.
Grant and Lee, in particular, come in for reassessment in Buell's work, and both suffer somewhat from it. This, however, is not character assassination, but a valid reexamination of undeniably great men, assessing them by their actions rather than the legends that have grown around them. You might not totally agree with all of Buell's conclusions, but they may make you reassess what you think you already know.
One of the high points of the book is the treatment of General George Thomas. One of the greatest generals of the war, Thomas has been often overlooked for many reasons (including the fact that he was a Southerner mistrusted by the North, he did not get along well with Grant, and he died shortly after the war leaving no memoirs.)What you read here will leave you hungry for more information on the great forgotten man of the Civil War.
Buell writes well, his prose moves swiftly, and though he covers the general's actions in many battles, he never gets bogged down in the details that are more appropriately left to books that cover a particular campaign.
Read this book and you will discover something almost as rare as a Burnside victory - fresh ideas about the Civil War.


Theo Logos ... Read more

Customer Reviews (18)

Not the best book in the series.
This book is the beginning of the disappointment in the Brotherhood of War series... In 'Part 1' which seems to have been written at a different time and mind set than 'Part 2' a senior officer demands to know why Colonel Lowell was not given a command position in the new Air Cavalry they've developed. He is apparently given one but that's ALL we get to hear on the subject except for in... 'Part 2' which feels altogether different from the first part. We hear a couple sentence rumor of Lowell's exploits in 'nam where he's supposedly insulted a superior and challenged him to court martial him. That's it. Lowell's service as a commander (something he's good at. Something we're told repeatedly throughout the story that's he's good at) is concluded in less than a paragraph and will now and forever be left a mystery. I sort of feel that by now in the series that Craig Lowell would have learned not to have affairs with married women seeing the trouble it's gotten him into in the past but this brilliant, intelligent, rich man once again is written into the stupidity of sleeping not only with a married woman but a fellow officer's wife. This foil got old several novels ago and it was disappointing to see it raised again as a plot device. We also finally see the return of Lowell's son who's in and out of the novel in a short time. He's grown up to be not a very nice person. The ending, as others have stated is abrupt, confusing and very disappointing. The mission in 'Part 2' is interesting (if not historically accurate) and well done but sadly kills off a long time character for no apparent reason. This book begins the decline of the series and should have been the last as it was planned to be. Worth reading but not as good as past novels in the series. Long time readers will be disappointed.

Brotherhood of War-The Generals
So far I have read the Botherhood of War books up to the Generals and along with the other novels I have read this one is also Great!I hope the rest are as good asthe first ones!

The Middle
Man, does this guy HATE the Air Force. That's okay, because after reading the last chapter of his last book, we hate him, too. Rewriting the Son-Toy raid to glorify the Army? Please. That was a USAF op, Mr. Griffinth, accept it, admit defeat, or take your fantasy revisionist history and go home. The retired Maryland insurance salesman will keep you company.

Other than that, I actually loved his first 5 3/4 books. After reading those last ten pages, however, I took everything from WEB and tossed it in the trash or gave it away.

Really.

W.E.B. Griffin has done a superb job of this story
Although the series of books are about Special Forces & Army "Airdales", (I'm sorry, it's the Marine coming out of me), I enjoyed the novel very much. The whole brotherhood series builds on grade structure and is a conitnuity unto itself of the characters involved. Great reading and you don't want it to end.

An unworthy ending for a great set of books
I did like the entire series of these books, but the ending was very disappointing. I know that the Author put a lot of work and soul into them but he could of ended it on a better note instead of terminating the entire crew in a couple of pages. ... Read more

Book Description
At age twenty-two, General Henry Lee commanded the elite Lee's Legion and earned an enviable record: capturing the fort at Paulus Hook; distinguishing himself in the battles at Haw River, Guilford Courthouse, Eutaw Springs, and others; and helping in the siege of Yorktown. But by 1809 Lee's fortunes had tragically altered: He wrote these memoirs while jailed in a debtor's prison. Originally published in 1812 in two volumes as Memoirs of the War in the Southern Department of the United States, this third 1869 edition includes Robert E. Lee's biographical essay on his father, the only substantial piece of writing by the celebrated Confederate general. From Grant and Sherman to Eisenhower and De Gaulle, classic military accounts have emerged from the carnage of nearly every war; Lee's Memoirs are unique in that they are unrivaled in the history of the American Revolution. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Stirring, Thrilling, You Are There
Anyone with a sobriquet of "Lighthorse Harry" sets up some expectations with his memoirs, but this book delivers on them.Not onlydoes the book take you into the thick of battle in the Revolutionary War's"Southern Campaign", it also takes you to deliberations about howthe Colonists reacted to British Rule and what kind of government Americashould have and how it should solve practical issues ofthe day.HenryLee was there for all of it as one of the "Lees of Virginia". This book has a zest and pacing that gently draws the reader in for thenext installment.

a "must" for the student of the Revolution in the South
Lee's work is well written and, in some cases, provides the only description of the legion of battles and skirmishes that characterized the Southern Campaign. The reader needs to keep in mind that Lee wrote in the 18th century tradition of exagerating one's own triumphs and glossing over any shortcomings. Lee likewise writes in a seemingly authoritative manner about events where he wasn't present. For example his condemnation of the NC militia at the battle of Guilford CH has influenced most subsequent accounts although Lee wasn't aware that their orders allowed them to leave the field after delivering up two rounds. In contrast he fails to mention the flight of the Virginia militia in the right wing. Given these faults, Lee's work is still the best of it's kind. Any Rev War library should have a copy. ... Read more

Book Description
Lewis provides a comprehensive, impartial examination of Argentina's "Dirty War." He analyzes the causes, describes the ideologies that motivated both sides, and explores the consequences of all-or-nothing politics. He begins by tracing the Dirty War's origins back to military interventions in the 1930s and 1940s, and the rise of General Juan Peron's populist regime, which resulted in the polarization of Argentine society. Peron's overthrow by the military in 1955 only heightened social conflict by producing a resistance movement out of which several guerrilla organizations would soon emerge. The ideologies, terrorist tactics, and internal dynamics of those underground groups are examined in detail, as well as their links to other movements in Argentina and abroad. The guerrillas reached the height of their influence when the military withdrew from power in 1973 and turned over the government to Peron's puppet president, Hector Campora. They quickly found themselves in opposition again after Peron returned from exile, and as Peronism dissolved into factions after Peron's death, the military prepared to take power again, inspired by a new "National Security Doctrine." The origins of this ideology in US Cold War doctrine and in French "revolutionary war" doctrine are fully explored, because the Argentine military's Dirty War strategy and tactics grew directly out of these ideas. The arrests, the treatment of prisoners, and the mindset of the interrogators are treated in detail. Special attention is given to the anti-guerrilla war in Tucuman's jungles, the strange history of David Graiver-the guerrillas' banker-and the Timerman case. In the last part of the book, Lewis describes the intrigues that undermined the military regime, its retreat from power, and the human rights trials that were held under the new democratic government. Those trials eventually were stopped by military revolts. Presidential pardons followed and have left Argentina divided once more. An important survey for scholars and students of Latin American politics, contemporary history, and civil-military relations. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The one book you should read about the Dirty War
I have studied the Argentine Dirty War for over 20 years, and if I were to recommend one book to anyone to read on the subject it would be this one.There are two things that Lewis does which really set this book apart from the literature on the subject so far.

First, Lewis describes and makes sense out of all of the background starting with Peron that led up to the Dirty War.This really helps place the Dirty War in its proper context so the reader can comprehend why such terrible things occurred later.He then gives a full account of all the atrocities committed by the Argentine military. In this way he does not exonerate or excuse the Dirty War, but does make sense of why things happened the way they did.

Second, Lewis points out that there really was a war going on.The guerrillas were active, were powerful, were committing acts of terrorism and were seriously threatening to destabilize the Argentine state.A lot of anti-military sources try to portray the security threat posed by the guerrillas as a figment of the military's imagination.This was simply not true.There was a real war going on and Lewis shows that this was the case.Lewis does not excuse the ways the military chose to deal with the guerrilla threat, but does explain why rational and normal men would choose to commit such horrorific acts.In their mind they were in a desperate life and death struggle, and they acted accordingly.In retrospect they made some very bad choices, but Lewis helps explain how it all seemed rational and necessary at the time.

This book is balanced, honest and cuts through a lot of the cherished popular myths.It is fair to both sides of the conflict.Finally it is well written and flows well.I got through it in two days.This book will become a classic text on the Argentine Dirty War. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Inner War
David Irving's "The War Between The Generals" focuses on personal rivalries, strategic disputes, national conflicts and other forces that threatened the Allied command from within.

Irving's writing style is superb, with the pacing and detail of a thriller novel and the facts and insights of real history.Why can't more historians write like this?

The most serious Allied dispute dealt with Eisenhower's "Broad Front Strategy", in which Anglo-American forces would move across large sectors of France in the final push into Germanny vs. Montgomery's "Full Blooded Thrust", wherein a huge Allied Army would march on a narrow axis directly into the Ruhr Valley to capture and destroy Germany's industrial region.

This broad front vs. full blooded thrust originated out of each commander's national needs.Montgomery knew that the British Empire teetered on the edge of bankruptcy and was down to her last manpower reserves.A quick victory in Europe would thus preserve the Empire.

Eisenhower sought to maintain the Anglo-American coalition and pursue a low risk strategy of incremental advance across the entire Western Front. Eisenhower also wanted to maintain the autonomy of American commanders like George S. Patton.Ultimately, Ike decided that America, the major contributor of men, material and money, would call the strategic shots.

The arrogance and incompetence of the French is examined in great detail.Shockingly, De Gaulle routinely fed the names of dissidents who loved France but not De Gaulle to the Gestapo so as to eradicate any rival political forces.

Irving packs in great details such as the German V-1, V-2 and V-3 superweapons, the Allied VX proxmity fuses and many other fascinating facts.

I highly recommend this work of history as it demonstrates how the Allies first had to overcome themselves before they could vanquish the Axis Powers. ... Read more

Book Description
The first biography of Nathan "Shanks" Evans, an important Confederate general, based upon a large cache of newly discovered and previously unpublished sources.

Until now, little has been known about Nathan "Shanks" Evans, a prominent and highly controversial Confederate general who served throughout the Civil War in several theaters of operations. Thankfully, because of a recently discovered cache of his personal papers--long rumored to exist but never before seen--it is now possible to present his fascinating Civil War odyssey largely in his own words.

Shanks covers Evans's entire amazing career, from his brave stand with a brigade at the famous stone bridge at First Manassas to his controversial months in North and South Carolina, where his erratic and harsh behavior earned the ire of much of his subordinate officer corps. Fighting in nearly every important campaign of the war, the famous brigade under his command was so well traveled it was known throughout the army as "The Tramp Brigade." Viewing the Civil War and the actions of his men through Evans's eyes is an engrossing new perspective and adds substantially to the literature of the Civil War. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A concise and neat biography

This relatively short (200+ pages) and workmanlike biography is the first book-length account of the life of Nathan G. Evans. A West Point graduate in 1848 (near the bottom of his class), his first military experiences occurred fighting Indians as a Dragoon in the West. A native of South Carolina, he resigned from the army in 1861 and threw his hat in with the Confederacy. Put in charge of a cavalry brigade of South Carolinians, he distinguished himself at First Bull Run and Balls Bluff a few months later. Success continued to follow him at Second Bull Run, South Mountain (where with a diminished force he helped save Rodes's division from annihilation), Antietam, and Vicksburg. But then troubles began to replace his successes, caused probably by a harsh and unsteady temperament. He was tried for drunkenness and acquitted, and then for disobedience, for which he was also acquitted. But the damage to his reputation was done, and many of his superiors (Beauregard in particular) had little use for him. Injured in a fall from his horse in 1864, he didn't see duty again until the war was almost lost. He was a high school principal after the war, but lived only until 1868.

Silverman, et. al., have used the newly-discovered letters and papers of Evans well in constructing this life. They have defined a very specific task at hand - relating Evans's rather short life - and have not wavered from it with superfluous information or analysis. It's a very direct and proficient biography; it will not win awards for style. Illustrations are included, but, unfortunately, no maps. Recommended.

An engaging read and scholarly sound
I purchased this book a few weeks back because it was written by one of my favorite college professors and advisor, Dr. Silverman at Winthrop, hoping the book would be as good as his lectures. I was not disapointed.

For someone unitiated to the life of General Evans, like myself, the narrative portions of the book gave a real feel for his times and motivations. The battle descriptions are certainly more than who moved his forces where and such. A real sense of the character of Gen. Evans and how his leadership style meshed with the flow of the Confederate Army opened up to me the depth of the military action and struggle of battles, like Manassess, that I am already familiar with.

Letting the participants speak for themselves through their own personal letters is well done, especially since the narrative flows well with the letters.

Again, the only complaint would be the lack of maps, other than that this is a fine read for the general reader and for those concerned with the details of the Civil War and Confederate leadership.

The FirstBiography of Shanks Evans Is a Solid Success
Winthrop University historians Jason Silverman and Samuel Thomas have teamed up with the late Beverly Evans to produce a thoroughly enjoyable biography of Confederate Brigadier General Nathan "Shanks" Evans of Marion, South Carolina.

The strength of the book lies in the authors' skillful use of the private papers of General Evans that his descendent, Beverly Evans, had carefully conserved and made available to his two co-authors. Rather than foisting their own interpretations of Evans on the reader, the authors allow the general to speak for himself, mostly through his previously unpublished familyletters as well as his military correspondence. The picture of Evans that emerges from the book is at odds with the common perception of him as an impetuous, brawling brigadier with a fondness for alcohol.

A West Point graduate and an accomplished Indian fighter before the war, Evans' resigned his commission in the U.S. Army shortly after his native state seceded from the Union. Despite his spectacular early successes at First Manassas, Ball's Bluff and Secessionville, and solid performances at Second Manassas and Antietam, Evans' promotions stalled out at the rank of brigadier general. His failure to obtain the coveted rank of major general traced to a series of running disputes with both his subordinate and his superior officers that resulted in two courts martial of Evans during 1863. Though acquitted in both proceedings, Evans' public reputation never recovered, and he spent the balance of the war in obscurity. He died in 1868, aged only 44, still struggling to rebuild his life from the war.

Superbly written and grounded in sound research, SHANKS contains some previously unpublished photographs of Evans and his family. Maps would have augmented the battle descriptions. But despite their absence SHANKS is a fine book that sheds positive, new light on an obscure but important military figure. Readers with an interest in South Carolina, or in the early Civil War in the East, will especially enjoy the book.

Review by C. Michael Harrington

Mr. Harrington is a member of the Houston Civil War Roundtable and Civil War Aficionados. He has written articles on two officers in Evans' Brigade. A practicing lawyer, he has degrees in economics from Yale and Cambridge and a law degree from Harvard. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (1)

Short biographies of some great generals.
An interesting read.The author Uffindell offers a perspective of great generals of the Napoleonic era.Some I agree with, others I don't.In this book, 14 generals are reviewed, with a focus on ten.I'm not sure Napoleon's stepson rates as a great general (though he was loyal).I am also not sure why he feels Ney and Murat do not rate in his category.However the author does a good job of detailing the lives of these generals, and one battle illustrating the general's greatness.

This is an interesting read.There are so many books about the Napoleonic Wars, but the short biographies were very interesting.The battle examples brought out how battles were fought 190 years ago.A nice read. ... Read more

Book Description
A fully illustrated, incisive A-to-Z compilation of biographical and historical essays on every significant military leader of the Civil War-Union and Confederate-with authoritative text prepared by the Civil War Society.Includes archival illustrations and photographs throughout. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Incomplete, inadequate and erroneous
A book on Civil War generals that doesn't include Pat Cleburne? John Bell Hood (b.1831-d.1879) said in the book to have died "four years" after the war? An "encyclopedia" on individuals that frequentlyommits places and dates of births and deaths? The Civil War Society, authorof this book, should be embarrased. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent biography of not so hot general/politician

Stephen A. Hurlbut was a controversial figure throughout his whole life. He seemed incapable of giving anything more than mixed results in all his endeavors. Born in South Carolina, he practiced law in Illinois beginning in 1845. He served as a Whig in the state legislature just prior to the Civil War, and then was appointed brigadier general of volunteers in 1861. He served in northern Missouri for a time, but had little understanding of guerilla warfare. He did much better at Shiloh defending the Union left. He also commanded well at Corinth and Meridian, but failed to seize the initiative after the Confederates were defeated at Hatchie's Bridge. Although he was loyal and dutiful, he was not a strong leader of men. He was also a heavy drinker, which got him into hot water. He was extremely harsh toward southern sympathizers, blacks, and Jews, and it was a mistake making him commander of the Department of the Gulf in September 1864: he was charged with corruption and was antagonistic toward the Louisiana authorities. His drunkenness was also becoming a major handicap. After the war he became a Republican leader in Illinois and helped organize the GAR. He was a minister to Colombia, 1869-72, and then minister to Peru during the Peru-Chile War, where he drunken behavior was an embarrassment to the US. He died in Lima in 1882. Jeffrey Lash's account of Hurlbut's life is informative and well written and pulls no punches.Except for having the ability to organize for his political causes, this southerner with a Yankee heritage was only mildly competent in as well as out of uniform. Lash's efficient and well-fitted biography is better than Hurlbut probably deserves. Recommended.

Politicians and generals- has it changed?
Stephen Augustus Hurlbut - forger, card cheat, extortionist, profiteer, and falling-down drunk - Lincoln's and Grant's politician general.His personality shortcomings illuminate military campaigns, occupation, reconstruction, and politics in the Civil War years - before, during, and after - and hold lessons for future "administration" of occupied lands. ... Read more

Book Description
Herbert Curzon is a former cavalry officer who earned fortuitous distinction in the Boer War. He knew little then; he learned nothing since. But the army, desperate for officers in the opening months of WW I, hands Curzon, a new division to train.

A few months later his formations dissolve at the Somme, hosed down by German machine guns. Uninstructed, Curzon still thinks himself a leader. When a German offensive threatens his remaining troops, he gallops suicidally into the fighting. He prefers death to self-knowledge.

"THE GENERAL is a superb novel. It blends Forester's preference for military subjects and solid unreflective characters, his irony, his grasp of history and his gift for lean, hypnotic narrative." (The New York Times) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Classic novel of the first world war.
This is one of C.S. Forester's first novels about war, published in 1936 and hence pre-dating Hornblower.

Like almost all the novels which Forester wrote before he created the Hornblower books, this is brilliant, far less well known today than it deserves, and consequently quite rare. The author H.G. Wells described "The General" as "a magnificent piece of work."

Some of Forester's other books, particularly those describing battles against opponents of whom he strongly disapproved of such as Hitler's nazis or indeed Napoleon, can come over as patriotic to the point of jingoism or chauvinism. This story does not come into that category and it would not be far from the truth to call it one of the first great anti-war novels.

If you collect books about war, and you are fortunate enough to find a copy of "The General" for sale at a remotely reasonable price, buy it at once.

This novel describes the military career of a fictional first world war general. It begins and ends between the wars, with a sharp pen-picture of the retired general Curzon sitting in a bathchair on Bournemouth Promenade, having lost his leg during the great war and never managed to learn to walk properly with an artificial one.

Then the story goes back to Curzon's first battle as a subaltern in 1899 during the Boer war, and follows him through to the climax of the book at the battle of St Quentin on March 21st 1918 when the last desperate German offensive nearly snatched victory from the jaws of defeat.

Forester appears to have set out to do three things; to entertain, inform, and explain. He entertains with an engaging story; he informs by describing the ghastly conditions and waste of life which was the first world war in the trenches; and he tries to explain one possible answer to the question of how British commanders could possibly have given the orders which sent hundreds of thousands of young men to their deaths.

One of the most memorable passages in the book describes the debate as generals and senior staff officers of an army corps prepared a report of why the attack they had just organised had failed and how to succeed next time. "In some ways it was like the debate of a group of savages as to how to extract a screw from a piece of wood. Accustomed only to nails, they had made one effort to pull out the screw by main force, and now that it had failed they were devising methods of applying more force still ... they could hardly be blamed for not guessing that by rotating the screw it would come out after the exertion of far less effort".

But that does not mean that Forester is simply repeating the popular caricature of First World War generals as dangerous idiots. Although he is critical of the mistakes of the generals who wasted so many lives, his criticism is far more sophisticated than the old "Lions led by donkeys" cliche.

Although Curzon, the central figure of this book, is old fashioned and conventional, he is intelligent enough to change his mind when confronted with clear evidence of the need to do so, and decisive enough to enforce that change of mind on others when many men would freeze in panic. Had he been as stupid as some reviewers make out, Curzon would not have survived the first few months of World War 1, let alone been rapidly promoted.

He is intelligent enough to realise that his men need to eat and to make sure that they are fed properly, and to make use of officers who understand newfangled things like engineering, railw