by Eric J. Wittenberg (2002)
In Little Phil, historian Eric J. Wittenberg reassesses the war record of a man long considered one of the Union Army's greatest leaders. Throughout his life, Phil Sheridan was by all accounts a lucky man. He was fortunate to receive merely a suspension, rather than an expulsion, when as a West Point cadet he attacked a superior officer with a bayonet. During the Civil War, he was ultimately rewarded for numerous acts of insubordination against his superiors, while he punished his own officers for similar offenses. In his first effort as a cavalry commander with the Army of the Potomac in the spring of 1864, he gave a performance that has long been overrated. Later that year in the Shenandoah Valley, where Sheridan gained fame by making his legendary ride to Cedar Creek, he benefited greatly from the tactical ability of his subordinates and from a huge manpower advantage against the beleaguered Confederate troops of Lt. Gen. Jubal Early. Further, in his after-action combat reports and postwar writings, Sheridan often manipulated facts to depict himself in the best possible light. Thus, he ensured himself an exalted place in his own version of history. Wittenberg has written a thoroughly researched and cogently argued study that explodes the mythical image of Philip Sheridan and exposes the human frailties that bedevil the art and science of military leadership. - Jacket.
Brian C. Melton
"Biography of Union major general Henry W. Slocum. Author explores Slocum's attitudes and tactics while serving under various Civil War generals such as George McClellan, Joseph "Fighting Joe" Hooker, and William Tecumseh Sherman"--Provided by publisher.
Roy Blount, Jr
Iconic Virginian, brilliant general, and complex human being---that last aspect of Robert E. Lee has daunted biographers and been disregarded by partisans. Now Roy Blount Jr. combines acute character insight with lively storytelling and full-hearted Southern directness to craft this unique portrait. Fascinated by what made Lee such a charismatic, though reluctant, leader, Blount delves into the influences of Lee's illustrious but scandal-clouded ancestry, his hero-turned-scapegrace father, and his beloved, beautiful, husband-forsaken mother. In 1861 Lee was Lincoln's first choice to lead the Union troops, but his Virginia roots drew him, instead, to Confederate command. Blount vividly conveys Lee's audacity and uncanny successes in battle, and also his humility, his quirky humor (certain jokes in particular), his faults as a communicator, and his sorrowful sense of responsibility for his outnumbered, half-starved army. Robert E. Lee, the first brief biography of this American legend, will appeal to history and military buffs, students of Southern culture, and every reader curious about the makeup of a man born to be a myth.
[by] Frank E. Vandiver
"Frank E. Vandiver's detailed research ... provide a vivid description of Stonewall's boyhood, West Point training, early career, years of teaching at the Virginia Military Institute, and Civil War campaigns. Here, too, are insights into Jackson's personal life and his deep religious feelings, which were so influential on his military thought and actions"--Jacket.
James I. Robertson, Jr
"A.P. Hill, whose name was on the lips of both Lee and Jackson as they lay dying, but whose highly important military career has been neglected by biographers, has been brought brilliantly to life in this book. With much new material, Dr. Robertson has created an unforgettable portrait of one of the great Confederate generals."