The Battle of Resaca (Civil War Georgia) [Hardcover]

Philip L. Secrist (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 112 pages
• Publisher: Mercer University Press (March 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0865546010
• ISBN-13: 978-0865546011
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,042,043 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Brief Overview of Resaca, November 7, 2005

By 

Brett R. Schulte "Civil War Buff" (Southwestern IL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Battle of Resaca (Civil War Georgia) (Hardcover)

As I usually point out in cases like this, Mr. Secrist's book is the only one to focus specifically on the Battle of Resaca. In this early fight of the Atlanta Campaign, Secrist believes Sherman had a great chance to trap and destroy Johnston's Army of Tennessee, thus ending the campaign before it had hardly begun. Instead, says Secrist, Sherman failed and doomed his Army to a long journey before they reached Atlanta. The book is rather thin at 102 pages, especially when one considers that only Part I (the first 65 pages of the book) is a narrative of the battle. Part II consists of the Battlefield from the end of the battle through today, with an emphasis on relic hunting and preservation efforts. The maps are average. On the plus side we have topographical lines on the standard maps, but these maps are of the Resaca area today. However, since the land has changed so little since 1864 (aside from the construction of I-75 directly through it!), this is not necessarily a large minus. The troop positions leave something to be desired on the standard maps. Sherman's and Johnston's lines are drawn as one large line, with Corps (and sometimes Divisions) marked off in a vague manner. Secrist does include other maps taken from the Official Records Atlas, but these are pretty small and a little difficult to read. On a lot of pages, text ends early, so this book is really even shorter than the listed 102 pages. On the plus side, Secrist is well-qualified to write the book. He has been studying the Resaca Battlefield since 1958, and is a noted relic hunter. I enjoyed his writing style. The book was definitely not a tedious read. All in all, though, The Battle of Resaca was too short for my taste. It just did not contain enough detail, and only whetted my appetite for more detailed discussion. Sadly, a more detailed discussion does not exist.

102 pp., 12 maps

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Live the battle., September 3, 2000

By 

John E. Comerford III (Kennesaw, Ga. USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Battle of Resaca (Civil War Georgia) (Hardcover)

Ideal book for a Civil War buff. Take it with you if you visit the site. Written accounts from the soldiers that stormed across the hills put you in the moment. Several good maps and even pictures taken a few days after the battle help take you out of your living room and into the past.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One Of The Best!, October 4, 2002

By 

"scl4change" (Dalton, GA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Battle of Resaca (Civil War Georgia) (Hardcover)

I have read the Battle of Resaca by Philip Secrist and I highly recommend this book for the serious student of the Battle of Resaca.
Dr. Secrist has done an outstanding job by going into more detail than is normal for a Civil War book. The maps are great and are drawn so that even the novice can find the sites. Secrist brings up-to-date what is happening to Resaca at the present time. I found in the book why that there were certain parts of the battlefield that I couldn't locate. Well worth the price!