Customer Reviews

Damage Them All You Can: Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia

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George Walsh hit a grand slam with DAMAGE THEM ALL YOU CAN: ROBERT E. LEE'S ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA. Told almost exclusively from the point of view of the Confederate side this book does a wonderful job of getting into the hearts and minds of the men who fought for the Confederacy. The stereotypes of the lost cause or southerners as a pack of racists are replaced by a very human portrait of the men (and sometimes their loved ones too) who fought and died for what they believed in. Walsh has done a very real service to the memory of the Army of Northern Virginia. The battle narratives are really good as is the analysis of Lee's thoughts, decisions and occasional frustration with his subordinates. An excellent treatment!

"Damage Them All You Can:" Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia written by George Walsh is quite frankly one of the best accounts of The Army of Northern Virginia that I've ever read. General Robert E. Lee assembled the best army to ever, to this point in time, fight on American soil. In fact, The Army of Northern Virginia man for man, out Generaled, out fought all that the North could throw against it.

Walsh's book is a true delight to read, the principles in the book seem to come alive as you read on in the book. The prose is written with vivid descriptions and the author gives the reader insights albeit shrewd of how the battles were fought.

I got the inpression that I was there with the incisive insights the author gives the reader, from the Generals, to the commanders, right down to the trenches, told with deeply moving detail. I encourage anyone interested in reading about the Civil War or the "Yankee War of Aggression" to read this book.

I've read Foote, McPherson, and Catton's writings about this time in American History, but Walsh's account here is the best and most personal one that I've ever read, with a probing into the character and the battles that made them feel like they were fought right before your eyes.

This book is, by all accounts, for a single volume the best book written about one of the best fighting armies the Confederacy ever had... the Army of Northern Virginia. This book is worthy of a place in your library on American History.

Strolling through the Mall I decided to stop in for a brief visit to the mass market oriented bookstore. Thumbing through the Civil War offerings I picked up this outstanding book. I did not recognize the name of George Walsh. He is a Yankee writing on the army whose story has been so well told from Southern superstars such as Douglass Southall Freeman, Clfford
Dowdey and Shelby Foote. Why plunk down a Visa card to purchase it?
Curiosity satisfied is the answer! Walsh writes in a personal style introducing the men and the units making up Lee's fabled Army of Northern Virgnia. Even an old Civil War buff such as I learned new things about the Victorian warriors of Dixieland who lend the forces of Lee against the enemy.
This book is an excellent survey of the war in the Eastern theatre. It is a valuable additon to my Civil War library. I highly recommend Walsh's book to anyone even casually interested in learning more about the American Illiad that is our Civil War!

I haven't read this book yet (but do own it), but am laughing at the cover-art: it's a painting of Gen. John Breckenridge (by John Paul Strain, I think) leading his Kentucky Orphan Brigade across Stones River at the Battle of Murfreesboro. Big thing is, this was with the Army of Tennessee, not the Army of Northern Virginia! How does this happen?

Not necessarily an eye opening book that provides new revelations of Robert E. Lee's generalship in the Civil War. But it does provide nice detail of the battles engaged in by the Army of Northern Virginia under his leadership. The book begins by describing the fighting at the Eastern front before Lee took over command of the Army. We get thumbnail sketches of various Confederate generals. Then, the unfolding of battle after battle.

The author speaks of his vision for the book (Page 10): "In 'Damage Them All You Can' I try to present, against the background of the great battles fought by the Army of Northern Virginia (ANV), the human side of that war--sketching the strenghs and weaknesses of Lee and his men, their tender relations with wives and sweethearts, and their chilling acceptance of death."

Lee's command of ANV is featured, including Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign, the Seven Days, Second Manassas, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and on and on.

It is an engaging story. However, I'm not sure that I'm convinced that much of anything significantly new appears here. If one hasn't read of the ANV before, then this would be a very fine work. If one has read a fair amount, I'm not sure how much new would be contributed.

Still an engaging work. . . .

I am the author of "Damage Them All You Can." Would you please run the subtitle of my book on your web page?
The subtitle is: Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia.
By running it you will provide the potential buyer with instant information as to what the book is about.
Thank you.