Second Manassas (Voices of the Civil War) [Hardcover]

Time Life (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 168 pages
• Publisher: Time Life Education (October 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0783547013
• ISBN-13: 978-0783547015
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 10 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #833,128 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brings you to the battlefield and makes you a participant., November 7, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Second Manassas (Voices of the Civil War) (Hardcover)

Reading this series of books is like watching Ken Burns' "The Civil War", I never cease to marvel at the eloquence of the writers and the resolutness of their beliefs. These books capture the spirit and purpose of the men and women who were willing to sacrifice their lives for their convictions, and one can not help but admire their character and courage. The Civil War introduced Napoleonic tactics to the industrial revolution and its ability to cause casualties in huge numbers, the results are set forth in detail in these books. Obviously, we couldn't be there, but the way these books are composed, we are taken as close as we will ever hope to get.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Solid entry in the Time Life series, "Voices of the Civil War", March 19, 2009

By 

Steven A. Peterson (Hershey, PA (Born in Kewanee, IL)) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Second Manassas (Voices of the Civil War) (Hardcover)

The "Voices of the Civil War" series, published by Time-Life, looks at various episodes in the Civil War from soldiers' and citizens' perspectives. These are not so much histories of battles as personal reflections (with some descriptive essays) of the events. The focus of this volume is Second Manassas (Bull Run).

The volume begins with an essay, "The Road to Manassas," which describes the run up to the great battle that eventually took place (Pages 9-12). There follows the "Order of Battle," in which the different units involved and their commanders are listed. The so-called "Army of Virginia," under the bombastic General John Pope, consisted of three corps--led by the inept, such as Franz Sigel and Nathaniel Banks, and the barely adequate (Irvin McDowell). The two wings of the Army of Northern Virginia were commanded by Stonewall Jackson and James Longstreet. In addition, some of the corps from the Army of the Potomac were engaged as well.

The statements by actors include Pope's addresses, which drew smirks from many. Robert E. Lee's statement that "I want Pope to be suppressed" is included, too. And on it goes, from the conflict around Cedar Mountain to Jackson's wide sweep around Pope's forces to destroy many of his stores to the actual battle at Manassas, beginning with a hard fought battle at Brawner's Farm, when the Iron Brigade and the Stonewall Brigade collided. And so on, top the end of the battle and its aftermath. Citizens are quoted (from letters or diaries) as well as soldiers--from privates to generals.

The end result is a personalization of the battle. This volume does nicely in giving the reader a sense of the more personal side of the conflict, as seen in the words of those who were there. I would have wished more description and analysis, but that really is not the purpose of this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars another great book in the series, December 2, 2003

By 

M. A. Miller (Rome, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Second Manassas (Voices of the Civil War) (Hardcover)

this series countinues to bring you into the battle. This book shows the human side of Second Manasas the fear the soilders of both sides of defending or charging the railroad cut, and the fun moments like when Stuart steals Pope's Uniform to makeup for his hat that was captured by the Union are shown here in this book. It is informative of the battle history and what those who experienced it actually saw