audiobook Shiloh and the Western Campaign of 1862 by O. Edward Cunningham in History

Review

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. A fine well-detailed telling of the battle of ShilohBy Steven PetersonShiloh was the first really monster battle of the Civil War. To be sure; other battles of substance had occurred earlier--from Wilson's Creek in the West to First Manassas in the East. But none was as vicious; nasty; and deadly as Shiloh. This book; by O. Edward Cunningham; represents his doctoral dissertation. Somehow; it did not get published in book form; although it was used by National Park Service personnel. However; all to the good; his dissertation has been recently published; annotated by Gary Joiner and Timothy B. Smith; who provide updates and comments on the original document--as well as some minor changes to address inaccuracies.The end result is a solid contribution to understanding Shiloh and the context in which that battle took p-lace. The book does not begin with Shiloh; but with events that led to this battle. Here; we see the development of Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston's position; the development of the Union forces opposing Johnston. Key here are early battles that unhinged the Confederate line and forced a retreat where disparate forces united. We get a sense of the importance of conflicts at Mill Springs and Forts Henry and Donelson.The Confederate forces gathered at Corinth; as Grant's army camped on the grounds above the Tennessee River at Pittsburg Landing. The Hero of Fort Sumter; P. G. T. Beauregard took operational command; developing the plan of attack to surprise Union forces. And Cunningham then goes on to explain in great detail (one can almost get lost in the minutiae) the actual progression of events at Shiloh. Cunningham does a fine job of getting the available information together to make sense of a confusing battle. The editors credit him with paying less attention to the Hornet's Nest and more to the Crossroads than quite a few others did in prior volumes on the battle.This book; despite its age; is still one of the best volumes on the subject (I think Daniel's book is the gold standard; but this volume holds up pretty well in comparison). If interested in an in depth analysis of Shiloh; this is a very good resource.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A Truly Good ReadBy Dar or RPLI gave this book the highest mark because of the incredible effort that the author put in to make this book as accurate and concise and detailed as humanly possible; and because the book with some additions and modifications was originally Cunningham's thesis for his doctorate. Few have gone to such an effort to be as detailed as to write a thesis of this magnitude. This book a true study in the love of the subject matter; and gives true honor to the men North or South who fought at Shiloh who after all; right or wrong; were and will remain American soldier's.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. The Definitive One-Volume Work on ShilohBy David M. DoughertyAlthough I guess I am rather late in discovering this book; I would like to add a few comments. First I agree with essentially all of what James Durney wrote in his very fine review. Secondly; the authors and publisher deserve a vote of thanks for rescuing this academic PhD dissertation from the dust bins of academia and making it available to the public with updates and corrections. For those that believe there's nothing of value produced before the Presidency of John Kennedy; this work from 1966 proves the opposite. In fact; the modern propensity to add journalistic edge to writing or to interpret history through the author's opinions to "guide" the public; often renders historical works almost unless in recent years. This work has none of that. It is very even-handed; does not affix blame; and is true scholarship. The writing may be excessively detailed in some places for those who wish to be entertained on every page; but such is the nature of history. There are many trees in the Shiloh forest; and if the reader doesn't want to read about all of them he could read Shelby Foote's treatment of Shiloh in the first volume of "The Civil War." Foote tells an interesting story in 18 pages for popular consumption; and he never allows facts or scholarship to slow him down. He resolutely states concerning the casualties at Shiloh; "Shiloh's totaled 23;741; and most of them were Grant's." Contrast that to Cunningham's discussion of the casualties in this work and one can see the difference between scholarship and journalism (or historical fiction; for that matter.) My only criticism concerns the maps. They are many and detailed; but often landmarks mentioned in the text cannot be found on the maps. In addition; the maps lack the detail of the narrative; and I; for one; would like to see maps showing regimental positions where possible. I assume the maps were created not by the original author but by illustrators retained by the publisher. Although Savas Beatie is the premier publisher of Civil War and Revolutionary War history books today; this is one areas where they can still improve. As an example; see some of the maps in "The Battle of Bentonville" by Mark Bradley; published by Savas Woodbury in 1996; and another book I have recommended to Civil War readers. I recommend this book without reservation. It is scholarly; even-handed and comprehensive. What more can a reader ask?