Make no mistake; the Confederacy had the will and valor to fight. But the Union had the manpower; the money; the materiel; and; most important; the generals. Although the South had arguably the best commander in the Civil War in Robert E. Lee; the North's full house beat their one-of-a-kind. Flawed individually; the Union's top officers nevertheless proved collectively superior across a diverse array of battlefields and ultimately produced a victory for the Union.Now acclaimed author Albert Castel brings his inimitable style; insight; and wit to a new reconsideration of these generals. With the assistance of Brooks Simpson; another leading light in this field; Castel has produced a remarkable capstone volume to a distinguished career. In it; he reassesses how battles and campaigns forged a decisive Northern victory; reevaluates the generalship of the victors; and lays bare the sometimes vicious rivalries among the Union generals and their effect on the war.From Shiloh to the Shenandoah; Chickamauga to Chattanooga; Castel provides fresh accounts of how the Union commanders—especially Grant; Sherman; Sheridan; Thomas; and Meade but also Halleck; Schofield; and Rosecrans—outmaneuvered and outfought their Confederate opponents. He asks of each why he won: Was it through superior skill; strength of arms; enemy blunders; or sheer chance? What were his objectives and how did he realize them? Did he accomplish more or less than could be expected under the circumstances? And if less; what could he have done to achieve more—and why did he not do it? Castel also sheds new light on the war within the war: the intense rivalries in the upper ranks; complicated by the presence in the army of high-ranking non-West Pointers with political wagons attached to the stars on their shoulders. A decade in the writing; Victors in Blue brims with novel; even outrageous interpretations that are sure to stir debate. As certain as the Union achieved victory; it will inform; provoke; and enliven sesquicentennial discussions of the Civil War.
#1013801 in Books Univ Pr of Kansas 2003-10-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.48 x .47 x 5.58l; .48 #File Name: 0700612718160 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Gene FletcherGreat book