Major General John Alexander McClernand: Politician in Uniform (History Book Club Selection) [Hardcover]

Richard L. Kiper (Author)

Book Description

Series: History Book Club Selection | Publication Date: November 1, 1999

John A. McClernand was a leading Democratic congressman from Illinois who in 1861 became a brigadier general in the Union army. Although a "political general," he proved himself on the battlefield until he ran afoul of Ulysses S. Grant and was relieved of his command of the Thirteenth Corps in 1863 during the Vicksburg campaign. Richard Kiper presents a balanced and sympathetic assessment of this highly controversial individual who served his country as soldier and statesman and sheds new light on the Union command system, providing insight into the politics of war as well as the personalities and relationships among the army's senior officers.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Richard L. Kiper is retired lieutenant colonel (West Point, 1967) who earned his Ph.D. in history from the University of Kansas. He has taught at West Point, at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and is presently on the faculty of Kansas City Kansas Community College.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 408 pages
• Publisher: Kent State Univ Pr; 1ST edition (November 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0873386361
• ISBN-13: 978-0873386364
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,171,918 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Military Biography I've Read, October 11, 2000

By 

Robert A. Cassella (Leavenworth, Kansas United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Major General John Alexander McClernand: Politician in Uniform (History Book Club Selection) (Hardcover)

Rich Kiper has written a biography of a little-known personality, John Alexander McClernand, that is a lesson for soldiers who may be tempted to politick and for politicians who may be tempted to "play soldier." This book is an objective and balanced description of the period when the Union Army was suffering from the drain of military talent to the South and "politicians in uniform" were a national necessity. In spite of an abject lack of military training and experience, McClernand did perform remarkably well while preparing troops for combat and while leading them in the field. While he used his political clout to organize, train and equip the soldiers of his brigade, McClernand's tendency to be self-serving and critical of his superiors (to their superiors!) ultimately outweighed his usefulness and hastened his relief by Grant. John McClernand's nemeses included Generals Ulysses Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton and, most notably, John McClernand himself. This book was written from a soldier's perspective and can be read and appreciated by soldiers and civilians alike.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well Done Look at an Important Civil War Era Figure, July 6, 2006

By 

Kevin M. Derby (Florida) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Major General John Alexander McClernand: Politician in Uniform (History Book Club Selection) (Hardcover)

While best known to Civil War buffs for his feuding with Grant, John Alexander McClernand remains an important second tier figure in the effort to preserve the Union.

Richard Kiper helps shed some light on this obscure politican in uniform and offers new appreciation for his services. While Kiper rightfully shows McClernand as something of a blowhard who had little use with the chain of command, the biographer also argues that the Illinois general deserves better than to be lumped in with failed political generals like Nathaniel Banks and Ben Butler. While not uncritical of his subject's military leadership, Kiper presents a strong case that as recruiter, organizer and, even as a battlefield commander, McClernand proved a solid and brave soldier. Kiper also brings some light on his subject's military career after being removed by Grant, offering insight on McClernand's role in the Trans-Mississippi in 1864.

This is not to say that Kiper provides a definitive biogrpahy of McClernand. McClernand's important role as one of Stephen Douglas's chief lieutenants in Illinois and in the U.S. House is lightly skimmed over. McClernand played an important role in the Compromise of 1850 and the shattering of the Democratic Party, from the Buchanan-Douglas showdown to the 1860 presidential convention in Charleston. McClernand also played a leading role in the compromise debates in the 1860-61 congressional section. He even played a fairly prominent role in the post-bellum Democratic Party. All of this Kiper glosses over. While the focus of the book is on McClernand's military career, there should have been a bit more focus on his political career as well, especially as the subject remained, despite his talents, more of a candidate than a military leader. Despite that flaw, this remains a very good look at an important, and unfairly neglected, leader in the Civil War.

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Long Overdue, October 11, 2000

By 

Michael Goodrich (Ararat, VA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Major General John Alexander McClernand: Politician in Uniform (History Book Club Selection) (Hardcover)

Kiper has written a long overdue account of a general who fell through the Civil War cracks. Solid understanding, impeccable research, fluid writing = biography at its best.