Customer Reviews

Chickamauga and Chattanooga: The Battles That Doomed the Confederacy

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I found this book to be very enjoyable reading. The book goes into depth about the battle that occured at Chickamauga and Chattanooga, but does not require the reader to be familiar with Civil War history. I found this book to be easy to read as well as enjoyable. Unfortunately, Bowers writes with a sympathetic viewpoint towards the CSA and goes into detail about Chickamauga (which was a confederate victory) but barely gleems over the battle of Chattanooga. good book for the lay reader, but you historians and civil war buffs may be disappointed.

No one will ever accuse John Bowers of letting historical facts get in the way of telling a good story. Hyperbole? Lively? This is a good overview of the campaign, especially for beginners, but Bowers is really interested in telling dramatic stories about the major figures. But he needs to check his facts. For example, on page 101 he introduces Ambrose Bierce, a lieutenant in the 9th Indiana Infantry, and uses an excerpt from Bierce's post-war short story "Chickamauga" to illustrate the fighting. But on page 146 Bowers calls him Captain Bierce, an officer in an Ohio battery and chronicler of the battle. Although a serious student of the battle will do much better to read Steven Woodworth and Peter Cozzens, many will find Bowers very entertaining. Bowers is from East Tennessee and is the grandson of a Confederate cavalryman who fought in the battle. Bowers' best story in this book is in the Acknowledgements and concerns a Virginia patrician historian at the New York City Civil War Round Table. This alone is worth the cover price!

John Bowers has a novelist's ear for dialogue and an almost uncanny knack for entering a period of history long gone. He combines these qualities with a historian's grasp of the Civil War era. This gives his book an authority and readability that brings the whole fascinating crucial battle of Chickamauga and its surrounding episodes to life. It's a brilliant job as is Mr. Bowers' book Stonewall Jackson: Portrait of a soldier (Morrow), alas now out of print.

This book is one of the best history books I've read in ages. The story is presented in a gripping style and the characterizations and revelations are done majestically. Take for example this description of Leonidas Polk: "A handsome man with a full head of wavy graying hair and strong Roman features, he always seemed on the verge of giving a benediction or asking that the fried chicken be passed."

Mr. Bower's descriptions are entertaining and enlightening. Chicamauga isn't about strategy, it was a soldiers fight. What mattered was the character of the men involved. This book goes into the details. I cannot recommend this more highly.

This book i find shows a great deal of attention to the failure of the union. It also shows the haunting simularities, not noted in the book, between Chickamauga and Chancellorsville. Both battles included a gap inthe union lines being exploited. Over all, the book is a good read and My serious gratitude to the author for such a fine work.

This book tells the story of two battles, which literall killed the cause of the Confederacy. Chickamauga was one of the bloodiest battles in the Civil War, and the Confederacy lost over 20000 men and the Union lost over 16000 men. Some men burned to death. They raked leaves back with sticks to try to keep the fires away from them. Many of the soldiers were found burned alive with the sticks still in their hands. After Chickamuaga the union retreated to Chattanooga. the Confederacy stayed and celebrated their win. Then finally the Confederacy came and besieged 500 civilian and 35000 Union men at chattanooga. the siege went on for days and days. Men died of starvation. Soldiers were forced to kill horses, dogs,and mules. Then Grant's army of 20000 showed up. Then not many days later, Sherman's army of 20000 showed up. They had a fight that was so furious that men were made armless and legless in a matter of seconds. The Confederacy was beaten back on the third day.

Bowers shows a real knack for writing and explaining the battles from the men's points of view. He could have not done better. He showed me facts, the men's point of view, and also who the generals in the battles were. He went into the tactics very well. He made sure the reader understood everything.