The Last Full Measure

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Author Jeff Shaara rounds out the Civil War trilogy started by his late father Michael Shaara, whose book The Killer Angels describes the Battle of Gettysburg. Just as Jeff Shaara's Gods and Generals covers action prior to Gettysburg, The Last Full Measure picks up with Confederate General Robert E. Lee's retreat from Pennsylvania and continues through the end of the war. Shaara focuses on the characters of Lee and Union commander Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, both of whom play prominent roles in the earlier books. He also introduces a new one: Ulysses S. Grant, the Union general who would finally defeat the South--something no soldier before him could manage. The Last Full Measure is often exciting and poignant, and fans of The Killer Angels and Gods and Generals won't be disappointed. --John Miller

Book Description

In the Pulitzer prize-winning classic The Killer Angels, Michael Shaara created the finest Civil War novel of our time, an enduring bestseller that has sold more than two million copies. In the bestselling Gods and Generals, Shaara's son, Jeff, brilliantly sustained his father's vision, telling the epic story of the events culminating in the Battle of Gettysburg. Now, Jeff Shaara brings this legendary father-son trilogy to its stunning conclusion in a novel that brings to life the final two years of the Civil War.

As The Last Full Measure opens, Gettysburg is past and the war advances to its third brutal year. On the Union side, the gulf between the politicians in Washington and the generals in the field yawns ever wider. Never has the cumbersome Union Army so desperately needed a decisive, hard-nosed leader. It is at this critical moment that Lincoln places Ulysses S. Grant in command--and turns the tide of war.

For Robert E. Lee, Gettysburg was an unspeakable disaster--compounded by the shattering loss of the fiery Stonewall Jackson two months before. Lee knows better than anyone that the South cannot survive a war of attrition. But with the total devotion of his generals--Longstreet, Hill, Stuart--and his unswerving faith in God, Lee is determined to fight to the bitter end.

Here too is Joshua Chamberlain, the college professor who emerged as the Union hero of Gettysburg--and who will rise to become one of the greatest figures of the Civil War.

Battle by staggering battle, Shaara dramatizes the escalating confrontation between Lee and Grant--complicated, heroic, deeply troubled men. From the costly Battle of the Wilderness to the agonizing siege of Petersburg to Lee's epoch-making surrender at Appomattox, Shaara portrays the riveting conclusion of the Civil War through the minds and hearts of the individuals who gave their last full measure.

Full of human passion and the spellbinding truth of history, The Last Full Measure is the fitting capstone to a magnificent literary trilogy.

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

The last 18 months.......2007-10-12

"The Last Full Measure" picks up where "The Killer Angels" left off. General Lee is still licking his wounds after the Confederate disaster at Gettysburg. He and Longstreet are still on shaky ground personally, and most of Lee's best officers are gone now. Meanwhile President Abraham Lincoln has just appointed General Grant to the new position of Lieutenant General, commander of the Union Army. He pursues Lee for another 18 months whittling away at the southern army until Lee is finally forced to surrender.

It seems like the writing process of this trilogy was just as much an epic as the novels themselves. It starts with Jeffery Shaara's father, Michael, who wrote "The Killer Angels". Then son Jeff takes on the mantel and continues on, going backward before Gettysburg and forward afterward until the end of the war. This book, as you know, is the end of the Civil War trilogy and it ends with a bang, so to speak. This book is so thoroughly heartbreaking at the end, with General Lee's Army of Northern Virginia on the run from General Grants Union forces. What did it for me was when Lee was inspecting the troops and they are so pathetic looking and tell Lee they're hungry. And the truce at Appomattox was possibly the best writing I have ever read, with both enemy generals being civil to each other that was obviously a strained effort from both parties.

Saintly Colonel Joshua Chamberlain is still the main Union protagonist through out the novel, though in "Measure" he shares the spotlight with General Grant, who is a moody and somber man, more or less Lee's moral equivalent. Longstreet and Lee are still the main focus of the Confederate point of view, though after the battle at Gettysburg their relationship is strained at best. We see and hear a little of Sherman's March to the Sea, but the main focus is on the battle field in Virginia and in the north.

As before the realities of the fight are examined minutely, with the Bristoe Station, then Overland Campaign to the Siege of Petersburg. The introduction of African American soldiers is new to the Shaara series, but it also shows that the one's who had the most to lose were also willing to fight just as hard and ferociously as their white counterparts.

A worthy conclusion to a great series of books.

Great finish in an outstanding trilogy.......2007-04-04

I think this book, and the two preceding it should be required reading in school. I had no idea how horrific this war was, particularly more so as the brutalities committed on both sides were against our own. There were so many moments when I wanted to stop and cry for the loss of life, and especially at the end when the one man who was capable of healing the country and bringing us all back together as one nation, Abraham Lincoln, was assassinated.

The research was impeccable and telling the story from the viewpoints of the various generals absolutely fascinating. The honorable Robert E. Lee, Chamberlain (loved his gracious salute to the surrendering army), and the ever fascinating U.S. Grant.

One quote from so many in the book that just brought tears to my eyes: "Yes, it was horrible, horrible indeed. But he had to tell himself that, remind himself to see it that way. There was no sickening revulsion, no outrage, no indignation at the barbarism. It was just one more scene from this war, one more horror, one more mass of death, blending together with all the rest."

Highly highly recommended, and will definitely open your eyes to the horror of war.

Very Affecting Novel on the last years of the Civil War in the East.......2007-03-20

This is the novel that it seemed that Shaara came into his own. This part of the Civil War was incredibly brutal and Shaara depicts this well. The campaign that Grant and Lee waged was epic and Shaara brings out the humanity of these two men. This book seems just a notch below the "Killer Angels" and is superior in many respects to "Gods and Generals". It is populated by a very human Grant (this book made me want to read more about him) and a very ungodlike Robert E. Lee who propel the story. Chamberlain and his struggles are also depicted and are very relevant because his actions in the last year of the war were as heroic as his actions at Gettysburg. Appomattox is also depicted very movingly. Hopefully this novel will eventually be made into the definitive Civil War film.

Moving finale of the Civil War trilogy.......2007-01-24

I echo the positive sentiments previously expressed. Let me add that the chapters covering Lee's surrender and Chamberlain's salute are among the most moving I have ever read.

A fine study of the last year ..........2007-01-14

... of the American Civil War. I would say this is an excellent history for those who do not particularly have the patience or care to read a history book.

Set as a novel viewing the events of the war through the eyes of it's major players, the story begins with Lee's army at the swollen banks of the Potomac after his retreat from the disaster at Gettysburg. Although the novel does not include the recruitment process of Grant for command of all Union forces as Lt. General (a rank last held by George Washington), nor the strategy session between Grant and his favorite, Gen. W.T. Sherman; it does give a glimpse of why Lincoln chose this man to led the Army.

With the selection of Grant the focus of the war is changed from the dubious capture of Richmond as a means to defeat the South to the defeat of Lee himself. Grant sums it up in a sentence to Gen. Meade (who he leaves in charge of the Army of the Potomac) saying, "Where Lee goes, you will go too." Grant knows that the fighting heart of the South is not in Richmond, but in its most popular leader, Gen. R.E. Lee. When Lee is beaten, the war will end ... and of course, history bears this out.

The tale takes us through the Union defeat in the burning thickets and forest of the Wilderness; Lee's (and Stuart's) brilliant disengagement and race to Spotsylvania and the mule shoe salient -- where the most vicious fighting of the war takes place -- the two armies positioned literally yards from each other, clubbing and stabbing one another to death over and through chinks in the log barricades. It follows Lee's move to the North Ana River where Grant's leaders make a terrible mistake in deployment, but are spared disaster because Lee remains in his tent, too ill to take advantage of the situation. The fight moves further south to Cold Harbor and the wholesale slaughter of Union troops in Grant's biggest mistake of the war. Over 7,000 men are killed in twenty minutes of battle. And finally to the siege of the strategic rail center at Petersburg.

Ultimately Lee will leave Petersburg and march his army west only to be dogged by the Union and finally give up the fight as hopeless at Appomattox.

Although slow moving at times, the average reader will come to know the last year of the Civil War in a way that standard history texts cannot tell it. This is the most critical period of time for each nation's survival. If Lee can hold out for a few more months and Lincoln is not reelected, the pacifist movement in the North will permit the Confederacy their independence and the Union will be broken. With the defeat of Lee in Virginia and the victories of Sherman in Georgia, the South will give up the fight and the Union preserved. We all know the eventual outcome of the struggle. This book gives us the personalized details of how desperate a fight it really was.

Some of the more avid history buffs might be a bit disappointed at the coverage of some events (such as the battle of Cold Harbor), but all in all, this is a fine book on the greatest event in American history. Well written and very readable.

*** Highly Recommended ***

~pjm~

The Civil War: In the Words of Its Greatest Commanders : Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant : Memoirs of Robert E. Lee

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Grant's "Memoirs" and Memories of Lee in one nice Gift Book

The Civil War: In the Words of Its Greatest Commanders : Personal Memoirs of U.S. Grant : Memoirs of Robert E. Lee

Manufacturer: Thunder Bay Press (CA)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1571458379

Book Description

This new edition of two of the greatest works to chronicle the Civil War provides the unique perspective of that great conflict as it appeared to its greatest generals. It is illustrated with over 400 drawings and photographs drawn from historically contemporary sources. The illustrated abridgement of the Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant is contained in this work. Fast-paced, colorful, lucid and laced with flashes of humor, it provides the most authoritative of all contemporary accounts. All the topics that are not covered in the excerpts are summarized by the editor. Historians have always lamented the fact that Lee, who died only five years after his surrender to Grant, was never able to write his personal memoir of his role in the Civil War. The most detailed and revealing view of this great general in action is by General Armistead L. Long in his classic Memoirs of Robert E. Lee. The edition of Long's Memoirs contained in this work is a shortened version of the original. Peripheral matter has been summarized and full texts of official correspondence and extended quotations by other writers have been deleted. What remains is vivid first-hand portraits of Lee just as the author set it down over a century ago.

Customer Reviews:

Grant's "Memoirs" and Memories of Lee in one nice Gift Book.......2002-10-26

This is a lavishly illustrated abridgement of Grant's wonderful "Personal Memoirs" and of Confederate Officer Armistead Long's "Memoirs of Robert E. Lee", two of the major works of the Civil War (Lee never did get around to writing his own memoirs).

While it must be stressed that this is an abridgement, and the actual volumes themselves are worth purchasing on their own, especially Grant's, the clear text and the extraordinary and realistic illustrations makes this volume a perfect gift for the Civil War buff this holiday season, or a worthy addition to one's own Civil War Library even if you already have the separate volumes - as I do.

Average customer rating:

now what?

good read

Entertaining but very disappointing

Did the South Win?

Excellent "alternate history" of the Civil War

Never Call Retreat: Lee and Grant: The Final Victory
Newt Gingrich , and William Forstchen
Manufacturer: Thomas Dunne Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Gettysburg: A Novel of the Civil War

Grant Comes East

Pearl Harbor: A Novel of December 8th

Winning the Future: A 21st Century Contract with America

1862: A Novel

ASIN: 0312342985
Release Date: 2005-05-26

Book Description

The remarkable finale of Gingrich and Forstchen's New York Times bestselling Civil War series A ugust 1863. Having pursued the remnants of the defeated Army of the Potomac up to the banks of the Susquehanna, General Robert E. Lee is caught off balance when news arrives that General Ulysses S. Grant, in command of over seventy thousand men, has crossed that same river. The two brilliant generals will now meet in a massive battle that will decide the outcome of the war. As with Gettysburg, Never Call Retreat will focus on an operational battle, a slugging match between two armies, this time with both armies led by brilliant commanders. In Never Call Retreat Newt Gingrich and William Forstchen bring all of their now criticallyacclaimed talents to bear in what is destined to be an immediate classic.

Customer Reviews:

now what?.......2006-08-15

The first volume covers the battle of Gettysburg, though with strategic maneuvers beyond anything contemplated by the actual participants. Like any successful counterfactual history, the authors are careful in their initial changes - in fact, most readers will not even be aware of the changes in the battle to after the end of the first day's fighting, but by this point many small changes have already occurred - enough changes in fact to lead Lee to a strategic masterstroke on a par with Jackson's Chancellorsville march. From here the story rapidly diverges from what we know as history, but never beyond possibility, and it's amusing to see various participants like Sykes, Sickles, Joshua Chamberlain and others perform in this parallel universe.
The battles scenes are excellent and provide a closeup look at the experience of individual troops. They note often how the opposing sides would arrange unofficial truces when the battles end. You'll probably suspect that the climactic battle of the second book won't resolve everything since there's still that third volume! But that never subtracts from the tension & suspense of these books. Great history - my only regret is that Gingrich didn't start writing novels earlier, rather than spending so much time fighting other battles in Congress.

One small annoyance is the tendency of the authors to put anachronistic quotes in the mouths of their actors. The most prominent one was during a race between the armies towards the coast in which a general remarks let the man on the farthest edge of the flanking troops touch the sea with his sleeve" - a statement actually made 50 years later by the German general during their flanking attack through Belgium. There are several more of these pillaged pedantries scattered thru the books, but their effect is minimal.

good read.......2006-07-29

Gingrich and Fortschen have written an excellent conclusion to their alternative history of the Civil War. AS I stated in my review of the first book, those of us who grew up in the south have lived with the "what if?" Questions our whole life. The first volume of this series posits a Confederate victory in the Gettysburg campaign. But even with that victory could the Confederacy have pushed the campaign to victory and what would have been required to acheive that victory.

The authors have done an excellent job of taking into account the difficulty of capturing Washington and the overwhelming superiority of men and material the Federal forces had. To win this war, it would have required a quick knockout after July 4, 1663. this book shows why this would have been difficult. The difficulties in controlling a captive population, sabotage, internal weakness of the confederate government all are taken into account in this book. I think the embrace of "colored" troops and the army of workers is probably a stretch.

The book involves a short period around on final conclusive battle in Maryland, not far from the site of the Battle of Sharpsburg. The carnage is overwhelming, but in comparison to Cold Harbor, it seems feasible. The authors show an excellent knowledge of the area the battle is fought on.

I enjoyed the trilogy. It was fun fiction, but it also helps the reader to address the 'what if's" Recommend

Entertaining but very disappointing.......2006-07-14

I read all three in this series of "Alternative History" and found the first two fascinating reading and all three were page turners. The last, however left me with more issues that I could not resolve. The end result was as expected. Lee surrenders. I could accept all of the alternative presentations and battles but I could not accept George Armstrong Custer being killed in a battle. What will happen at the "Little Big Horn"?

Did the South Win?.......2006-04-03

"Never Call Retreat: Lee and Grant-The Final Victory. Thomas Donne Books, St. Martin's Press, New York. 496 pages with maps and numerous Civil War Photographs. Hardcover 2005/Softcover 2006.
"Never Call Retreat" is the dramatic conclusion to the Civil War trilogy penned by Newt Gingrich, past Speaker of the House and William R. Forstchen, Ph. D., history professor at Montreat College which attempts, in part, to answer the question: "Could the South have won the American Civil War?".
The "yes or no" answer to tha question is forcefully and with knowledgeable insight presented in the conclusion of this spellbinding fictionalized account of the final weeks of the war. Before the conclusion is reached many notable persons and their actions are presented. Custer, Longstreet, Jackson, Stuart, Sheridan and Sherman all are provided their due in the pages of historical time and place.
Lincoln, Grant and Lee, being the principal players in this the bloodiest conflict endured by this nation are shown to be men of strong religious backgrounds and beliefs. All abhor the human suffering and loss endured by the combatants. They are also shown to be cognizant of the pain, worry and heartbreak borne upon the mothers, wives, sweethearts, children and other family members.
"Never Call Retreat" does not skin over the events of the day. The vivid details of moving an artillery piece to the line of battle over a road knee deep in mud down to including the loss of a trooper's boot sucked up by the mud brings the reader to feel he is by the near wayside observing if not in the mud itself straining and sweating in compnay with the combatants.
The action(s) provide hours of excitement worthy of the James Bond 007 thrillers such as: two steam locomotives sent hurtling down the tracks towards each other to collide head on at the center of the bridge. The resulting explosion caused by the impact plus the tremendous rupture of the steam boilers renders the bridge to the devastation and destruction intended.
Also the maniac charges of the Confederates again and again against the three-inch ordnance rifles loaded with double cannister (100.50cal steel balls) is as strong an epistle of man's animal indecencies as this reviewer has had occasion to have read. Grant's compassion is revealed when he orders his artillery commander: "For God's sake, Henry hold fire", stopping the harvest of human flesh likened to the sweep of a sickle through a field of wheat. "Never Call Retreat" should be required reading and study by all politicians, especially those arm-chair types who advocate military action but have never been on the receiving end of shots fired in anger.
The filling of canteens down stream from the scene of battle with water streaked pink by blood is another meticulous description of the gruesome nature of warfare.
The reader is again and again skillfully brought into the narrative to be one and the same as if he is subjective rather than objective in nature. He becomes an insider rather than an observer while reading the insightful narrative of the building of the pontoon bridge. The descriptive wording of the difficult straining to implant a king-pin to secure the bridge spans is felt as is the spray of the waters of the river.
After the defeat General Robert E. Lee addresses the Confederate Assembly with words that are as meaningful as the words of Atticus Finch (a.k.a. Gregory Peck) in his summation to the jury in "To Kill a Mockingbird". He asks that the hostilities cease and that all, North and South, start to mend and bring the opposing forces into a unified union.
The novel alternates between the White House, The Northern and Southern armies in a time sequence used by the author W.E.B. Griffin. The days/dates do not relate to the times of the actual war, and the reader must keep in mind that this is fiction.
Could the South have won the war? The authors say NO! I suggest you read the book and draw your own conclusion.

Excellent "alternate history" of the Civil War.......2006-03-23

This historical novel is the third and final part of a trilogy that began with Gettysburg, and as the title suggests, this volume chronicles the final stages of the Civil War. The trilogy begins during the Battle of Gettysburg, and describes how the course of the war might have changed had General Lee taken General Longstreet's advice at the end of the second day of battle. What follows is a riveting account of the rest of the "alternate Civil War". The authors describe strategy, tactics, and battle scenes with great realism, and all the developments were easier to follow than the "real thing". Character development was very thorough and added a great deal to the over all understanding of the events (I hope not too much "fictional license" was taken).

Overall, this book was an excellent read, as was the entire trilogy. I think they would be worthwhile to the most casual student of the Civil War.

Grant and Lee: A Study in Personality and Generalship

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Fresh, Stimulating, and Thought Provoking Comparison of Two Remarkable Generals.
Interesting Comparison Between Lee and Grant
Unique Unbiased View of the Generalship of Both
A Very Enjoyable Book, Very Interesting & Very Creative
Outstanding Analysis by the Clausewitz of the 20th Century!

Grant and Lee: A Study in Personality and Generalship
J. F. C. Fuller
Manufacturer: Indiana University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0253202884

Customer Reviews:

Fresh, Stimulating, and Thought Provoking Comparison of Two Remarkable Generals........2007-04-09

Grant and Lee, A Study in Personality and Generalship, published in 1932, compares quite favorably in its detailed research and readability with works by modern writers and historians like Shelby Foote, James M. McPherson, Gary W. Gallagher, and Stephen W. Sears. This work by Major General J. F. C. Fuller is notable for directly challenging the conventional wisdom that Grant was little more than a "butcher" and that his eventual success was almost entirely due to the North's larger population and more abundant resources. In Fuller's view Grant was not only the greatest general of the Civil War, but ranks among the greatest strategists of any age. Fuller generated even more controversy with his contention that Robert E. Lee in several respects had major failings as a military leader.

Controversial or not, Major General J. F. C. Fuller was no ordinary soldier writing about the Civil War. Fuller was a highly respected British military strategist and noted author. In the 1920s he collaborated with B. H. Liddell Hart in developing new ideas for the mechanization of armies. Ironically, their recommendations were more readily adopted in Germany than in Britain, France, or the U.S.

Grant and Lee, A Study in Personality and Generalship, is a relatively short book, around 300 pages. Fuller writes with clarity and precision. He makes careful use of firsthand accounts; he paid particular attention to opinions of staff officers, as men in these roles were likely to have gained greater insight into the personalities of Grant and Lee. He also utilized the opinions of foreign witnesses of the war, like Colonel Fremantle, as a check on insiders' observations. His sources were identified through extensive end notes as he realized that his findings would be controversial. He includes statistics on battle losses to illustrate that the persistent belief that Grant's losses were abnormally high is simply a myth, and that Lee's percentage losses were actually higher.

There are many exceptionally good books on the Civil War, but there are few that are as readable as Fuller's Grant and Lee, and offer such a fresh viewpoint (albeit, now nearly 75 years old, but one that remains stimulating and thought provoking). Grant and Lee, A Study in Personality and Generalship, is available in a reprint edition (1982) by Indiana University Press. Five stars.

Interesting Comparison Between Lee and Grant.......2005-06-23

Whatever your view of Robert E. Lee and U.S. Grant, Fuller's book will challenge you to think long and hard about your beliefs concerning both generals.

As a Southerner, I have to admit that Fuller makes a compelling case for Grant being the better general between the two. One instance is where he confronts the idea that Grant was a butcher because of the heavy casualties during the Wilderness-Spotsylvania Campaign. While Grant indeed suffered the heavier losses, the percentage of losses was acutally lower than Lee. In fact, this was a common occurence in many battles in which Grant commanded.

The book's contents are as follows:

1. The Two Causes - the two nations, presidents, armies and other North/South factors both generals had to operate within.
2. The Personality of Grant - modesty, common sense, courage.
3. The Personality of Lee - humility, tact, audacity.
4. The Generalship of Grant and Lee, 1861-1862 - description of the battles fought by both generals during both years (Shiloh, Fort Donelson, Antietam, Fredericksburg, etc).
5. The Generalship of Grant and Lee, 1863 - Vicksburg, Gettsyburg, Chattanooga, Chancellorsville.
6. The Generalship of Grant and Lee, 1864-1864 - Spotsylvania, Wilderness, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, Appamattox.
7. The Two Generals - comparison and contrast between their two styles and personalities.

One other interesting point mentioned by Fuller was perhaps making the Confederate capital in Atlanta instead of Richmond. I have often thought how such a move would have affected the fighting in Virginia, Georgia, and my home state of North Carolina. Something interesting to ponder!

I highly recommend the book. Read and enjoy.

Unique Unbiased View of the Generalship of Both .......2005-01-20

If you read the introduction to this book, you will understand that Fuller has set out to write a brief but direct book on the Generalship capabilities of Grant and Lee. In the introduction, Fuller notes that Henderson's classic book on Jackson is more a romantic study than one that is an objective view. He goes further to say that a full study of Jackson gives a different appreciation. A respect for his maneuvering and desire to fight but also his idiosyncrasies and secrecy that Fuller indicates would cause one to question Jackson's sanity. With that introduction, you are prepared for the author's blunt assessment of both Generals. The book is brief concentrating more on strategy than just battlefield tactics. He concentrates on the critical battles of the war and the general effect the war has as a whole not just the eastern theater. In Lee, he notes that he was not a grand strategist but one that fought with intuition. As a General, he excelled on fighting on the defensive as showed in the final campaign. However, Lee preferred fighting aggressively and his errors show at Gettysburg and Malvern Hill. In the case of Chancellorsville, Fuller notes that Lee should have used the wilderness more often as a greater asset for defensive maneuvers instead of coming out in the open into battle. That like a spider, he should have waited for opportunities to attack and withdrawal with the protection of cover. He further indicates that Lee had a poor operating staff and his administration impaired supply and clarity of orders as all were given verbally and minimally. Grant on the other hand was a former quartermaster, was well organized and had a global plan of the war hence his simultaneous operations with the western theater and his multiple prong attacks in the east. Fuller notes that at first his objective was to follow Lee and not concentrate on the Richmond. But later he changed to maneuver so that Lee had to react to him as opposed to the reverse. Grant was often accused of having little imagination but as Fuller notes, he did not have the imagination to inflate numbers that were against him (McClellan) but he was rational in knowing that the Confederates had limited manpower. Through his intuition, Lee had success against the earlier Union generals but as Fuller points out, he could not fathom Grant.

The book is critical of both; however, as an overall commander, Grant comes across as much more able and Lee a totally different commander highly capable on the defensive but not as much a hands on commander as most would previously think. Both men are stripped bare; the author offers a unique unbiased view of the war without the human frailty of sentiment.

A Very Enjoyable Book, Very Interesting & Very Creative.......2003-08-05

This is a small book, but don't judge it by its size. It is a great little book. Grant & Lee, with such different backgrounds, lead two great armies in the strangest of times. In the end, with no grudge, the two men get to know and respect each other. But the story of how these men fought & how they thought so similarly in the battlefield and how they were both so noble and courageous help show that two men that could not have been more dissimilar, ended up being so alike serving their causes. I highly recommend this book. Very entertaining, and very educational.

Outstanding Analysis by the Clausewitz of the 20th Century!.......2002-08-24

The oft-repeated view, especially from Confederate defenders, is that Grant won though he was a drunken butcher indifferent to high casualties whose triumph was inevitable because of superior manpower and supplies. John Frederick Charles Fuller, the British Major General, and along with Liddel Hart one of the top military strategists of the 20th century, provides overwhelming evidence to lay this view to rest. Grant practiced maneuver warfare when he could, and his Vicksburg campaign (not just a siege, rather a series of five battles), along with Jackson's valley campaign, are the two greatest campaigns of the war. In his final Overland campaign, Grant could not maneuver much because Lincoln required that he keep substantial forces between Lee's army and Washington. By a thorough analysis of Grant's and Lee's battles throughout the war, Fuller makes the case that Grant was among the best generals ever, and greater than Lee, who was also great but had his limitations (after Order 191 was lost and recovered by McClellan's troops before Antietam, Lee would only issue oral orders, and his subordinates were often confused by them; Grant was known for crystal clear written orders, following the example of Zachary Taylor under whom Grant (and Lee) had served in the Mexican War). Rating Grant so highly will of course be heresy for neo-Confederates, but there is no question Grant has received unfair treatment even among historians. Another Fuller book, "The Generalship of Ulysses S. Grant" adds more details to the defense of the claim that Grant was an excellent general. In assessing the relative greatness of Grant and Lee, one should keep in mind their age difference and the difference in upward mobility on the two sides during the war. Lee was 14 years older than Grant, Lee was already a Colonel when the war started and still serving on active duty, whereas Grant had left the army as a captain after the Mexican War. At the start of the war, Winfield Scott, who had served in the War of 1812 and masterminded in the Mexican War the amazing defeat of a country of 20 million people with 12,000 invading troops, was the greatest soldier on either side. However he was old and so fat he could no longer ride a horse; his campaigning days were over. After Scott, Lee was the best soldier on either side at the start of the war--and Lee was offered command of the Union army but turned it down. However Grant rose through the ranks because he learned quickly from his mistakes at Belmont, Forts Henry and Donelson, Shiloh, and Holly Springs. By the end of the war Fuller's analysis shows Grant was clearly the superior general, and not just because he had superior numbers. Even the oft-cited mistake at Cold Harbor, according to Fuller, is exagerrated. Fuller summarizes the overall casualy numbers during the war: the ratio of killed and wounded to total forces engaged for Grant was 10%; for the whole Federal army it was 11%; for the whole Confederate army it was 12%; and for Lee, it was 16%. One must be fair to Lee and not lose sight of the fact that he was an exemplary, even a saintly individual who must always be acknowledged as among the great American generals. But the simplistic, grossly unfair judgment of Ulysses S. Grant is revealed here as a sham which must stop. Under the razor-sharp and penetrating analysis of Fuller, one of the greatest military historians of all time, the conventional, common opinion of Grant is shown to be balderdash. Ulysses S. Grant was one of the greatest generals the U.S. has ever produced. Though written many years ago, Fuller's book is still relevant to this ongoing national discussion, and is a must read for anyone who wants to compare Union and Confederate generalship. Regarding Grant's drinking, Fuller doesn't discuss this, but this too is greatly exaggerated. He was indeed a binge drinker. When I asked the renowned Civil War historian Ed Bearss about this, he said Grant got drunk about four to six times during the war, always when he was away from his wife (she was with or lived near him during some campaigns and he was always lonely without her). Moreover, in the Civil War one could usually tell when battle was near, and there was usually inactivity during the winter months. The circumstances are not comparable to a modern general's always being on call in the nuclear age. Grant's occasional binge drinking never once affected his generalship, in public functions he usually would not drink at all, being a semi-recovered alcoholic except for the occasional binge. The stereotype is that Grant was constantly drunk during the war. This too is an unfair assessment not based on historical fact. Read this book and will see just how wrong the stereotype of Grant's generalship is, and how good a general he was.

Never Call Retreat: Lee and Grant: The Final Victory (Gingrich and Forstchen's Civil War Trilogy)

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Great series
Imaginary History
What a book for a Southerner to have written.
Concluding their trilogy that began at Gettysburg
Is there anything less than one star?

Never Call Retreat: Lee and Grant: The Final Victory (Gingrich and Forstchen's Civil War Trilogy)
Newt Gingrich , William R. Forstchen , and Albert S. Hanser
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0312949316
Release Date: 2007-04-03

Book Description

The New York Times bestselling authors of Gettysburg continue their inventive series with this remarkable answer to the great “what-if” of the American Civil War:

After his great victories at Gettysburg and Union Mills, General Robert E. Lee’s attempt to bring the war to an end by attacking Washington, D.C., fails. However, in securing Washington, the remnants of the valiant Union Army of the Potomac are trapped and destroyed. For Lincoln, there is only one hope left, that General Ulysses S. Grant can save the Union cause.

It is August 22, 1863. Pursuing the Union troops up to the banks of the Susquehanna, Lee is caught off balance when news arrives that Grant, in command of over seventy thousand men, has crossed that same river. The two armies finally collide in Central Maryland and a bloody weeklong battle ensues along the banks of Monocacy Creek. This must be the “final” battle for both sides.

Customer Reviews:

Great series.......2007-09-07

I thoroughly enjoyed this series and strongly recommend it for anyone who enjoys historical fiction. I also recommend the audio version of this book, which is narrated exceptionally well. I was sad for the series to end and to leave the characters behind. Well done.

Imaginary History.......2007-08-04

This trilogy of "what if" history, ending with "Never Call Retreat", is so well written, attributing logical alternate courses of action to historical characters, that if readers do not have a firm understanding of what actually happened, they may be convinced that the events described are factual.

What a book for a Southerner to have written........2007-04-23

This is the sort of review that I didn't anticipate writing for a Civil War series that I had immensely enjoyed -- up to book three. I rate it a "2," not for it polish -- the prose and the skill of the authors for writing military action and characters are in fact high. My problem is with the way the story is developed and concluded.

Interestingly, I found my copy going for clearance in a used book store when the book was still in the stores. After I had read it, I realized why someone who might have enjoyed the first two books would have wanted to have it out of his house on the double quick, despite his investment in its price.

I'm not spoiling anything when I say that this is a book about how if Lee had won the Gettysburg campaign it would only have led to disaster, since Gingrich is determined to have him bungle away the chance he's given the South for a political victory -- a victory that would have come through a morale collapse on the Union side. That Lee would have done that is not impossible, but that he would have is probably less likely than that a stray cannonball would have taken out General Grant (or even Lincoln during the siege of Washington, where Gingrich has him carelessly exposing himself).

Having read a great deal of Civil War history and I don't fault the book (as some reviewers do) for purported military errors. The action seems plausible enough to me. It is something else, the peculiar ideas behind the book, that bothers me. What was Gingrich trying to say is stunningly simpleminded -- that the best victory can be spoiled if it is followed up by a wrongheaded determination to do absolutely nothing right. While Lee and Davis are acting clownishly incompetent, Gingrich endows Grant and Lincoln with incisiveness and clear-headed insights. In fact, Grant seems more like an error-free game-playing computer than a real human being. Historically U.S. Grant was a risk-taker and, time and time again, his recklessness might have ruined him. He looked better than he was because he was up against the third-rate Pemberton and Bragg in the West. In the East, his advance on Richmond in 1864 showed little brilliance, but a great deal of bullheadedness. He simply wouldn't be daunted by a scale of losses that would destroy a military career today, when we agonize more over the loss of a single man than our ancestors bothered with the ruin of an entire regiment. Grant was arguably defeated repeatedly on the Richmond road, and nearly got half his army trapped at the North Anna, a situation that the tired and depleted Confederates couldn't move quickly enough to take advantage of. Drama suffers when one character is made a paragon and the other is left merely human. Both Lee and Grant were flawed men. Lee's weaknesses are built upon to make the novel come out the way the authors intend it to; Grant's weaknesses are concealed for the same reason.

In Gingrich's campaign, the Union troops seem to be able to get away with anything they try while the Confederates wallow and dither and can't bring off the simplest maneuver. Much of what the story presents could easily have gone the other way. But Gingrich is bound and determined to flip the coin against Lee to achieve his defeat a year before his historical surrender. At times the story does not seem so much plotted as programmed.

Unlike some reviewers, I respected Newt Gingrich as a political leader. He ultimately failed to make a difference because he decided to court popularity and win over people who opposed him instead of seeking victory for the people who were inspired by him. Instead of going with his strengths, he tried to do the undoable and so failed to achieve even half of what lay within his grasp. In this he is like his character General Lee. Maybe by showing a lack of sympathy for those who fought for limited government he was seeking to win over people who'd never read a book by him. Or was he trying not looking like an unreconstructed Confederate so he'd come out more appealing to those who viscerally despise him? Or maybe Newt Gingrich was just too much of a Washington politician to be comfortable with envisioning a world where federal centralization does not hold sway.

I don't think this will be a memorable book in the long haul, and its weaknesses pull down the trilogy as a whole. Who was N.C.R. written for? People who enjoy alternate history usually read such stories because they want to root for a lost cause, to see its ideals win and then extrapolate how this acrimonious and sordid world could thereby have been made better. In the first two books Gingrich hinted he would give much, but in the end he didn't properly serve his constituency. That's a failing that will keep both a politician and an author from being the best he could be.

Nonetheless, alternate history done right makes for good reading. For people interested in considering how a little better run of luck or a changed reaction here or there might have won the war for the South, I recommend DIXIE VICTORIOUS, edited by Peter Tsouras.

Concluding their trilogy that began at Gettysburg.......2007-01-31

In this concluding book of an alternative history trilogy the authors continue and then conclude in their story which is based on the supposition that the South, rather than the north won the battle of Gettysburg. In the first book, the authors change history to what I (an armchair general) thought should have happened, i.e. don't fight at Gettysburg, but go south towards Washington, pick good ground and make the Yankees attack you. As the technology of the time greatly favored the defense, it is likely that they could have won. That would have definitely have changed the course of the war.

After the first book, the authors are having to propose the consequences. And I think they did a good job. Where would Lee have taken his Army? What would Lincoln have done? And the further Lee got from his base in Virginia the harder time he would have had in getting supplies, or in getting home as the Yankees moved ever larger armies around him.

A very interesting point is that in this senario, the authors have the war ending a year early. In actual fact, the last year of the war was very bloody. It is impossible to say, of course, but changing the outcome of one battle might have saved the lives of a hundred thousand men.

OK, Drs. Gingrich and Forstchen, you've done an excellent job on the Civil war. Now lets move on to World War I or II and do another trilogy.

Is there anything less than one star?.......2006-11-14

If you're looking for a novel with accurate historical reference, this is not it. Not only does he claim George Custer was killed in the Civil War, he places Lee's surrender at Monocacy Church, Maryland on August 31, 1863 (something I'll bet would have been welcome news to those that fought until 1865). The book is riddled with mistakes and omissions. Not what you would expect from a former Speaker of the House and a professor of history.

To the North Anna River: Grant And Lee, May 13-25, 1864 (Jules and Frances Landry Award Series)

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The Overland Campaign series
More Civil War
Another gem from Rhea
Grant and Lee's Strategic Dance after Spotsylvania and the Great V
Another Excellent Title of the 1864 Overland Campaign

To the North Anna River: Grant And Lee, May 13-25, 1864 (Jules and Frances Landry Award Series)
Gordon C. Rhea
Manufacturer: Louisiana State University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0807131113

Book Description

With To the North Anna River, the third book in his outstanding five-book series, Gordon C. Rhea continues his spectacular narrative of the initial campaign between Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee in the spring of 1864. May 13 through 25, a phase oddly ignored by historians, was critical in the clash between the Army of the Potomac and the Army of Northern Virginia. During those thirteen days—an interlude bracketed by horrific battles that riveted the public's attention—a game of guile and endurance between Grant and Lee escalated to a suspenseful draw on Virginia's North Anna River.

From the bloodstained fields of the Mule Shoe to the North Anna River, with Meadow Bridge, Myers Hill, Harris Farm, Jericho Mills, Ox Ford, and Doswell Farm in between, grueling night marches, desperate attacks, and thundering cavalry charges became the norm for both Grant's and Lee's men. But the real story of May 13-25 lay in the two generals' efforts to outfox each other, and Rhea charts their every step and misstep. Realizing that his bludgeoning tactics at the Bloody Angle were ineffective, Grant resorted to a fast-paced assault on Lee's vulnerable points. Lee, outnumbered two to one, abandoned the offensive and concentrated on anticipating Grant's maneuvers and shifting quickly enough to repel them. It was an amazingly equal match of wits that produced a gripping, high-stakes bout of warfare—a test, ultimately, of improvisation for Lee and of perseverance for Grant.

Customer Reviews:

The Overland Campaign series.......2006-07-22

The Battle of the Wilderness May 5-6, 1864
Product Details
* Hardcover: 520 pages
* Publisher: Louisiana State University Press (July 1994)
* Language: English
* ISBN: 0807118737

The Battles for Spotsylvania Court House and the Road to Yellow Tavern May 7-12, 1864
Product Details
* Hardcover: 483 pages
* Publisher: Louisiana State University Press (May 1997)
* Language: English
* ISBN: 0807121363

To the North Anna River: Grant and Lee, May 13-25, 1864
Product Details
* Hardcover: 505 pages
* Publisher: Louisiana State University Press (May 2000)
* Language: English
* ISBN: 0807125350

Cold Harbor: Grant and Lee, May 26-June 3, 1864
Product Details
* Hardcover: 552 pages
* Publisher: Louisiana State University Press (September 2002)
* Language: English
* ISBN: 0807128031

I am reviewing the four books a single series although each book is a full stand-alone history. This is a highly detailed military history of Grant's Overland Campaign of 1864. Two of the best generals commanding two of the best armies, in American history, decide the Civil war in the East. Gordon Rhea gives this month the detailed attention it requires and had never received. The 2,000 pages allows for the full story of the campaign, the personalities, failures and success.

The first book covers the major battle of The Wilderness an area Grant wished to clear and Lee hoped to trap him in as he had Hooker in 1863. Through a series of Union miscalculations and command problems, Lee manages to get in Grant's way. What follows is a confused bloody two-day battle that has been termed "Bush whacking on a grand scale". An excellent series of maps, help the reader stay abreast of the battle and understand the confusion of both sides. Lee loses Longstreet and starts to make the hard decisions about personnel that he has avoided since 1862. Grant while testing his relationship with Meade and Burnside, is trying to learn the AOP's generals too. This process dominates the four books as repeatedly Grant is forced to deal with the problems this creates and Lee takes steps that were unthinkable in 1863.

The second book moves the battle from The Wilderness south to Spotsylvania and Yellow Tavern. Grant refuses to "play the game" and retreat behind the Rappahannock but pushes past Lee and continues south. What follows is a race from defensive point to defensive point, which the AOP concedes to the AoNV. Union commanders hesitate at critical moments while the AoNV reinforces the objective. This allows Lee to stay up or ahead producing one of the bloodiest battles in our history at Spotsylvania. In addition, this book covers the critical cavalry operations, Grant's reasoning, and the price paid in taking Sheridan away from Meade. J.E.B. Stuart's death, is well covered. Both in terms of what it means to the AoNV, to Lee and to the Confederacy.

After one of the hardest weeks in their history, the two exhausted bloodied armies eye each other over their entrenchments. Lee understands that he is being trapped and that defensive war can only end in defeat. Grant is trying not to be stuck in a siege and determined to continue south. What follows is a series of forced marches and small battles as Grant and Lee test each other. Each general wins and loses daily as the armies march, counter march and fight. However, at the end of each day, Grant is always closer to Richmond. Lee produces a brilliant trap, Grant takes the bait but circumstances keep lee from springing it. Almost to late, Grant sees the trap pulls back, changes direction and continues south. Book 3, To the North Anna River covers this brilliant and exciting time in detail. Rhea produces some excellent analysis of both commanders and the developing personnel problems they are facing. Neither man is having an easy time of it and both understand they have never faced an enemy like this.

The last book takes us to Cold Harbor, one of the most controversial battles of the war. The detail history and excellent analysis leads us through this battle and produces some startling conclusions. As always, the author provides full support and justification for them. This might be the most important book of the series and the definitive book on the battle of Cold Harbor.

Each book has a full set of maps and illustrations. The writing is uniform and very readable. While detailed, the actions are understandable and you are seldom lost in a sea of names and/or unit numbers. Each book is a stand-alone history and is readable as such. The books were published from 1994 to 2002 and had to be written that way. This is the best account of the Overland Campaign available. It is both an invaluable reference and a great reading experience.

More Civil War.......2006-03-09

I just wrote about the prior volume in this series- Spotsylvaia.
My comments also apply here

Another gem from Rhea.......2006-02-17

Rhea has written the most complete history of Grant's Overland campaign. While many Civil War buffs have read about the most well known Overland campaign battles (the Wilderness, Spotsylvania and Cold Harbor), the time between Spotsylvania and Cold Harbor has often been forgotten. This period, of almost two weeks, is very important to understand if you want to better understand Grant. His insatiable desire to out flank Lee drives him further, and further South. Grant has realized that Richmond is not his target but that the Army of Northern Virginia is. However, Grant has learned, painfully, that frontal assualts on fortified positions spills blood unnecessarily. He must meet Lee on a battlefield of his choice...

Grant and Lee's Strategic Dance after Spotsylvania and the Great V.......2005-09-26

Part three of Rhea's series on the overland campaign, Rhea provides an excellent description from the end of the primary Spotsylvania battle to the real overland maneuvering between Grant and Lee. Supported by a series of maps, Rhea fully describes to the reader the maneuvering that Grant does to try to find a weak spot and out maneuver Lee after the major battles of Spotsylvania are exhausted. As Rhea notes, Lee, without Stuart, tries to guess Grant's next move and guesses well as Grant shifts soldiers back to the Spotsylvania front to attack Lee's left assuming that it has now been weakened as both sides had shifted forces east. But it is held securely by Ewell with well positioned artillery. Rhea describes a horrible maiming of the union attack with bodies from previous fighting still on the field, Ewell's position is virtually a fortress. Rhea also spotlights Lee's audacious maneuver of Ewell way around the Union right to demonstrates against the enemy but Ewell gets snared into a full fledge battle that punishes the 2nd corp. The best part of the book is the highlighting of battles and maneuvers generally lost to the large-scale battles that many authors leave out. An example is the outlining of Grant's move east sending Hancock way out ahead of his army in a vulnerable position, tempting Lee. Lee; however, pulls back down telegraph road south as the Union forces start to follow in two tracks. Rhea also gives great detail on Grant's personal movements along with Meade's, they often seem too far from the front to give appropriate and timely direction. Rhea also addresses the fact that the Army of the Potomac starts to come together, corps commanders seem to improve and Burnside and the 9th finally come under Meade as they should have as opposed to the semi freelance role under Grant. Rhea notes that lacking intelligence, Lee cannot readily comprehend Grant's movements initially along the North Anna and Grant as well does not realize that Lee has not abandoned the North Anna line. All adds to a unique situation with Warren getting across the river west of Lee and Hancock across East of Lee. Lee and his ranking engineer devise the famous inverted V wedge position stopping a central Union crossing leaving both Union wings isolated while the ANV has a extremely strong defensive works. This is the most fascinating aspect of the campaign as Lee has a unique opportunity to strike te isolated union corps but he is stricken with illness and with a weakened command structure, he cannot act timely resulting in Grant making an abrupt withdrawal. I would have liked to see more detail on Lee's health then and its effect on his future command abilities if any. His alternate command options seem limited, Hill often sick, Ewell not performing as he wished at Spotsylvania, Longstreet wounded and Beauregaurd and Bragg all had baggage, perhaps there were no real options. A trying time for the confederates as casualties mount and command is tenuous, it does start the emergence of dynamic future corps leaders. Rhea also provides excellent insight into Grant's role that gradually expands with the Army of the Potomac and he explains the command relationship between Grant and Meade. Rhea also gives a detailed account of the little known battle of Fort Pocahontas where Fitz Lee's attack on African American soldiers on the James goes for naught as these union forces are well fortified and fight very well. After this book, on to Cold Harbor.

Another Excellent Title of the 1864 Overland Campaign.......2005-09-11

In my humble opinion, Gordon Rhea is one of the finest Civil War historians today. His writing style is fair and balanced on the North and South, he compliments and criticizes both sides as he deems appropriate, and battle descriptions are vivid and keep the reader's interest.

To The North Anna River continues Rhea's fine series on the long and bloody 1864 Overland Campaign between Lee and Grant. Admittingly, I knew little of this campaign before reading the book and the title is a great source of information for the often overlooked actions between Wilderness/Spotslyvania and Cold Harbor. I have also not spent much time tramping Civil War battlefields between Fredericksburg and Richmond. Therefore, the book will be invaluable guide should I be able to tour the area sometime in the near future.

The only major complaint I have sounds like a broken record of other Civil War Campaign Studies I have reviewed on amazon.com - the maps. While the maps were of satisfactory quality, there could have been at least 10 more and with more detail.

Still, I heartily recommend the book to anyone interested in the events of mid-late May 1864 between Spotsylvania and Cold Harbor. Read and enjoy! I look forward to readin his title on Cold Harbor and beyond.

The State of the Native Nations: Conditions under U.S. Policies of Self-Determination

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The State of the Native Nations: Conditions under U.S. Policies of Self-Determination
Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development , Eric C. Henson , Jonathan B. Taylor , Catherine E.A. Curtis , Stephen Cornell , Kenneth W. Grant , Miriam R. Jorgensen , Joseph P. Kalt , and Andrew J. Lee
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0195301250

Book Description

Media filters and personal preconceptions can make it hard to get a clear view of present-day Indian America. The reality is that the 500+ Native nations in the United States confront many of the same day-to-day challenges that are faced by other nations and communities--raising children with strong identities, practicing religion, providing economic sustenance, strengthening culture, managing business and governmental affairs, and protecting public health and safety--but they are doing so from foundations built on their distinct histories, cultures, and circumstances. The State of the Native Nations: Conditions under U.S. Policies of Self-Determination chronicles the efforts, obstacles, and accomplishments that are shaping Indian Country under contemporary federal policies and responsive tribal strategies of self-determination. In The State of the Native Nations, The Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development brings together scholars and Native leaders to produce the most comprehensive, cohesive interdisciplinary study available on current conditions and trends in Indian Country. Broad in scope and thematically organized, the volume features twenty-three chapters covering issues ranging from tribal governance, land and natural resources, and economic and social development, to arts and culture, the large off-reservation Native population, and federal Indian policy. Fourteen accompanying essays bring to life the personal perspectives of noted national leaders in Native affairs. The result is invaluable insight into the universal challenges of creating resilient, sustained, and self-determined communities. Features:ulliBalances first-person accounts and field findings with extensive and up-to-date data and factsliEmphasizes the critical issues of Native self-determination and nation-buildingliPuts contemporary issues in their historical and policy contextsliIntegrates case studies that highlight successful examples of the practice of Native nation self-determination/ul

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A highly improbable and fictionalized story of the Civil War
No let-down in the sequel
From a Southern viewpoint.
Really Liked it
Gingrich & Fortschen 's Second Alternative Civil War History is a Winner

Grant Comes East
Newt Gingrich , and William Forstchen
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0312309384
Release Date: 2005-04-21

Book Description

New York Times bestselling authors Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen continue their startling reimagination of the Civil War with the epic sequel to Gettysburg As Grant Comes East opens, the forces of General Robert E. Lee march to Washington, D.C., to launch an assault against one of the largest fortifications in the world. Lee knows that a frontal assault against such fortifications could devastate his army, but it is a price he fears must be paid for final victory. Beyond a military victory in the field, Lee must also overcome the defiant stand of President Abraham Lincoln, who vows that re-gard-less of the defeat at Gettysburg, his solemn pledge to preserve the Union will be honored. Lincoln will mobilize the garrison of Washington to hold on no matter what the costs.

Customer Reviews:

A highly improbable and fictionalized story of the Civil War.......2006-10-21

I have just concluded my reading of this, the second volume of the authors' fctionalized trilogy of an alternative sequence of events for the Civil War. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, and the previous, book of the series. However, as a long-term student of the Civil War I found myself seeking the improbabilities and implausibilities in the alternative events described by the authors - and there are many of these.
You can read these books simply as very good and enjoyable fiction, particularly if you can divorce yourself from actual knowledge of the War and of conditions governing the actions of its participants.
In this second volume, following the two debacles ( for the the Army of the Potomac) at Gettysburg and the fictional battle of Union Mills, Grant is ordered east and given overall command of all of the armies of the Union. He plans a carefully organized attack on Lee's force, now in command of Baltimore. However, these plans are aborted disastrously by the gross insubordination of the commander of the reconstituted Army of the Potomac, General Dan Sickles,and also that of Edwin Stanton, Secretary of War.
The result is another fictional battle at Gunpowder Falls, a few miles east of Baltimore, and another complete annihilation of the Army of the Potomac.
Now, what's wrong with this scenario? First, there is no historical evidence that either Sickles or Stanton would have engaged in such gross misconduct. Second, there was no occasion when the defeat of a major field army on either side in the Civil War ever resulted in its complete annihilation nor was this possible. After the Seven Days, Second Manassas, Antietam, and Chancellorsville, the losing army simply retreated, regrouped, and resupplied to fight again on the next occasion.
Those armies which were destroyed submitted while under a close and devastating seige - Donelson and Vicksburg.
This, as I have said, is a work of fiction, in which the authors have carefully arranged the fictional events to determine the result which they desire. This is what authors of fiction do.
If you can put aside your knowledge of the real events and conditions under which armies operated in the period you will find it fascinating reading. and you may also do as I do - look for the implausibilites and improbabilites in the authors' fictionalized description of events.

No let-down in the sequel.......2006-08-15

From a Southern viewpoint........2006-06-21

I read "Gettysburg". I listened to "Grant Comes East", an unabridged version on tape. I enjoyed the first. On a positive note, I got so excited during the Confederate attack on Washington that I almost wrecked my car. But. The alternate plot of Gettysburg is feasible but the farther time passes from July 1st, the more difficult it is to accept the authors' projection of alternate history. The idea of moving the Army of the Tennessee to Pennsylvania and putting them into almost immediate offensive action is asserting a near impossibility. That Army was virtually inactive, under Grant and Sherman, from July until the battles around Chattanooga in November. They were as exhausted by victory as Pemberton's men were by defeat. The rescue of Washington by the 54th Massachussets is a tip of the hat to political correctness. The authors portray them as battle-hardened veterans. As of that time (prior to their assault on Ft. Wagner), the unit had no combat experience. Except for his raid into "the hollow shell" of the Confederacy, Col. Grierson's career had been unremarkable. It is difficult to believe that his men could have been transported to Pennsylvania, mounted on new, unfamiliar horses, and been a match for Wade Hampton. I don't plan to read the third book of the trilogy. My son began reading it and was so turned off that he didn't finish it. This could have been a great series but I think that Newt (whom I admire as a political strategist) lost his courage about half way through Grant Comes East and stopped pursuing his Confederate victory at Gettysburg to its logical conclusion.

Really Liked it.......2006-05-28

I think the second book is even better than the first. After a Lee victory at Gettysburg, he turns his attention to taking Washington, which he feels will end the war in one fell swoop. Grant meanwhile is rushing east bringing his victorious army with him after the fall of Vicksburg. The army of the Potomac is shattered, but not destroyed and the union is rushing reinforcements to Washington. This is a very plausable what if situation. It is obvious the authors are great scholars of the war of the people they are writing about. I truly believed every action taken by the leading characters as if I were reading a history book rather than a work of fiction. While Turledove may be the master of alternate history, Forstchen and Gingrich are darn good writers. Check out Forstchen's other works, he is a fantastic author.

Gingrich & Fortschen 's Second Alternative Civil War History is a Winner.......2006-04-19

Grant Comes East is an excellent alternative history novel. In the authors volume one "Gettysburg" Robert E. Lee's redoubtable Army of Northern Virginia has defeated the Army of the Potomac at Gettysburg and a second mythical battlefield "Union Mills."
In this book we learn that General Grant has been made overall Union Commander by President Lincoln (as he was in real life)
while the impetuous Dan Sickles wins command of the Army of the
Potomac following the death of Meade (in reality Meade lived until 1872).
The authors know their Civil War History. Chapters are devoted to the life of soldiers in the East and the West; strategy in high places (both Lincoln and Jefferson Davis are prominent in the narrative) and vivid battlefield descriptions are brought to life,
In this version Lee lays seige to Washington DC and the Confederate Army takes Baltimore! As the volume ends the tough
Ohio born Grant is leading his forces into Virginia with Lee still positioned in the Maryland-DC region.
This book is a great exercise in "What if?" that is a favored pastime at Civil War roundtables where we Civil War Buffs ponder
what could have happened in our American Illiad.
The book is well written and illustrated with fast paced action. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the American Civil War. Volume 3 of the series is called "Never Called Retreat." The best alternate series dealing with the Civl War. Well done and well researched. Highly recommended!

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HAIKU! Gesundheit.
Basho for casho
not for the haiku but ...
It's the end of haiku as we know it...
chill out

The Haiku Year
Michael Stipe , Douglas Martin , Grant Lee Phillips , Tom Gilroy , Anna Grace , Rick Roth , and Jim McKay
Manufacturer: Soft Skull Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1932360166

Book Description

Seven friends made a pact to write haikus every day for a year as a way to keep in touch with each other. The result is The Haiku Year. Michael Stipe’s entries recall his twilight-drenched lyrics for R.E.M. Douglas Martin’s spare, elegant prose illuminates the hidden corners of life while Grant Lee Phillips thoughtful storytelling is pared down to the simplest language. Hinting at the transcendence and banality of everyday life, the short verses signify an appreciation for small moments of beauty and ultimately urge readers to let these realizations pierce through the numbness of their daily routines. Photographs are included.

Customer Reviews:

HAIKU! Gesundheit........2007-06-05

I discovered this book years ago while randomly flipping through poetry books at a bookstore. I bought it because after reading the authors introduction I felt like I needed to. They wrote a "haiku" a day to eachother for a year, they admitted that sometimes they forgot, and that their work was not based on the traditional stlye that we are all forced to learn in grade school. The very short, and rather brilliant poetry of Jack Kerouac was their influence. So in actuality the poems in the book are what Kerouac would have called "pops", and therefore have no syllable pattern, seasonal reference is not required and it would make Basho cry. If you are looking for traditional haiku, this is probably a book to skip.

Now, I enjoy traditional haiku as much as anyone. I also have alot of respect for contemporary writers who can adhere to those standards that I, and perhaps many others, cannot. It is not to say that because of this the style should be abandoned, but niether should this idea of a Western form. The poems in this book give that form an excellent start, they embody many feelings and do indeed make the reader look at their life in a new way. I have read it several times over and shared it with friends who agree it has that effect.

I love this book because it is modern, involves daily life, and inspires me. I have been undertaking the Haiku Challenge for about five years now with mixed success, but it has made my everyday life all the richer.

Basho for casho.......2006-10-30

Big ego crammed into Haiku
fat heads barely fit;
a poor craft for shallow waters.

not for the haiku but ..........2006-06-20

If you wish to see the best of contemporary English haiku this is not the book for you. However, it does have an appropriate place in the library. First, the haiku provide interesting insights into the lives of the authors. In keeping to the concreteness of the form, one see the authors' experiences more directly. They write more of what happened rather than what they think about the experience in retrospect. Second, the volume provides an example of an interesting approach to a personal journal - an approach than gains values over time rather than becoming the musings of someone you know longer feel you are. So in a strange way, I recommend this book.

It's the end of haiku as we know it..........2006-06-01

This is what has become of haiku in English- and it is all bad. Haiku in America in general is vastly misunderstood and each of the verses in this volume show it. Some have three lines, some do not, some have kigo, some do not. By the looks of this, one can deduce that these "poets" gleamed their knowledge of haiku from Kerouac (another haiku fraud) rather than Basho. This is just an experiment really, conducted by a circle of friends who jotted down their thoughts and sent them to one another. Please, please avoid this title if you really care about or want to learn about haiku. Amazon should allow "0" stars when rating items such as this!

chill out.......2005-03-05

Not many people would argue that Japanese Buddhism and Tibetan Buddhism aren't valid or relevant religions. They may not be much like the "original" forms of Buddhism but they are Buddhism and they have much to say (to say the least.) They are just also "japanese" and "tibetan" and unavoidably have a context.

I am a white American leftist yankee writing haiku, not some Japanese guy from a hundred years ago living on Mount Fuji. The syllable thing is bs anyway, since English syllables do not correspond in length to Japanese syllables.

Haiku Year authors never claimed to be Basho or William Higginson for that matter. If you read the Haiku Year you will see that its main purpose is to show a year of friendship and observation (with all its warts) and hopefully inspire other folks to write as well. Its is not a guide to writing haiku or held up as the pinnacle of haiku writing.

Muddy Waters is so much better than the Rolling Stones, but
"Dead Flowers" , "Monkey Man", and most of the Stones stuff rocks on its own merits. It also just might lead you back to Muddy Waters.

Call of Duty: The Sterling Nobility of Robert E. Lee (Leaders in Action Series)

Average customer rating:

More neo-Confederate idolotry
There's only one word for this book, and I can't say it here...
Ordered of the Lord...
Hooray for Lee ! Boo for Wilkins ? :-(
If ever there was a man who followed Christ's example....

Call of Duty: The Sterling Nobility of Robert E. Lee (Leaders in Action Series)
J. Steven Wilkins
Manufacturer: Cumberland House Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1888952237

Customer Reviews:

More neo-Confederate idolotry.......2006-06-08

Upon graduating from West Point,a young Robert E. Lee put his left hand on the Bible, raised his right hand and swore he would bear true faith and allegiance to the United Stated of America. As an older, but not wiser man, he turned his back on the country he swore to defend and took up arms against it. So much for "sterling nobility." This book is the usual neo-Confederate claptrap that has been making the rounds ever since the war ended.

There's only one word for this book, and I can't say it here..........2006-05-07

This book was deceitful and misleading, like most Confederate propaganda. J. Steven Wilkins was cunning in his choice and presentation of facts. If someone with no knowledge of the Civil War read this book, he would be left with an absolutely incorrect perspective of Robert E. Lee, the institution of slavery, and the Civil War in general.

First, there are inconsistencies between "Call of Duty" and... "Call of Duty"! At one point in the book, Wilkins quotes Lee as saying, "If the slaves of the South were mine, I would surrender them all without a struggle, to avert this war." Later, Wilkins claims that Lee was offended and hurt that anyone thought slavery had anything to do with the war. So answer me this...how could freeing slaves avert a war that had nothing to do with slavery?

Another instance where the book contradicts itself is regarding race relations. Wilkins tries to sell the idea that Southern whites and Southern slaves lived in perfect harmony, respecting each other without the slightest presence of racism. Once again, later in the book this changes...Wilkins tells us of a church in Richmond whose attendees were shocked by a Negro who went up to take Communion! None of the churchgoers, except for Lee, as the story goes, wanted to be the first one to participate with a colored man. How is this possible in a society where racism is absent? Wilkins tries to blame this on Reconstruction, but I doubt a society could go from having no racism whatsoever to this degree of racism in such a short period of time.

The book also contradicts history...notably, regarding Robert Lee and slavery. The book says that Lee never seemed to have owned more than six slaves. This is not true. Wesley Norris, one of Lee's slaves, says in an account that almost 70 slaves were inherited by Lee upon the death of Lee's father-in-law.

Following in the said account, Wesley Norris tells the story of him and his sister Mary, who tried to escape the plantation after Lee inherited it. Upon being caught, Lee took it upon himself to "teach them a lesson they would never forget." He had them stripped to the waist, flogged, and thoroughly washed in brine. We see a little glimpse of Christian chivalry peeking out of Lee as he only had Mary receive twenty lashes, whereas Wesley received fifty. This is far from the compassionate Robert Wilkins would have us know! Wesley Norris's account can be found in "Slave Testimony: Two Centuries of Letters, Speeches, and Interviews, and Autobiographies".

The book also implies that Lee opposed slavery. However, the supposed "proof-text" for this actually tells us quite the opposite. In the text of a letter Lee sent to his wife, which is printed in "Call of Duty", Lee actually defends slavery. Lee tries to distort the gross institution of slavery into some kind of mission work. Slavery was Christianizing the Negroes, and preparing them for freedom, and to seek to free Negroes from the clutches of slavery was to shake your fist at God, or so Lee reasons. This is ridiculous, considering how many missionaries of all religions have successfully converted people without enslaving them, and yet it is the rationale used by Lee, Wilkins, and so many other Southern partisans who seek to defend the South by justifying slavery.

"Call of Duty" makes a god of Robert E. Lee, condemns the North, and justifies slavery with no regard for historical, logical, or moral facts. The Southern partisan will love it.

Ordered of the Lord..........2005-09-17

A great opportunity is afforded any reader introduced to the Leaders In Action Series, and the refined biography of Robert E. Lee serves as an excellent first choice.

Though written in a non-confrontational style, enough facts contradict the popular notions of Lee, the Civil War, {or the Southern appelation: The War between the States}, slavery, and the nort