Shades of Blue and Gray (Harvest Book) [Paperback]

Herman Hattaway (Author)

Book Description

Series: Harvest Book | Publication Date: July 1, 1998

With its penetrating analyses and masterly synthesis of current scholarship, this “wonderfully clear and concise” book gives readers “the best brief military history of the Civil War available” (George Rable, author of The Confederate Republic and Civil Wars). Black-and-white photographs; maps.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Herman Hattaway analyzes the Civil War with an emphasis on contemporary advances in military technology and their effects on behavior in the field. Ulysses Grant was speaking nearly literally when he wrote, "the iron gauntlet must be used more than the silken glove to destroy the Confederacy"; in the end, Hattaway demonstrates, it was superior iron and steel that won the Union cause. He examines the development and use of submarines, mines, automatic weapons, balloons, and especially rifles and artillery, which became so accurate in time that contending armies took to trench warfare. Battle by battle, Hattaway retraces the grim course of the war, yielding a helpful introduction to its history, complete with abundant notes and suggested readings. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

Sean Pratt reads Hattaway's introduction to the military history of the War Between the States. By putting the war into the context of the growing professionalization of the military art, Hattaway shows the conflict's lasting influence. Pratt's reading is adequate to the task. His soft voice is clear and easy to understand, although there are a few mispronunciations (or glaring errors in the text). This is a work that will be of great interest to all Civil War buffs. For history or military collections.AMichael T. Fein, Catawba Valley Community Coll., Hickory, NC
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 296 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books (July 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0156005905
• ISBN-13: 978-0156005906
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,257,282 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent overview of the American Civil War., July 2, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Shades of Blue and Gray: An Introductory Military History of the Civil War (SHADES OF BLUE & GRAY) (Hardcover)

Prof. Hattaway, a student of T. Harry Williams of LSU, has the most eloquent and clear style of writing that the concepts that he communicates are very easily understood. Having had Prof. Hattaway for Am. Hist. in college, I must say that his writing technique is truly genuine--he acts and reacts precisely in the way that he presents himself in the work. The work itself gives a very broad overview of the Civil War with enough detail to surpass elementary study but in moderation enough to keep easily distracted readers from finding it laborious. I highly recommend Prof. Hattaway and his works.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent brief military history of the Civil War., October 5, 2001

By 

KTS - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shades of Blue and Gray (Harvest Book) (Paperback)

Hattaway's Shades of Blue and Gray is an excellent introduction to the military history of the Civil War. While brief enough for the amateur historian to enjoy, this book is also suitable for scholars and features many valuable insights into the period. Hattaway adequately explains many of the complicated and technical aspects of the war in a way other works have failed to do. Shades of Blue and Gray gets to the heart of the military science involved in the war, and relates the Civil War to the world-wide development of modern warfare. This book is also excellent for anyone interested in Confederate General Stephen D. Lee, one of Hattaway's specialties. For anyone interested in the way the war was fought, this book is a must.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Sweeping observations with false connotations, February 13, 2005

By 

Kaila Searl "a girl who likes military history" (Eugene, OR United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shades of Blue and Gray (Harvest Book) (Paperback)

Really it deserves a 2.5, but that's not possible so I rounded up. I have read a number of books on the military history of the Civil War, and I bought this book as a brush up to keep my finger in it, one could say. The authors greatest error, in my eyes, was his tendency to make sweeping observations which were not always true. He claims that the South just had to hold out and keep holding out to win, whereas it has been the general opinion of many historians, as well as Robert E Lee, that the South had to win quickly, or be doomed to a gradual loss.

Alright, so maybe Hattaway did say that - it's only one thing, right? Well, it is always "The North," "The South," like everyone in those two areas thought about the war the same. Ok, so he was trying to keep his history short. And yes, he did keep it short, at the expense of misrepresentation. Many people generally regard the Civil War as a battle of generals, and I don't see a reason to disagree with that, and neither does Hattaway. So he mentions the generals, and this general, and that other general, and soon even I, someone who has studied the Civil War before, don't even know whether he's talking about a Confederate or Union general, never a good thing to be confused about.

I could recommend this book only as the most elementary introduction to the military history of the Civil War, someone interested in learning a little more about it and not having any prior knowledge. Otherwise, I would go for one that was a little less pro-North (as Hattaway has a very Northern point of view. I know, it's the timeless problem about writing about the Civil War - it's hard to keep objective. He just tends to tell the point of view of the Northern generals a lot more than the Southern generals. Except mentionning their names, of course, see above comment).