Generals in Blue and Gray: Lincoln's Generals/Davis's Generals
Prior to the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln had no experience in military service, but he had the advantages of a government structure and the remnants of an army in place. Jefferson Davis was a graduate of West Point, a veteran of the Mexican War, and a Secretary of War under the Pierce Administration, but he had to start from scratch to construct both a government and an army. This two-volume set uses biographical sketches of key generals on each side to examine the actions of Lincoln and Davis as commanders-in-chief. Each volume contains more than 20 stand-alone biographical chapters that, if taken together, tell the story of the Civil War.
Designed to stand on alone and be read individually in any order, biographies range from high profile generals such as Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee to lesser-known figures such as John A. McClernand and Leonidas Polk. With a focus on character, ability to command, personality, family background, and how these factors would influence military decisions, each general comes to life. The outcome of particular battles, campaigns, or entire theaters would often depend heavily on the performance of key individuals, their competence, their personal connections, and their ability to play politics. These are the men that Lincoln and Davis would come to depend upon to create strategies and to carry them out. These are the men who fought, won, and lost the Civil War.
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WILMER L. JONES is an independent researcher who has spent the past 45 years studying the Civil War. He is the author of After the Thunder: Fourteen Men Who Shaped Post-Civil War America and Behind Enemy Lines: Civil War Spies, Raiders, and Guerrillas.
"[T]hese very readable cameos will be enjoyed by general readers."-Booklist
"Any high school where American history courses actively research the Civil War should consider this....Recommended."-Library Media Connection
"ÝT¨hese very readable cameos will be enjoyed by general readers."-Booklist
"ÝJ¨ones's prose is crisp and engaging, and each chapter stands on its own or can be read as part of the whole. Recommended. General readers."-Choice
?[T]hese very readable cameos will be enjoyed by general readers.?-Booklist
?Any high school where American history courses actively research the Civil War should consider this....Recommended.?-Library Media Connection
?[J]ones's prose is crisp and engaging, and each chapter stands on its own or can be read as part of the whole. Recommended. General readers.?-Choice
?Each of the biographies/chapters averages ten to fifteen pages in length and is written in an engaging, somewhat sentimental fashion that will appeal to general interest readers and Civil War enthusiasts....The sketches are generally well written, and serve as concise introductions to the most influential generals of the conflict....[h]is basic analysis will provide interesting and informative reading for the novice.?-H-Net Reviews
"Each of the biographies/chapters averages ten to fifteen pages in length and is written in an engaging, somewhat sentimental fashion that will appeal to general interest readers and Civil War enthusiasts....The sketches are generally well written, and serve as concise introductions to the most influential generals of the conflict....[h]is basic analysis will provide interesting and informative reading for the novice."-H-Net Reviews
"I highly recommend Jones's new book to a broad general audience. No subject has broader appeal than the American Civil War and students throughout the world find captivating the complex stories of how Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis mobilized their armies and fought four grueling years of internecine combat. Readers will consider Jones's volumes to be well conceptualized, gracefully written, and well-argued. Essential for public libraries."-John David Smith, Graduate Alumni Distinguished Professor Department of History North Carolina State University
"A constellation of delights. Here assembled are the major military minds and actors of the Civil War, warts, glories and all.... Read independently or sequentially the chapter/biographies constitute either a practical reference or an enlightening trek through the nation's severest test. Jones's generals are genuine human beings. He gives us their childhoods and development, their romances and pre-war careers, and--for those who survived--their varied and revealing post-war lives. In between he lays out the greatest trials of their lives, their strategies, failings and conduct in battle, and the effects of all of these both on the citizens for whom they fought and the politicians they served. Generals in Blue and Gray is a very good collection of the stories of the most important men who determined the course and outcome of the Civil War."-Brooke C. Stoddard, Military Heritage magazine
