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Title: Grant Moves South by Bruce Catton ISBN: 0-7858-1264-4 Publisher: Castle Pub. Date: October, 2000 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $9.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.71 (7 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Superb study of Grant's early campaigns
Comment: Bruce Catton's books are always part of the mandatory reading material for anyone who wish to understand anything about the Civil War. Grant Moves South is a classical textbook example on how Civil War history books should be written for the masses. Easy to read, well researched and above all, easy to understand. Details military information was not Catton's style. He writes in broad strokes and in a matter where its easy to consumed the informtion and understand the situations. I first read this book in Middle School and still reread it to this date. The book remains just as strong back then as it does today. No one can go wrong reading this book.
Rating: 5
Summary: To be enjoyed like an old wine
Comment: It is often difficult to find good reference books on topics that are greatly controversial. This one is a classic among classics: a deeply researched book, based on excellent factual sources, that is written with talent and reads like excellent fiction.
Catton's writing is based on impeccable research. In many ways he takes advantage of living at the right time, when many of the sources he draws on are now available after having been either difficult to access or simply unknown. He definitely makes the best of it, and combines a tight and interesting writing style with a density of information that simply was not available to those that came before him. The result is an indispensable book, a reference that must be read by those interested in General Grant and in the Civil War.
Grant has been the source of much discussion, during his life and afterwards: his resignation, the painful years in Galena, the war, the two presidencies, his last years and death in poverty. Catton depicts him in his entirety, warts and all. He makes him greatly sympathetic, yet clearly discusses his weaknesses. He succeeds in doing so largely indirectly, as a character of the book rather than its study. As a result, the impressions he conveys are much more impressive, since they are largely derived by the reader from the facts exposed rather than being delivered as opinions by the author. His style is largely narrative, and one ends up reading this book as a fascinating adventure story, whose plot is progressively revealed, yet keeps surprises till the conclusion - however well we know what comes.
This book is a jewel: authentic, well researched, full of facts, yet revealing of a deep humanity and of frailties in the man it follows. It is not often that we can at the same time enjoy the writer, admire the historian, and be fascinated by the topic. If you want to read only one book on Grant (I should say two, because the previous volume, "Grant Takes Command", is equally necessary), let it be this one. If you want to read many, make this one the first.
Rating: 3
Summary: Grant to the extreme
Comment: I bought this book, after rearing so many people talk about it, and develop a "Heroic SUPER GRANT" mentality.
While this is very good reading, I'd like to point out two major flaws, that have a continuing theme in this book.
SHILOH: The fact remains, Grant was Commander in Charge on day one, the day he was whipped back to the banks of the river.
Grant allowed his men, (and Sherman also), to be extremely careless and they got caught like a bunch of campers out on a picnic. Many of the Union soldiers were bayonetted in their tents.
There was an investigation afterwords, from Senators, about what happened. ( Grant and Sherman, after the battle, were busy "covering their butts". Grant was ready to quit, as Halleck no longer trusted Grant.)
Grant failed at Shiloh, due to the fact they never acted upon the information that enemy forces had been seen around their camp. Grant failed, also by not following west point tactics maintaining a "clear field of fire", in front of their base. ( Just to name two major errors)
Shiloh, Day TWO, Beauregard faced an ENTIRELY NEW ARMY. U.S. General Buell's 18,000 plus soldiers had arrived during the night.
Now HOW in the world, Catton gives Grant the credit for Day TWO and what he calls, the victory here escapes me. This is like a wrestling match, where one person is on the mat, getting pounded, and from outside the ring comes his partner to his rescue.
You'll see this repetitious theme throughout the book.
MY other big fault is the biased statement. "Grant was a child of his times" ( speaking of his views on Africian-Americans)
Well, I certainly do agree with that, but what I don't agree with is had ANY CONFEDERATE/SOUTHERN soldiers said the very same words, they would have been branded as the worst kind of rasict.
I like reading about Grant, Sherman, Lee, Jackson or any of the Civil war Generals; and this is a good book, but the author writes in the hero worship mode.
I would highly recomend, in addition to this "Tom Worthingtons Civil War" by James Brewer. ( Tom Worthington was a Col. from the 46th Ohio Vol, who was at Shiloh, and James Brewer taught at West Point. Excellent book)
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Title: This Hallowed Ground: The Story of the Union Side of the Civil War by Bruce Catton ISBN: 078581552X Publisher: Castle Pub. Date: September, 2002 List Price(USD): $9.99 |
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Title: A Stillness at Appomattox : The Army of the Potomac Trilogy by Bruce Catton ISBN: 0385044518 Publisher: Anchor Pub. Date: 01 October, 1953 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: Phoenix: Never Call Retreat: Volume Three in the American Civil War Trilogy by Bruce Catton ISBN: 1842122916 Publisher: Phoenix Press Pub. Date: December, 2001 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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Title: Glory Road by Bruce Catton ISBN: 0844667900 Publisher: Peter Smith Pub Pub. Date: January, 1995 List Price(USD): $22.50 |
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Title: Mr. Lincoln's Army by Bruce Catton ISBN: 0844667919 Publisher: Peter Smith Pub Pub. Date: February, 1994 List Price(USD): $22.75 |
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