Customer Reviews

The Battles for Spotsylvania Court House and the Road to Yellow Tavern, May 7-12, 1864

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This is an excellent study of what must be one of the most horrific among Civil War battles. Though one reviewer's comments about sloppy notation are well taken, Rhea's scholarship overall seems solid, and he uses quotes to great effect to make the fighting come alive.

Not only Spotsylvania but the tragic cavalry battle at Yellow Tavern are covered here. Relevant to this, no other study I have seen, not even bios of Stuart, brings out Stuart and his troopers' role in initially forming the crucial defensive line on Laurel Hill and then deploying the infantry in ideal positions. Little known, but perhaps one of Stuart's finest hours.

Rhea seems even-handed ideologically speaking, and his criticisms of Grant and Sheridan seem well supported by the facts. I would recommend this book not only to scholars but to amateurs who want to know why the Civil War was a horrible conflict. This is not light reading. It is a story of appalling human suffering, courage, and unbelievable sheer endurance.

Gordon C. Rhea has done it again. Mr. Rhea wrote a compelling battle narrative on the desperate fighting in the Wilderness that appeared on the book shelves in 1994. After I read that history, I wondered to myself, how in the heck would he follow up on his excellent treatment on the Battle of the Wilderness. With his latest volume on the Battle of Spotsylvania, he has certainly done that. Rhea, with this latest book has established himself as one of the finest historians writing about the war today. He has brought all of the elements together...Bravery, tragedy, incompetence, and yes, humor in a narrative that truly describes the horrors Americans went through during those awful days in early May, 1864. Mr. Rhea's description of the events on May 12, 1864 are harrowing, unbelievable, and heartbreaking. The struggle for the Bloody Angle becomes all too real for the reader. The unbelievable, heroic combat for those earthworks on the hallowed ground of the Spotsylvania Battlefield makes me proud of both sides as they fought during that rainy day. Each side gave their all....and they showed what Americans are all about. Special thanks for the maps of George Skoch. Mr. Skoch's work really helps the reader understand the campaign. A must for all students of the Civil War....Rhea has written a classic!

With the year only four-and-a-half months young, it would still be a safe bet to put your money on Gordon C. Rhea's "The Battles for Spotsylvania Court House and the Road to Yellow Tavern-May 7-12, 1864" for "Best Civil War Book of 1997". Rhea, who gave us his "Battle of the Wilderness" in 1994, has only improved upon that award-winning volume with his latest effort. "The Battles for Spotsylvania" covers the vicious and nearly-disastrous engagement between Grant and Lee during the middle weeks of May, 1864. Here, near this sleepy little village southwest of Fredericksburg, Grant's bluecoats met Lee's butternuts in a mortal maelstrom of some of the most bloody fighting the Old Dominion had yet seen. Long neglected by Civil War writers, this pivotal and oft-confusing series of continuous combats was brought to the modern Civil War buff's attention by William Matter's fine "If It Takes All Summer" in 1988. Rhea, however, takes the torch from here and weaves a masterful narrative, both highly-detailed and smooth flowing at once, to give us, perhaps, the best coverage of this engagement we shall ever have. How so, one might ask? First, Rhea adds to the records and histories, a plethora of unpublished accounts from diaries, letters, memoirs, newspapers, and the like to give this book the comprehensive personal side of battle. Yet, the strategic and tactical concerns of the fighting do not suffer at all. To be sure, the author, once again, has found that special touch in blending the larger and smaller "pictures" into one without detracting from either. Nearly every imaginable aspect of the battle is covered in deft fashion, always maintaining the easy-reading flow in the text. Especially inviting to buffs and important to historians is Rhea's coverage of the concurrent cavalry operations between Phil Sheridan and JEB Stuart, including a riveting account of "Little Phil's" Richmond Raid and Stuart's subsequent death at Yellow Tavern. From the initial fighting at Laurel Hill, through Upton's heroic charge and the battering assaults against the "Bloody Angle", the reader will find and feel that they are seemingly in the midst of the battle itself. I just got my copy and read it in two days--you will find this one very hard to put down! Theodore C. Mahr Dayton, Ohio ------------------------------------------------ Former Seasonal Historian Fredericksburg-Spotsylvania Natl. Military Park Author: "The Battle of Cedar Creek: Showdown in the Shenandoah, October 1-30, 1864"[1992]

I have previously written that Rhea's "Battle of the Wilderness" was the greatest battle history I have ever read. I need to correct myself. "The Battles for Spotsylvania Courthouse" has surpassed Rhea's previous work. This horrible battle of wills between Grant and Lee is brought alive by Rhea's wonderful prose. He has a very rare talent of being an outstanding writer and an exhaustive researcher. The combination provides for the most exciting exciting reading in history.

The book begins where "Wilderness" left off. Grant and Lee are staring at eachother from behind strong entrenchments. The narrative proceeds to describe the armies' movements to Spotsylvania Courthouse, and as a reader, you find yourself holding you breath occassionally, asking questions like: Will Lee's men get there in time? Will Sheridan break through? etc. Rhea's style makes it very hard to put the book down while at the same time you are getting all the information and facts that you would froma text book.

As Rhea continues, he describes the 5 days of fighting in and around the Courthouse in brutal detail. He discussion of the battle on May 12th for the "Muleshoe" salient is hauntingly similar to the trench battles of WW I. No other battle in the Civil War came close to the brutality displayed there on that day. In the space of 1/2 mile, 17,000 soldiers fell, and Rhea's description leaves and indelible mark on a reader's mind.

The book itself is well constructed. The chapters are a bit long, but not too bad. There are many maps that give a clear picture of the action. As an added bonus, there is also an in-depth discussion of the Battle of Yellow Tavern, where Jeb Stuart was killed. All these, plus extensive endnotes, combine to make "The Battles for Spotsylvania Courthouse" the very best in Civil War battle history. Definitely a must own for any Civil War buff, or military historian in general.

Gordon Rhea makes an important leap forwards in "grand scale" Civil War writing with his work on "The Battles for Spotsylvania Courthouse May 7-12,1864". Unlike his previous release covering the Battle for the Wilderness, Rhea has obviously incorporated all critiques and takes a bold step forward with this masterpiece of Civil War writing. The battle descriptions, everyday soldier stories and maneuver/tactic summaries along with the extensive array of maps (all in the correct context!) converge with this amazingly described battle story.

Rhea begins this book with the disengagement of the Federal forces following the tactical draw at the Wilderness. Detailed troop movements on both sides of the lines encompass most of the first quarter of the book and Rhea does an excellent job at describing who went where and explaining why it is important to understand that the movements of Confederate Richard Anderson towards Spotsylvania Courthouse (a small crossroads hamlet southwest of Chancellorsville) in a timely manner (his march from the Wilderness to Spotsylvania occurs hours ahead of schedule and barely beats the Federals to this important strategic holdpoint) made the difference in the ensuing battles.

The initial engagements at Laurel Hill/Spindle's Farm on May 8th set the stage for the Siege/trench warfare that follows and Rhea adroitly explains troop layouts and maneuvers in this important prelude to the subsequent major battles. As in the Wilderness struggle, this battle period also covers two main areas...the infantry confrontations at Spotsylvania and the cavalry maneuvers/battles between Phil Sheridan's complete corps of Union cavalry and Jeb Stuart's partial Confederate corps as they head to a climactic engagement at Yellow Tavern north of Richmond (culminating in the un-timely death of Stuart...a major blow to the Southern cause).

Rhea goes on to point out how vulnerable the Confederate "Muleshoe" entrenchments at Spotsylvania are and how Union Colonel Emory Upton is partially successful with his May 10th charge at the west side of the salient. U.S. Grant sees this and uses this same tactic to attack the northwest "angle" on May 12th. The resulting "Bloody Angle" encounter is the highlight of the book. Charge after senseless charge is depicted along with chilling descriptions of the resulting carnage...this clearly was the Civil War at it's most gruesome (apologies to those who say that Antietam, Fredericksburg or Chickamauga were the bloodiest). Rhea descibes..."In places, the combatants pressed so close that their flagstaffs crossed. 'The fighting was horrible,' a Mississippian recalled. 'The breastworks were slippery with blood and rain, dead bodies lying underneath half trampled out of sight.' The 16th Mississippi's flag stood at the salient's apex, like a challenge to the Federals. Wave after wave of Union assaults battered the point. Between charges, the Confederates cleared corpses from the trenches and loaded and stacked their rifles in preparation for the next onslaught. 'The powder smoke settled on us while the rain trickled down our faces from the rims of our caps like buttermilk on the inside of a tumbler,' penned a Mississippian who had stood not ten feet from the flagstaff. 'We could hardly tell one another apart. No Mardi Gras Carnival ever devised such a diabolical looking set of devils as we were. It was no imitation affair of red paint and burnt cork, but genuine human gore and gun powder smoke that came from guns belching death at close range' ".

Rhea then closes the book with an excellent Epilogue...expert analysis of both side's tactics and rationale are given and he absoluetly does not hesitate to indict both Leaders (Grant far more than Lee this time) for failures in thinking and command. In the final analysis, this is a watershed in Civil War battle history. Rhea now shows that he deserves mention with the best Civil War historians of the day (notwithstanding my critique of his first work) and I eagerly look forward to reading the rest of his Overland Campign histories. I highly recommend this book!

Gordon Rhea's book on the vicious fighting collectively know as the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House will endure as the "prime" example for all future writers of battle histories. His narrative of the action is riveting, bringing vividly to life the violence of Civil War combat. Never have I read such descriptions of the physical exertions and emotional impact of men trying to kill each other. Rhea has subtly mixed in at just the right moments examples of humour and levity that balance the combat scenes. He also illustrates very well how the lack of communication between Grant and his minions created the proverbial "fog of war" that allowed the Army of Northern Virginia to stave of disaster and maybe ending the war right there. His research appears to have been exhausting and the effort shows. The book reads like a thriller and I could not put it down. I thought I knew the battle pretty well but picked-up new data on virtually every page. This book should garner numerous awards and be a part of every Civil War and military history buff's library.

Recently I spoke to someone who had read all of Rhea's books published thus far. The person commented that he thought Rhea was too dry an author to be enjoyed. After having read Rhea's title on the Wilderness and now just completing his Spotsylvania book, I wonder if my acquaintance was talking about the same person!

In my humble opinion, Rhea has written the defintive study of the campaign that reflected Grant's determination to destroy Lee's army at any cost - Spotsylvania. The book's narrative flows freely and the writing style is easy to follow without being simplistic. He covers in great detail the armies' movements to Spotsylvania, the battles of Spotsylvania, Todd's Tavern, Yellow Tavern, and other engagements. In other words, I believe the professional historian and Civil War layperson will both enjoy the book.

Rhea seems to be fair and balanced in his praise and criticism of both sides - Lee, Early, Anderson, Meade, Upton, Hancock, and others get praise while others (Grant, Ewell, Burnside - surprise surprise!, and others) are criticized for their performance. Since I am a Civil War layperson, I will leave it to the "experts" to analyze whether Rhea's praises and criticisms are warranted. Instead, I am choosing to focus on the book's content and writing style.

I do have one criticism of a shortcoming I find in many Civil War Campaign Studies - the maps. While the maps are well drawn, there could have been at least 10 more and could have gone down to regimental detail. Doing so makes following the flow of action much easier and interesting.

Criticism aside, I highly recommend the title as the definitive study of the continuing struggle between Lee and Grant. The book will serve as a valuable guide to my next visit at Spotsylvania.

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.

Rhea does a wonderful descriptive job on the Battle that changed the Civil War in the east forever. Any romantic feelings of cavaliers and great flanking maneuvers is at a loss for this grim beginning of the complex battle of entrenchments that eventually extend to Petersburg, This battle is ugly in the sense of great casualties as waves of humanity go up against mine balls, canister, bayonets and the well entrenched foes, in the case of the latter, Lee's ANV. Rhea does an outstanding job in two particular areas, one is the study of command for both the Union and Confederates and in his excellent detail descriptions of the many battles at Spotsylvania that culminates in the horrid bloody assaults at the mule shoesalient including the equally high casualty counter attacks. In reference to the command structure, Rhea describes a continuation of the Union problems of command initially described in his preceding Wilderness book (one of a four part series on the Overland Campaign). In this case; however, Grant is much more involved and Meade is seemingly relegated to a senior staff officer position. An example is Meade's dissatisfaction with Sheridan's inability to cut through to Spotsylvania and beat the confederates only to be subjected to Grants intervention to allow Sheridan to cut loose with the entire cavalry in a run at Richmond and Stuart. And ackwardly, Burnside still maintains an independent command under only Grant. Rhea articulately studies the confederate command particularly in reference to Stuart's cavalry brilliantly blocking Sheridan at Todd's Tavern, and Anderson's timely march to support Fitz Lee at Laurel Hill that plants one of the main defenses of Spotsylvania setting the stage for the confederates extended defense works. Rhea does an astonishing job of tracking the complex maneuvers of virtually every brigade from Hancock's attempt to move two exposed divisions north of the Po River attacked by Early to Hancock's attack at the salinet's maze of entrenchments. Rhea equally tracks the confederates in the salient from the initial defenders to those in the many brigades involved in the counterattack. Rhea also highlights the emergence of Gordon that parallel's the demise of Ewell in Lee's eyes. The account of the bloody angle is with first hand quotes of the miraculous charge by Hancock, the bad luck of the Confederates (weather, fog, movement of artillery) and the virtual free for all fight for control of the angle. Krick has a more poignant description of the battle of the mule shoe salient but Rhea provides the whole battle scheme brilliantly. The importance of Laurel Hill is well described and not forgotten nor is Early's late flanking attack against Burnside. Inclusive in this monumental task is a vivid account of Sheridan's raid and Stuarts attempt to harass and finally stop his better-supported foe. As Rhea points out, unlike Sheridan, Stuart left half his troop with Lee while Sheridan took his entire corps. The consequences are better for Lee but not so for Stuart at Yellow Tavern. The book concludes with great analysis of the command success and failures of both sides. Of interest is Warren's conflicts as Grant is frustrated with Warren's desire to avoid headlong attacks against well-entrenched foes (seemingly appropriate), while Warren may be right but he was better served to working for Meade who had a similar cautious nature. Also a good look at Grant's drive to destroy Lee and end the war while suffering great casualties. Two items that could use more detail, was Ewell that bad at Spotsylvania to be reduced in command or was Gordon's star just eclipsing Ewell at this point as Gary Gallagher suggests? And what was the reason why the confederates maintained the salient position that became exposed? Some authors suggest that the layout was the result of night marches with units forming where they stopped at whatever terrain vantage points seemed best in the dark. Fascinating account of Lee as he continues to take an active battlefield role as his officer corps becomes decimated. An excellent book and as the author says in the last chapter, "Twenty-five miles south, toward Richmond, the North Anna beckoned". After reading this book, you are ready for that next part of the campaign.

The maps are great, the prose is clear, the research is superb. What else do you want? Fully one third of the book is notes and appendices, which tells of a good and thorough historian. I respect that. I live about six miles from Spotsylvania Court House, so I wanted a definitive guide to the battle; this was it!