Donnybrook: The Battle of Bull Run, 1861 (Paperback)

by David Detzer (Author) "On April 17, 1861, a special convention of Virginians voted on a resolution about whether their state should secede..." (more)
Key Phrases: Bull Run, New York, Rhode Island (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
The Civil War’s first major battle was not especially bloody or decisive, but this fascinating study makes it an apt microcosm of the conflict. Historian Detzer (Allegiance: Fort Sumter, Charleston and the Beginning of the Civil War) provides a lucid narrative of the battle’s course, judiciously assesses the causes and authors of the Union defeat, draws vivid thumbnail sketches of participants from generals to privates, and debunks the "stone wall" legend and other enduring myths of the battle. But the book’s greatest strength is its account of the social, psychological and organizational aspects of warfare in the Civil War epoch. Fought by hastily mobilized amateurs, the battle highlighted the Herculean difficulties the two sides faced in clothing, supplying and feeding large armies and trying to turn fractious civilians into competent soldiers. And Bull Run gave volunteers imbued with romantic jingoism their first taste of the horror, chaos and physical agony of combat. Drawing on a mountain of first-hand accounts, Detzer paints a detailed panorama of every aspect of army life, from the mechanics of working a musket, to the grisliness of battlefield medicine, the scrounging for meals and the suffering through long, waterless marches on a sweltering July day. The result is a splendid portrait of the Civil War as the soldiers knew it. B&w photos not seen by PW.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Booklist
*Starred Review* This is the fourth account of the First Battle of Bull Run (or Manassas) to appear in the last 15 years, but Detzer's work stands above the crowd because it possesses several superior qualities. Narrative verve is present, but more important is the author's grip on how difficult it was for Civil War generals to control a battle, and how difficult it is for a historian to reassemble the chaos of combat into a coherent chronicle. Returning to these two challenges as he recounts the preliminary maneuvers that precipitated Bull Run, Detzer revises the blame conventionally heaped on the losing Union general, Irvin McDowell. Among other reasons, McDowell's attack plan misfired because of a staff officer's incompetence, despite which he almost gained the victory. This is where the "Stonewall" Jackson legend comes into play. Detzer dismantles the moniker--allegedly uttered by a Confederate general killed in the battle--as both fictitious and out of proportion to the dubious stalwartness of Jackson's regiments, two of which completely cracked. Detzer also vivifies the soldier's experience of fear and physical exhaustion, polishing what is nearly a model of how a Civil War battle history should be written. Gilbert Taylor
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 576 pages
• Publisher: Harvest Books (September 5, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0156031434
• ISBN-13: 978-0156031431
• Product Dimensions: 12.6 x 7.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #751,177 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Like A Martini with No Olive, March 2, 2006

By	Civil War Buff (Hebron, KY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Donnybrook: The Battle of Bull Run, 1861 (Hardcover)

This is just an excellent telling of the first battle of Manassas. The facts are accurate and the sequence of events is near perfect. Mr. Detzer clearly explains the positions of both armies throughout the book. BUT THE BOOK HAS NO MAPS. This makes it nearly impossible to relate to the author's information. How a book this good could not have maps is an author's and publisher's unacceptable omission. If the reader cannot constantly visualize the stone bridge, The Henry house hill, Matthews hill and other important locations, this will be a most frustrating read. To force the reader to have additional maps and go back and forth between reading and viewing makes the book totally unenjoyable for a reader that does not have a clear understading of the topography. The book is a 10. No maps pulls the rating to a 3. What a shame.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars No maps but still well worth picking up, October 13, 2004

By	B. Morris (Overland Park, Kansas United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Donnybrook: The Battle of Bull Run, 1861 (Hardcover)

If you have read David Detzer's book Allegiance then you are already familiar with his wonderful writing style. Detzer is really a talented writer and Donnybrook definately lives up to his previous works. It's well researched and well written.

One of the nice things about Detzer's work here is that like with Allegiance, it's not just the story of the Xs and Os of the battle but the political and social atmosphere surrounding it. In the end the reader is left with not just a better understanding of the battle itself but the political pressures involved.

One point I especially enjoyed was the book dealt rather heavily with General Patterson and his failed attempt to hold Johnston's forces in the valley so they could not reinforce Beauregard at Manassas Junction. Detzer shows pretty convincingly that General Winfeld Scott's confusing orders had as much as anything to do with Johnston's ability to escape Patterson and join Beauregard.

My only criticism of this book is that there are no maps of the battle. There is a general map of the Eastern Theater inside the front cover but that's all. While Detzer does a wonderful job in describing the battle and the actions of the units I still think he should have included at least a few to help the reader better understand the movements of the armies.

If you are someone familiar with the battle before reading the book, this shouldn't be a problem. If you are rather new to the battle you might want to look up a map of the battlefield online when reading it. Either way, this is still a fine book so don't let the lack of maps keep you from picking this one up.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars NO MAPS!, September 11, 2004

By	James Durney (Tampa Bay area) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: Donnybrook: The Battle of Bull Run, 1861 (Hardcover)

You had better have a good understanding of the battlefield becuse the the book has no maps. I can not understand how a publisher would release a battle history or an author would want his book damaged so. If you know enough about the battle to not need maps, this text will not impress you. If you need maps, the text will help you get lost. Either way, you have spent $28 on a semi-good book.

This is a shame as Mr. Detzer's "Allegiance" was excellent and I was looking forward to this book.