Customer Reviews

First With the Most: Nathan Bedford Forrest

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3 star:		(1)
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Alright, I admit it, what first interested me in this particular version was the price. I found it on the discount rack at a bookstore and started reading that night. I found it difficult to put down and finished quickly. It was the first biography of Forrest I had read (some years ago) and I was pleasently surprised to find that he was not demonized but judged in the context of his time. Good biography should do just that - keep the person in the context of their time. Mr. Henry's volume may remain my favorite biography of this brilliant general. There are other good ones but it is always difficult to better your first love.

This is the standard for Nathan Bedford Forrest history. One of the most brilliant generals of all time. This book really gets into his campaigns and life. Great book and must read for any Civil War history buff; especially one from Tennessee.

As a military historian, this is by far the best book I have ever seen on "Bedford" Forrest. My copy is a "1st edition", and although it might not have all the pretty pictures and maps that much of the new and younger generations like to see, it is informative and reaching, delving into the military operations of probably the finest cavalry commander in history.

The author really captures the essence of Forrest and his ability as a military commander. He tells it like it was, and how it happened, and when it was written, did not have to concern himself with being "politically correct".

I highly reccomend this book.

- Greg Pitts

A very readable book that presents the Confederate side of the battles against the Union Army of Tennessee. Having first read "Nothing But Victory",(Union) by Steven E. Woodworth, a narrative of a Union Army of Tennessee 1861-1865 and "Days of Glory", (Union) by Larry J. Daniel, known as The Army of the Cumberland, 1861-1865, I found "First With the Most", (Confederate) by Robert Selph Henryan excellent counterpoint revealing the struggles of the Southern soldiers and their successes and defeats. I did find that in the two former books that reference to cavalry raid "as being brushed off" by Union forces. Indeed Nathan Bedford Forrest did an excellent job in causing much trouble for the Northern forces and is due his recognition. It is well documented and an interesting read to see some details of the Confederate side. Recommended reading for those interested in the Civil War era.

This is one of those books that certainly captures the military career of Nathan Bedford Forrest without getting into much of his personal life history. For trying to understand the man I would suggest Hursts' biography on Forrest. This book was a rather in depth study of every situation Forrest was in during the Civil War. It is strictly military and though thorough, it's lack of maps was troubling. The maps used in the book rarely define the movements or are complicated to understand and poorly demonstrated. Often they are used for a multiple of operations and are completely vague. Had they been better implemented with information and used more often it would have truly completed this book. I found this book by Henry to be less detailed in more popular matters of surrender and enemy deception compared to other books on Forrest. It was easy to get lost at times in regards to reading about generals under Forrest and their movements throughout the western campaign. Is this the best book on Forrest? Military speaking I rank it high, though as a well rounded biography it certainly isn't one as I don't think the author intended to bring that part of the man forward. This book I found boring at times and I wondered how 465 of pages could be filled when detail about the man never surfaced except trivial military matters.