Past Due Treatment of An Overlooked Battle
341047
Not since William C. Davis' 1975 "The Battle of New Market" has an author delved into the sharp engagement in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley in the spring of 1864 that gave a much needed boost to the morale of the Confederacy, chased Union Gen. Franz Sigel back down the Valley to Strasburg and compelled Gen. George Crook, upon his learning of Sigel's defeat, to withdraw from Virginia to West Virginia despite his victory at the Battle of Cloyd's Mountain just six days prior.

Best known as the battle where the Corps of Cadets from the Virginia Military Institute gained immortality, Charles R. Knight's solidly researched and well written account fleshes out the earlier work by Davis and provides insight into heretofore little known aspects of the battle, the events leading up to the fight and its aftermath. An example . . . how did a single company of dismounted Missouri cavalry end up fighting as infantry in the Valley of Virginia under the command of a general who had won fame in both the Eastern and Western theaters of the war and would go on to become the last Secretary of War of the Confederacy?

"Valley Thunder" is full of such nuggets of information and is an easy, informative and entertaining read. An absolute must for any serious student of the war.
1443377
Histories of the North African campaign too often start with the appearance of the Afrika Korps in April 1941.  That does a disservice to the British: their victory over the Italians in 1940 was an amazing achievement that deserves more attention.  Jon Latimer provides us with just that.

Although not up to the standard of some of the more recent Osprey Campaign books, Latimer does a good, solid job.  He points out the shortcomings of the Italian army -- the leaders, shortage of modern and effective weaponry, inadequate logistics and poor intelligence -- which negated the courage of the soldiers.  By comparison the British were much better off in each of these areas.

Latimer follows this up with the actual battles, showing how (despite a smaller force) the British concentrated superior numbers at the point of attack and then exploited victories to the full.  The maps do a good job of illustrating the actions, although one showing in detail one of the attacks on the Italian camps at the start of the campaign would have been very useful.  The careening pursuit across western Cyrenaica, ending in the decisive battle of Beda Fomm  is very ably described and compares with anything Rommel achieved.

The main drawback, as mentioned by another reviewer, is analysis.  Except for the obligatory comment that the British missed their chance to drive the Italians completely out of North Africa, we are left to draw our own conclusions.  There are some interesting ones to draw.  The British 7th Armored Division was used strictly to exploit victories achieved by other forces, rather than as a versatile combat unit like the panzer divisions.  Organization shortcomings (too many tanks, not enough infantry and supporting arms) were already making themselves felt.  At least one tank charge was shot to pieces by Italian artillery, something that would be repeated all too often in 1941-42.

Despite this shortcoming, Latimer does an admirable job of covering the first British North African campaign.  I would buy this book again in a heartbeat.
3316757
James Swisher's book on the Revolutionary War in the southern colonies is an excellent work on this underappreciated theater of military operations. The book begins not with battles between Patriot and Redcoat but with frontiersmen against amerindians. In this respect, it sets the stage for the later, larger struggle because the Americans who fought the valiant Cherokee would later use the same tactics, weapons and leaders against Tory and Redcoat.

The author evaluates professional soldiers versus militia as well as the strengths and weaknesses of both. He accurately portrays the violent and cruel civil war between tory and patriot. The reader gets a sense of the meritocracy of frontier society where effective militia leaders rose by their abilities to fight the enemy effectively. The reader is made aware of the economics of the area where the battles were fought and how the inability of the British to supply their armies contributed to their losses.

Mr. Swisher is able to expertly and clearly convey the course of battles and the tactics used. More than this, the author makes the reader aware of the attitudes of various commanders on both sides to show how their backgrounds affected the decisions they made and underpinned their overall strategies - or the lack thereof in the case of many British officers.

One is also made aware of the often brutal civil war in the south between those who wished to remain loyal to their King and those who demanded independence. British military authorities consistently divided the population between "us and them" as well as issuing arrogant proclamations which were interpreted as very real threats that pushed many into the "rebel" camp. The reader can clearly understand how the British failure to "protect the population" and instead seek decisive battle (which one can say was an American failure in Vietnam) contributed to their ultimate ruin at Yorktown.

This volume brings to light early American leaders who are forgotten today: Morgan "The Old Waggoner", "Swamp Fox" Marion, Shelby, Sevier, Pickens and others. We see their opponents: Lord Cornwallis, Tarleton, Ferguson. We read of these men, their strengths and weaknesses. We get a sense of how these men thought and acted.

This is an excellent work and I recommend it with five stars.
2853898
The book provides an excellent and concise overview of the chosen battles. Readers who are unfamiliar with the battle in question will, in my opinion, feel the time reading about the event was well spent. In some cases, enough interest might be kindled to inspire the reader to seek a more in-depth treatment of that part of history.

However, in cases in which a reader is already fairly well-read, I don't think the relatively short chapters will provide substantially greater

Overall, a 4-star survey of great battle in human history.
1699676
Eric Hammel does a good job narrating the events during the Battle of Eastern Solomons in August, 1942.  This was a critical battle which allowed the First Marine Division defenders on Guadalcanal to continue to consolidate its position.  The blow by blow narrative of the air battle is so detailed that one wonders how Mr. Hammel was able to gather all this information--particularly that which he gleans from the Japanese side.

The weakness of Mr. Hammel in this book is his seeming inability to cope with the historically improved view of the performance of Vice Admiral Frank Jack Fletcher.  Mr. Hammel seems to parrot the biased view first propounded by the likes of Rear Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner, who had a desparate need to blame the disaster of the Battle of Savo Island on someone--anyone--other than himself.  Unfortunately, Admiral King and Samuel Elliot Morrison picked up on Turner's scapegoating.  Mr. Hammel seems to write as if none of the exculpatory research in such works as Lundstrom's "Black Shoe Carrier Admiral" has been circulated in the historical community.  Admiral Fletcher certainly was concerned with refueling his ships...particularly his destroyer screen...as he well should have.  Logistics of refueling had not developed to the art it became by the end of the war.  Admiral Fletcher correctly kept his eye on the most important of his objectives...to destroy Japanese carriers under Admiral Nimitz's orders of calculated risk so that he could preserve the U.S. carriers, which in the Pacific were the most strategic of wartime assets for the defense of the United States.  Fletcher wasn't flambouyant or reckless like Admiral Halsey, but was very approachable unlike Admiral Spruance.  His approachability and good judgement explains Admiral Fletcher's magnificent performance--as well as the superb performance of the Yorktown--at Coral Sea and Midway.  Mr. Hammel would do well to edit out his bias in future editions.

Finally, Mr. Hammel could put better perspective on what was achieved by this little known battle.  A major effort which included extensive elements of the Combined Fleet were turned back, as this was a rather massive counterassault on the Marine position at Guadalcanal.  That in itself was a considerable achievement only overshadowed by the Coral Sea and Midway engagements.  The Marines owe a considerable debt of gratitude to the Navy for keeping their position viable...and the Leathernecks should also be reminded that more sailors died in the Guadalcanal campaign than Marines.
2579271
My 3rd generation great-grandfather fought in this battle with the 2nd Connecticut. It was exciting for me to go over the field of action and imagine his participation in this action. It reminded me on how little we truly understand our own history, as if weather conditions had been different and subordinate generals had been more confident, this battle might have been the decisive battle of the Revolution instead of Yorktown.
4743620
This is a nice job or describing the battle at Bristoe Nation, when the Union forces bloodied the Army of Northern Virginia's nose. It was not a major battle, but it hinted at problems with the Confederate forces, such as A. P. Hill's leadership, the ability of the southern forces to successfully mount an offensive, George Meade's ability to handle the Army of the Potomac, and so on.

Robert E. Lee and his army had outfoxed Meade and forced his retreat by threatening his flank and rear. The voices of Washington (such as Abraham Lincoln and Edwin Stanton) had become somewhat disillusioned with Meade after his non-aggressive movements against Lee after the battle at Gettysburg. They thought they saw more of the same as Meade was outmaneuvred.

As Meade's army retreated, Hill's corps aggressively pursued. His forces caught up with Gouverneur Warren's II Corps (Warren was standing in for Winfield Scott Hancock, who had been wounded at Gettysburg) at Bristoe Station. Although he would soon be outnumbered, Warren used the railroad as a natural defensive position and fired on Hill's troops. The Confederates charged, but the defensive position of the northern forces was too strong--and they had artillery backing as well. After a relatively short period of time, the southern forces backed off.  Lee was distressed at the heavy casualties and Hill's lax leadership.

A nicer description of the battle. As with all in this series, there is also a discussion of the battlefield today and suggestions as to how to tour the site to see key sites. Finally, these volumes have a number of appendices that flesh out the text\'s coverage. Satisfying coverage of a sharp little battle just after Gettysburg. . . .
4789753
Good summary of Corinth battles that are often overlooked due to focus on more significant battles. Interesting focus on rail center that caused Corinth to be important. Seems to be a bit to polite about Hallicks skills or lack thereof.
338283
The story of the battle between the USS Monitor and the Merrimack (CSS Virginia) at the Battle of Hampton Roads is well known as the battle where iron armored ships signaled the end of the era of wooden ships. From this battle on, ships would be made of iron (and later steel) with their guns mounted in turrets would rule the waves until they too met their match at places like Pearl Harbor.

But as usually happens with technology, there are few secrets. The engineers in the North and the South began developing ironclads, as well as more effective canon and shells.

This excellent book gives the overall history of the ironclads on both sides. This includes the river fleet under Grant in his battles on the western rivers as well as the ones in the east. In two appendicies, the author lists 34 named Confederate ironclads (six more were started but never named), and 83 Union (some of which were so bad that they while they were built, they were never commissioned into the Navy).

The book concentrates on the ironclads of the American Civil War, as this was the time when they were being invented and first used. It uses an interesting format of a chronological history combined with essays discussing some particular point of interest. There is some additional material at the beginning and end of the book on earlier and later activities to place the Civil War into some perspective.

All in all, a well researched book that provides a more complete story than I've seen before.
136091
I read this book in three days last August and it is a good account of a battle that hasn't been covered very well in the English-speaking world. What makes this book even more interesting is how the author connects it with the 1410 battle when the Teutonic Knights were decimated by the Poles. If there were only more books in print on this little-known front of the First World War
3088039
This battle marks the last time that Islam and Christianity fought with any sort of equality. The other source of its fame is that it was possibly Poland's greatest military moment. At the time, the Turks were was already in retreat in the region. Just before this the Turkish army had suffered losses and overall was barely holding mainly in places like Poland. As the book shows is that the Turkish army was already being outclassed by its Christian enemies army.

This was its last chance. In trying to take Vienna, the Turks brought many troops. Many of these were shown to be useless in modern warfare.

Unlike the writer, I am not so sure that if Vienna had fallen, it would have changed much. The relief army would have taken it back. Failing that the Habsburg had large military forces in the West and plenty of money for Vienna they would have come back.

What is surprising is that the Turks almost pulled it off. An early assault on Vienna probably would have worked.

The writer has done here only a reasonable job in describing the politics and the battle. While reading it I confess, I found it hard to picture what was happening both politically and militarily.

The writer did a reasonable job of describing the results of this failure which speeded up the retreat of Turkey in the region.
3439785
The Crimean War brought the armies of Britain, France, Turkey, Russia, and eventually Sardinia (Italy) to fight on the shores of the Black Sea's Crimean Peninsula.  One product of this conflict was the creation of tens of thousands of letters, personal memoirs, official histories, and modern accounts of the battles and the related war that today fill the shelves of the world's libraries, archives, and perhaps even today its attics.

This resulted in great part not only from the efforts of Mr. Russell of The London Times, the first modern war correspondent, and his colleagues, but also from the many literate veterans of this conflict, especially from England.  The Crimean War was probably the first war to produce so many accounts from the soldiers in the ranks instead of just the army commanders and senior officers.  With such raw material to work with it is little wonder that the library on the Crimean War has continued to grow as historians continued to work through it.

Over his career, historian Christopher Hibbert has written many excellent works recounting the history and/or biography of places, events, and individuals both British and non-British.  He presented his contribution on the Crimean war in 1961 in the form of this biography/military history centered upon the role the of the British Army's Commander, Lord Raglan, before and during the war in the Crimea.  Curiously, Hibbert's book appeared at about the time that I first read Cecil Woodham-Smith's "The Reason Why" and discovered the body of scholarship on this conflict that was relatively forgotten and unknown in the United States at that time.  Woodham-Smith's work was an important contribution to scholarship and popular literature on the war, first published in 1953, and telling the story of the Charge of the Light Brigade at the Battle of Balaclava (immortalized in Lord Tennyson's poem, The Charge of the Light Brigade).

I really regret that it took me this long to discover Hibbert's book because having finally read it I consider "The Destruction of Lord Raglan" to be one of the best English-language histories of the Crimean War.  If you want to study this conflict, you have to include `Lord Raglan' in your readings.  Published almost 50 years ago, Hibbert's work obviously does not reflect the scholarship of recent years.  However, he was the first author to make extensive use of Lord Raglan's own correspondence and papers in both the Royal Archives at Windsor Castle, but also those held at the Royal United Services Institute.  In his acknowledgements, the author makes further note of the many other sources upon which he drew in researching Lord Raglan and the Crimean War.  The Sources listed in the published work extend for almost eight pages and include English, French, and Russian language sources.

Christopher Hibbert writes that no one interested in learning and writing about the Crimean War can avoid W.A. Kinglake's masterful nine volume history, "The Invasion of the Crimea," published 1877-1888.  Having discovered "The Destruction of Lord Raglan," I would dare to amend his advice to add, "nor can the serious student of this conflict ignore Christopher Hibbert's "The Destruction of Lord Raglan."
280557
A superb account of the last real opportunity for the South to destroy the Union Army of the Cumberland in the Western Theater and remain on the offensive, after barely failing to do so at Chickamauga.  This battle is also notable in that it cemented Grant as Lincoln's man for the duration of the war and enabled Sherman's subsequent march to Atlanta, the sea, and through the Carolinas.

Peter Cozzens' writing is top notch and this account is on par with the very best authors such as Shea & Hess (Pea Ridge), Timothy B. Smith (Shiloh and Champion Hill), and James McPherson (War on the Waters). The author provides an excellent run-up to the battle, blow-by-blow accounts of the action, and descriptions of the main personalities on both sides and their critical and interactions and decisions, which largely determined the outcome of this battle.  There is little doubt how and why this battle was won or lost.  While the stabilizing presence of Grant and the additional troops brought by Sherman and Hooker after weeks of relative inaction by Bragg helped tip the balance in the Union's favor, it is George Thomas and his Army of the Cumberland, which fought Bragg at the bloody Stones River and Chickamauga battles, that shine in particular at Chattanooga, with notable contributions from Gen's William "Baldy" Smith and Phil Sheridan.  Union strategic and tactical errors by Grant, Sherman, and Hooker were largely offset especially by those of Bragg, Longstreet, and Jefferson Davis, as well as some other Confederate field generals with a few exceptions, particularly Patrick Cleburne.

Cozzens does a masterful job weaving this thoroughly-researched material together in a form and format that is easy to read and understand.  Numerous, well-drawn maps with essential information are provided in appropriate locations.  Together with top-notch wordsmithing and editing, this book is polished and professional.  It is apparent some reviews have been downgraded somewhat because of unflattering performances outlined by Cozzens of a number of prominent leaders on both sides, which some may have found to be disappointing or worse.  However, I commend the author for telling the facts and allowing them to fall where they appropriately may.
2914218
The Gettysburg Campaign is one of the more written about conflicts in the American Civil War yet for all the books and articles written about it, there are still things we have yet to learn.  In Meade and Lee After Gettysburg, Jeffrey Wm Hunt explores the end of the campaign from July 14th  July 31st, 1863, as the campaign was winding down, and some of the small battles which occurred.  While most books on Gettysburg do talk about these small battles, Hunts work strives to give us an in-depth account of what happened in those places instead of trying to sum them up in one chapter.  Now there are books about the aftermath of the Battle of Gettysburg, but this one is brings a fine analysis to certain battles on the way towards Virginia.

 Jeffrey William Hunt is the Director of the Texas Military Forces Museum located in Camp Mabry in Austin.  He is also an Adjunct Professor of History at Austin Community College.  He has a degree in government and a Masters Degree in History from the University of Texas.  In 2013, he was named an honorary Admiral in the Texas Navy by Governor Rick Perry.  He is the author of The Last Battle of the Civil War: Palmetto Ranch, and has also contributed to Essential Civil War Curriculum, the Revised Handbook of Texas, and the Gale Library of Daily Life: American Civil War.

 As I stated in the introduction, most books on the Gettysburg Campaign cover the end of the conflict with a simple chapter chronicling Lees escape into Virginia while only mentioning a few battles on the way.  Hunts work looks to fix that.  Throughout the work, Hunt starts to describe these final moves from Gettysburg to Culpeper Court House as a grand game of chess, which I thought was quite provoking on thinking of these weeks.  The mindset of George Meade presented here was fascinating.  There are some authors who just give the impression that once Meade won the Battle of Gettysburg, he was finished with the task at hand, but Hunt says otherwise.  Meade attempted to outthink his enemy, push towards certain points of the map which would not seem usual.  He wanted to trap Lee and bring that victory which the high ranking officials in Washington so wanted to see.  The narrative in the work shows that strategy playing out in the mind of Meade with great fascination.  I also enjoyed the narrative when it came to General Lee and his men, defeated, yet still trying to make their way across the Potomac, back into Virginia.  From the Battle of Falling Waters in 1863, to the Culpeper Court House, these conflicts are analyzed to a solid point, using the Official Records, regimental histories, and other primary sources to such a finite point, that the research within this book is amazing.

 I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Battle of Gettysburg.  This is the book which should be read after reading any work about that seminal battle.  The narrative is striking, the maps are well drawn and beautiful, and the research is top notch.  Jeffrey Wm Hunt should be praised for his work here and I cannot wait to see what else he is working on.

Matthew Bartlett
1817950
A wonderful and well documented review of an epic World War II siege. The individual battles are reported in the words of participants and onlookers. Future leaders of the Soviet Union were involved in the war effort, including some that were treated rather shabbily. Stalin's actions were often inexplicable. I was disappointed because the last year of the war was treated so briefly. I would also have liked to see some maps of the area. It was difficult to get a perspective of the area without maps to show where the towns and cities involved in battles were located.  On the whole it is a fine book.
2338468
This is a well written and enjoyable account of a crucial battle that rarely gets the attention it deserves.  While in most ways the battle was a tactical draw, it gave the North a crucial strategic victory and contributed much to the disintegration of Bragg and the infighting that plagued the Army of TN.  While I do feel that this work is not as good as his later work on Chickamauga, I do not agree with most of the negative reviews.  My biggest issue here is the maps.  There are not enough of them and it is sometimes hard to keep track of the larger picture.  This is also a problem with Cozzen's Chickamauga book.  Despite this, the book is well worth a read, especially if you are interested in the war in TN.
432746
The late Gettysburg historian and author Elwood (Woody) Christ wrote this excellent account of a "smaller battle" that occurred during the battle of Gettysburg on July 2 and 3, 1863.  The Bliss Farm was a peaceful "average" farm located near Gettysburg, PA, where the Bliss family farmed for many years.  This small farm would be placed in "no mans" land between both the Army of the Potomac and the Army of Northern Virginia and had strategic value for both armies during the battle.  Regiments from Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware. Ohio, and Pennsylvania would fight for possession of the farmstead against the regiments from Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.  The engagements between the Union and Confederate regiments consisted of small scale skirmishes that involved hundreds of men at any given moment which the farm buildings would change hands at least ten times.
Woody Christ says between sunrise of July 2 and the early afternoon of July 3 approximately 2160 Union and 2310 Confederate soldiers fought around the Bliss Farm which resulted in 360 Union and 470 Confederate casualties.  Though small compared to the larger battles around them during the Battle of Gettysburg, this is still a lot of soldiers who perished or were seriously wounded.
The actions of the regiments around the farm directly affected the strategies of both armies during Gettysburg.  Impromptu artillery barrages between both armies, which wasted precious long-range ammunition that Confederate Colonel E. P. Alexander would need to support Pickett's Charge.  The actions around Bliss Farm would help the Union later on have devastating actions on Pickett's Charge due to Ohio Regiments being strategically placed to fire upon Pickett's soldiers during the charge during the afternoon of July 3.  Confederate General William Dorsey Pender would be mortally wounded while trying to reconnoiter the farmstead for possible troop placements.  The effects of the actions around the farm would force the withdrawal of Confederate Regiments that could of been of better support of Generals Pettigrew's and Trimble's troops on the left of Pickett's Charge.
Woody Christ accurately summarizes that because of the actions of Bliss Farm and the holding of the farm ultimately by Union regiments that Pickett's charge on July 3, 1863 could have met with greater success.
The Bliss Farm was totally devastated when Union troops set fire to the barn and buildings to drive out Confederate sharpshooters and skirmishers.  The family was one of the few families in and around Gettysburg to have lost everything due to the battle.  After the war Bliss family members would spend their entire lives trying to receive compensation from the U.S. Government because of the destruction of their farm.  They were never compensated.
Woody Christ wrote a fascinating, in-depth, yet easy to understand account of the "small battle" of Bliss Farm during the Battle of Gettysburg. Excellent maps, photos of the key soldiers both Union and Confederate are included, order of battle enhance this great read.  It is unfortunate that this was the only book this Gettysburg Historian would write.  His prose and accuracy are outstanding and he undoubtedly had more history about the battle that he could write.  This is a "rare" book to find and not that many were published, thus it is a little expensive to purchase.  However, it is DEFINITELY worth acquiring and studying for anyone interested in the Battle of Gettysburg.  Woody Christ's excellent book definitely shows that "small actions" during the Battle of Gettysburg had a definite effect overall in the outcome of the battle.  A great book that hopefully will be republished to a wider audience who can learn about these small battles within the large Battle of Gettysburg.  HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!