Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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39 of 39 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The new definitive military history of Fredericksburg, November 24, 2002
Frank O'Reilly aims for - and achieves - a detailed military history, down to the regiment and battery level, laying out precisely the what, where, and when of combat operations. Fully 60 percent of his 500-plus page text is devoted to the action of December 13, 1862. This is not, however, a merely dry recounting of maneuver and sequence; O'Reilly takes care to maintain the vitality of his narrative by addressing the experiences and fates of individual officers and soldiers caught up in the fighting. The maps are clear and informative, although I do wish there had been a few more provided when describing some of the intricacies of the attacks and counterattacks in the Prospect Hill fighting. There is one curious omission: In books of this type, it has long been standard to list the Orders of Battles of the contending armies, something very useful as a quick reference when a reader wishes to check to what brigade the 121st Pennsylvania belonged or which subordinate units reported to Winfield Hancock. Oddly for a detailed military history tables of this information are not included in "The Fredericksburg Campaign"; perhaps the publisher wished to trim a few pages from this quite large book (yes, that information can certainly be readily obtained elsewhere, but it would be far more handy to have it in this volume). Although O'Reilly provides a passable description of events leading up to this short campaign and a discussion of its aftermath, he does not evaluate the performance of the various senior officers as extensively as I had expected, only quickly summarizing their merits or flaws - mostly flaws, in the case of the Union generals. In O'Reilly's estimation, clearly George Meade was the best Northern commander on the field, while Franklin, Birney, and Reynolds earn his sharpest censure. Confederate commanders are accorded perhaps even less analysis than their Union counterparts.Only a few months ago, George C. Rable's "Fredericksburg! Fredericksburg!" was published. Inevitably, a comparison between the two must be made. Rable sought a blending of what he characterizes the "old" military history (dealing largely with leaders and dissecting strategy and tactics) and the "new" (focused on soldier life and its connections to larger social themes). And, I think it is fair to say, he well achieved that blending in "Fredericksburg! Fredericksburg!" In marked contrast to O'Reilly's study, less than 20 percent of Rable's text describes the December 13th fighting, only about 80 pages in a volume nearly as long as O'Reilly's. Where Rable excels is in providing what might be called the "context" of the campaign, including discussions of the impact of McClellan's replacement by Burnside, the continuing controversy over the planned formal issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, the repercussions of recently conducted state and congressional elections, and the realities of army life in the field. And Rable delves deeply into the experiences of the wounded after the fighting ended and into how the battle was reported, both North and South. For the general reader not deeply into the study of American Civil War military operations, "Fredericksburg! Fredericksburg!) is probably more accessible than O'Reilly's more narrowly focused study. Taken by itself, O'Reilly's book is clearly the definitive traditional military history of the Fredericksburg battle (and in the modern trend, he expands upon that traditional military history to portray the common soldiers as well as the generals). Paired with Rable's volume, the two together provide a uniquely comprehensive study of the campaign in all its multitude of aspects. I recommend reading both.
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Tragic Tale, February 3, 2005
In my humble opinion Frances O'Reilly is one of the foremost experts in the study of the Battle of Fredericksburg. I had never heard of the man until I read this book but his this book is clear proof of his expertise. As an added bonus, the author has a clear and concise writing style and he keeps his story interesting even while spouting vast amounts of minute information.
From the very beginning it should be understood that this is not a book for the Civil War novice or the casual reader. Much of the information in this book is very detailed and it would turn off or confuse anyone who is not very familiar with the armies involved in this campaign. Not only do names fly at the reader at a rapid pace but there is also the behind the scenes politics of both the nation and the armies along with exact regimental placements. This is also not a book for anyone with a weak stomach for O'Reilly goes into great detail in describing many of the more horrendous wounds suffered by many of the participants. Over and over the author relates stories of flying blood, brains, and intestines. This is not to say that the gore takes away from the story for it indeed brings home the very nature of war and one can't understand Fredericksburg or the Civil War without a sense of the horrors these men were facing. O'Reilly also adds depth to his book by including many stories from the common soldier on the field, stories that are both humorous and poignant.
On the other hand, the author covers the big picture in a very complete way and he pulls no punches. It is made very clear for example that much of the blame for the carnage at Fredericksburg rests with Abraham Lincoln and that Lee and Jackson made a terrible mistake in placing their line, a mistake that almost led to a major Union victory. It is also made very clear that General Burnside's whole plan of attack was based on a faulty premise. That being that Lee had spaced his army evenly over their eight mile front even though Longstreet's half of the army held an area with huge natural advantages for the defender. As it turned out, Longstreet held six miles of the eight-mile front while Stonewall Jackson's men held only the remaining two miles. Still, with the huge hole the Confederates had left in their lines Burnside might have been successful except for the sad performance of most of his generals. Even the highly regarded John Reynolds let Burnside down and only George Meade stood out in his performance.
I have been to Fredericksburg and have walked the battlefield. I have also read other treatments of the battle but until I read this book I didn't really understand what had happened. This is undoubtedly the definitive work on this subject and it will remain so for years to come. The amount of research and work that the author has put into this book is staggering and the final result is a masterpiece of Civil War scholarship. Any serious student of the war in the east not only should but also needs to read this book.
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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Fredricksburg Campaign is a Modern Classic, July 3, 2003
Francis Augustin O;Reilly's new book on Fredricksburg is well researced,well written and detailed in its micro-history approach to the Union defeat at the hand of Lee's Legions in December, 1862. O'Reilly's book is a military account of the battle eschewing the sociological implications of the battle delineated so well in George C. Rable's recent bestseller.
I enjoyed both books but would recommend Rable's book for the reader who has a general interest in the battle and doesn't care for detailed accounts of military strategy.
O'Reilly's book will be the standard military account for years to come. This impressive young historian now stands in the ranks of Robert K. Krick, Gordon Rhea and Peter Cozzens in the brilliant way he tells the story of the battle. Maps were helpful to the text (although more maps could always be used!). He did make the mistake of saying Lee's birtday was on Jan. 21 when the general was born on Jan. 19th.
Fredricksburg was the last complete battle where the gray legions were led by the peerless tandem of Lee and Jackson. The battle featured the first urban street fighting on a major scale in the Civil War. Fredricksburg also saw widespread looting by Union troops on a heretofore unprecedented scale.
Anyone planning to tour Fredricksburg should read this book. O'Reilly tells us of the important fighting on Prospect Hill and the slaughter before Marye's Heights (two separate battles).
I would enjoy hearing O'Reilly speak at our Civil War Round Table in Knoxville or on Book TV! I am impressed by this outstand author and Civil War scholar! An excellent work!
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