Customer Reviews

Halleck: Lincoln's Chief of Staff

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This biography of Henry W. Halleck provides great insights into
the life & career of one of the Civil War's most vilified figures. Stephen Ambrose provides a balanced overview and keen
analysis of Halleck and his contributions to the Union war effort. Studying the full story of Halleck's numerous and very
valuable contributions will be an eye-opening experience for many students of the Civil War. Though he may not have been a "great captain," he was an extremely effective organizer and judge of military talent, The "George C. Marshall" of the Civil War! Buy and read this book - you'll thank yourself!

I'll not repeat the comments made by the other reviewers since I agree with their sentiments. This is a very informative book about "Old Brains," a man without whom neither Lincoln nor Grant could have suceeded.

The most important fact about this book is its importance for the author. Ambrose is without a doubt one of my favorite historians. This was, I believe, his first published work, the result of his PhD research. Soon after it was published, General Eisenhower read the book. He liked it so much, he invited the young author to meet with him to begin writing an official biography. The rest is history, so to speak. Because of this book, we have other great works of history, great because they relate so much of importance and they relate it to the common man.

Thanks to this little book, we all can read D-Day, Citizen Soldier, and outstanding biographies of Nixon and Eisenhower.

Doug

Henry Halleck, that is the name that would rise a storm of scorn or derision among most Civil War readers. General Halleck have not been well regarded by most Civil War historians since the Civil War. This short biography (90% of 212 pages of text are on his Civil War years) by Stephen Ambrose tries to take a revisionist tack to Hallack's accomplishments, talents and his contribution to the Union cause. Ambrose's effort was to show that Halleck was bit more then just a paper general but an effective organizer and coordinator of the Union war effort. While admitting that Hallack was no battlefield general, his massive intellect on military matter was more suited for support roles to the armies at front, a classical bookworm general.

The book was originally published back in 1962 so the writing may not be as good as Ambrose's later efforts. But its still nicely readable and provides some very insightful views on Halleck's role in the Civil War. Whether you agree with Ambrose or not, is up to you.

Stephen Ambrose's take on Henry Halleck is an interesting one but it is not a biography by any means. Ambrose offers little on Halleck's interesting pre-war career and almost nothing on his post-was commands. What Ambrose does offer is a quick sketch of Halleck's contribution to the Union war effort. While doing little with Halleck's personal life (you won't read this book and have a better understanding of this enigmatic general's character), Ambrose shows how Halleck helped Grant, Sherman and, especially, Lincoln during the war. Ambrose is at his best as he takes the reader from 1863 until the end of the war. One is left with the feeling that more could have been done covering Halleck's days in the West in 1861 and 1862 but admittedly the focus of Civil War historians remained on the East until recently. While not an attractive personality, Halleck ranks as one of the most important generals of the war and this book serves as an excellent introduction and appreciation of "Old Brains."

Henry Wager Halleck has gone down in history as the man General Grant replaced, the man who did little to advance the Union cause for the first four years of the Civil War. Perhaps this reputation is deserved, but what is undeserved is the fact that this major player has gone so long without a biography that does him some justice. Master historian Stephen Ambrose sheds light on this interesting individual.

Halleck was born in 1815 and graduated West Point in 1839 in the corps of engineers, a sin quo non for advancement at the time. During the Mexican-American war he was sent to California and subsequently was influential in writing the state's constitution and bringing it into the union. In 1861 Halleck was given command of the Western theatre for the Union and it was here that he first gained recognition for his organizational abilities as well as his problematic love for headquarters. He was the opposite of his most successful commander, Ulysses S. Grant. In 1862 Halleck was brought, by Lincoln, to Washington to run command the entire Union effort. But he proved incapable of dealing with the field commanders, such as Burnside and McClellan and from this point his reputation soured. Eventually he would be replaced by his former subordinate, Grant, and he became Chief of Staff. After a posting in California he was transferred the army command of the 'Division of the South', dying while at work in 1872, a career military man.

This short biography sheds some light on his career and on his successes, especially in terms of logistics, that he brought to the war effort.

Seth J. Frantzman

This book is an important component for any Civil War buff or "Lincoln-ite" to better understand the important role of the civilian who "commanded" the Union generals and must be credited with playing a very large role in the final outcome of the War Between the States. As usual, Stephen Ambrose rocks!!! You need to read this book!