Mosby's Rangers [Paperback]

Jeffry D. Wert (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 1991

No single battalion was more feared during the Civil War than the 43rd Battalion of Virginia Cavalry. As one contemporary said, "They had...all the glamour of Robin Hood...all the courage and bravery of the ancient crusaders." Better known as Mosby's Rangers, they were an elite guerilla unit that operated with stunning success in northern Virginia and Maryland from 1863 to the last days of the war.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Confederate cavalry leader John Mosby is among the most romantic characters in the Civil War, and with good reason. From 1863 to the end of the conflict, Mosby's raiders were a constant headache for the North. Although more than 1,000 men served under Mosby, they usually acted in small detachments of several dozen, sacking supply depots, attacking railroads, and harassing federal troops. They seemed to move behind enemy lines almost at will, and in what is perhaps their most celebrated exploit, a handful of them led by Mosby himself rode into Fairfax Station, Virginia, in the dead of the night and kidnapped a Union general. When they were not on missions, Mosby's riders simply melted into the countryside, finding safe haven in the homes of sympathetic civilians. Theirs was a guerilla war. The frustrated North eventually assigned a special contingent of cavalry to combat them, and a price was ultimately put on Mosby's head. Nobody reined him in, however, and his command enjoyed the proud distinction of never having formally surrendered to the bluecoats. Shortly after Appomattox, Mosby simply disbanded his unit. This is another fine book from the prolific Civil War historian Jeffry D. Wert, who hardly could have picked a more intriguing subject. --John J. Miller

From Publishers Weekly

In 1863, John Singleton Mosby and his band of irregulars, recruited in Union-occupied northern Virginia, began raiding Yankee outposts, wagon trains, troop detachments, headquarters and railroad lines. Their most celebrated exploit: capturing a Union general behind enemy lines without firing a shot. After each sortie, the Confederate guerrillas would hide in "safe houses" provided by the citizens of two northern Virginia counties. Mosby was captured once (and exchanged) and wounded several times, but continued to plan and personally lead guerrilla raids throughout the final two years of the war. Wert ( From Winchester to Cedar Creek ) has written the first comprehensive study of Mosby's Rangers and offers new material about its organization, membership and tactics, plus biographical information about Mosby himself. He reveals that the partisan band rarely exceeded 200, that a large percentage of them were teenagers, that the civilians who sheltered them paid a high price in Yankee retribution. Well-researched, objectively written, this is a first-class history. Photos. First serial to Civil War Times Illustrated; History Book Club main selection.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (September 15, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671747452
• ISBN-13: 978-0671747459
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #504,600 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully told, but no maps, May 17, 2002

By 

Jared Orth (PGH, PA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mosby's Rangers (Paperback)

If you are interested in Mosby's Rangers, this is a great book. This is NOT a biography of John S. Mosby, though. It is a biography of the unit, with special attention towards the leader. The depth with which Wert has researched the individuals in the group provides a clear picture into the inner workings of the Rangers, and the civilians living within Mosby's Confederacy. The book was gripping, especially for someone who grew up and lives on the edge of Mosby's Confederacy.

I would warn others, though, that the lack of maps (Only one at the beginning of the book that charts all of Northern Virginia), can lead to confusion about the whereabouts of the Rangers, their adversaries, or allies, as well as the general positions of the people when in conflict. This is a let down to me since Wert included many maps in "Longstreet" to help transplant people to the Tennessee and Virginia battlefields, but I had to rely on my own knowledge of the area for Mosby's Rangers.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book!, June 6, 1999

By 

Pershing ([e-mail]) (U.S.A) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mosby's Rangers (Paperback)

I found Mosby's Rangers to be a very interesting book and it is now one of my all-time favorites, Wersh gave very a detailed history of Mosby's life and his actions as a guerilla raider in the Civil War.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed, August 12, 2008

By 

C. Davis "chuckster" (Rio Nido Ca.) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mosby's Rangers (Paperback)

This is the first effort by Mr. Wert that I did not enjoy.
Perhaps a misconception on my part, but I thought this would offer more of a biography of Mosby.I had A hard time with the book it jumped around so.