Customer Reviews

Shiloh: The Battle That Changed the Civil War

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Shiloh : The Battle That Changed the Civil War by Larry J. Daniel is a fine history of the first bloody battle of the Civil War. While much of the book follows the troop movements that occurred during the two day battle, the strength of the book is when Daniel moves away from the specifics of the battle and deals with the personalties involved as well as its cause and effect.

The book is well written, although it is difficult to follow much of the discussion concerning specific troop movements and the maps are not that helpful. However, that does not detract from the fine descriptions of the major players and their strengths and weaknesses. While Daniel is justifiedly critical of all of the major players, he is perhaps too forgiving of Sherman's role in allowing the surprise attack to occur.

Daniel goes to lengths to describe how Grant manipulated the situation to ensure that Sherman would be the senior Division Commander present at Pittsburg Landing, but then does not sufficiently discus his failure to have the troops entrench. It was that failure that allowed the Confederate surprise attack to almost succeed.

The above failure aside this was a very readable history of a crucial Civil War battle.

Although sometimes difficult to read, this is a is a well written, researched and documented analysis of the Battle of Shiloh. The first of the Civil War's major battles, the 23,000 Union and Confederate casualties that were experienced in 2 days of fighting at this Northern Mississippi, Tennessee River crossing were more than all the casualties incurred in all of America's previous wars combined. North and South did not clash here, they bludgeoned each other.

Long the subject of controversy, Shiloh's participants and contemporaries left a legacy of acrimonious discussion and creative revisionism that continues today. Larry Daniel's book goes a long way to getting this signal Civil War battle back to its proper perspective. Within two months of this defeat, the South lost 15,000 square miles of its Nation, including Memphis, Tennessee, all of the upper Mississippi River forts from Columbus, Kentucky to just above Vicksburg, Mississippi and, eventually, New Orleans, Louisiana, the Souths' largest city and one of its finest ports.

This is a step by step analysis of the uncertainty, blunders and lack of tactics as well as the fortitude, bravery and selflessness displayed by both sides. Many real heroes were born here. Many armchair and political heroes were defrocked. It was a true blood bath in the worst sense of the concept, setting the stage for Antietam, Vicksburg, Chickamauga, Gettysburg, Chancellorsville and all the horrors that came after. It defined the antagonists' resolve and defined each sector's devotion to its cause: The South's completely focused commitment to their definition of freedom and the North's completely focused dedication to their definition of Union.

This was the first (and so far only) book I had read on this famous battle and I must say that at times I found the book to be confusing. Overall the book provided a good account of the battle and it was an enjoyable read. The author provides 15 detailed and easy to understand maps of the action and a number of photographs of the battle area and personalities. I must say however that the book did not get me involved as other books I have read on the Civil War. I did not get a feel for the soldiers or the Generals and the narrative on the fighting did not draw me into the text like Sears, Priest or Rhea. This was still a good book but not great!

This is one of the best Civil War books I've read in a while. I visited the battlefield for the first time shortly after reading this, and the book gave me a great sense of the lay of the land and movements of the armies. Daniel does a great job of putting the battle into the political context of April 1862, and then goes on to provide an excellent military history of the battle. It would be a 5-star book if he had returned at the end to discuss its ramifications to a greater degree.

Shiloh was a vital battle in the Civil War. It took place just months after the Confederate disaster at Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, and was a sorely needed victory for a Western Confederacy that was reeling in defeat. The Confederates lost, however, in the process losing Corinth, Memphis, Island No. 10, Fort Pillow, Fort Randolph, and Fort Harris. This battle would become a springboard to future Federal moves in the western theatre.

Mr. Daniel does the battle, and its warriors, justification in this book. The maps were first-rate, and were very plentiful. Also in this book, I loved how Mr. Daniel divided the battle into sections, titling each section according to where on the battlefield it was and at what time of the day the action in the section took place. Shiloh is a very confusing battle, but I think Mr. Daniel's decision to structure his text in this manner helped avoid a lot of confusion, especially for beginners to the battle. Mr. Daniel's writing was great, also.

Now for the bad. I believe, as a previous reviewer stated, that Mr. Daniel went too easy on General Sherman for his negligence prior to the opening of the battle. Sherman, though not alone to be blamed, was very responsible for the near destruction of the Union army at Shiloh.

I prefer Mr. Sword's volume on the Battle of Shiloh over this one, but this book is still very much worth the money and the time spent reading it. I would recommend it to any Civil War buff, as Shiloh was one of the most important battles of the war.

Students of the Civil War have long recognized the importance of the battles in the West to the outcome of the conflict. The early stages of the war in the West, the battles of Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, and Shiloh were critical to the ultimate outcome.

Larry Daniel's "Shiloh: The Battle that Changed the Civil War" offers a detailed account of the bloody conflict that took place April 6-7, 1862 at Pittsburgh Landing in Tennessee. But the strength of the book lies more in Daniel's attempt to put the battle in its political context than in his description of the military actions.

Daniel argues that Jefferson Davis's policy in the West, which required a defence of every part of the Confederacy's large border, was based on highly dubious assumptions on how to garner support for the Southern war effort from European powers. Albert Sidney Johnston, a highly regarded general and a friend of Davis, received the unenviable task of commanding the Southern forces in the Western theatre. Militarily, Davis's policy stretched the Confederacy's available manpower very thin and made a breakthrough almost inevitable. Following the disaster at Fort Donelson, the way was opened into the Confederacy's heartland in Tennessee and further South including, ultimately, the control of the Mississippi River.

Johnstson, under severe criticism for the loss of Fort Donelson, was forced to evacuate Nashville. An ailing P.T. Beauregard was sent to assist Johnston and, it seems, Johnston allowed his junior to make many of the command decisions. Ultimately the Confederate troops concentrated in Corinth, Mississippi where the launched the surprise attack at Shiloh.

The Union forces had their own difficulties with a divided command structure, a great deal of personal jealousy and animosity among the generals, and suspicion of U.S. Grant. Grant ultimately sent his army to Pittsburg Landing with orders to wait until General Buell could join him before pushing South. The position was left unfortified and Grant did not expect a battle even though he knew the Confederates were only some 23 miles away.

Johnston and Beauregard hoped to launch their surprise attack on April 5 but difficulties in the march required its postponement until Sunday, April 6. Beauregard did not want to attack on April 6, but Johnston, at that point, pushed the action forward. The result was a grueling and bloody battle, full of missteps by commanders of both sides and fought largely by inexperienced troops. Johnston, leading his troops from the front, was killed on the right side of the Southern line at about 2:30 p.m. on April 6. Beauregard called off the attack at about 5:30 p.m., probably a correct decision but one that has been questioned by many. It is difficult to say whether the South could have, with a better battle plan, more troops, and firmer execution, prevailed on April 6 (or on April 5 if the attack had been brought as scheduled) in its bold gamble. But, reinforced by Buell, the Union drove the Confederacy back on April 7.

Grant himself said that Shiloh was the most misunderstood action of the Civil War. Shiloh is highly confusing in large part because the South's initial plan of attack broke down in short order and the battle became a series of uncoordinated engagements. Daniel's book compounds the confusion of the battle, as he writes in short overly-detailed sections without attempting to give an overview of the action. His account will likely be overwhelming to a reader coming to the battle for the first time. The maps in the book are widely spaced, and I didn't find them useful in understanding the text or the action on the field. I have been intruigued by the battle of Shiloh for many years. I read this book early in my study -- prior to a visit to Shiloh -- and then returned to it recently. I still found it difficult and frequently opaque.

Daniel's account makes a compelling case for the significance of Shiloh and he gives excellent accounts of many of the leaders involved in the battle, including Johnston, Beauregard, Grant, Sherman,Halleck, and Buell together with some figures whose names are not well-known. But readers wanting a basic account of the elements of a highly complex battle might be advised to start elsewhere.

Robin Friedman

Daniel takes the reader into the battle, relating minor incidents, quoting company-grade officers and enlisted men and talking about the movements of artillery batteries and infantry companies. He doesn't neglect the generals and politicians, but the lesser luminaries breathe life into his story. The heroes who emerge in Shiloh are the small-unit commanders.

The book is thoroughly researched and annotated, with statistics in an appendix and excellent references. It contains detailed chapter notes and a marvelous bibliography. Daniel's battle maps are well-rendered and easy to understand at a glance.
Shiloh is an excellent read for someone with more than a cursory interest in the Civil War. Some reviewers indicated they liked the book but thought parts were confusing. I found it very easy to read and understand and it avaided too much of the tactical detail (who is on the right of who) which I find confusing in many very highly praised classic works.
Most of the professional reviews of this book, civil waruffs and book reviewers, that I have seen highly praise this book.

Daniel's book points out that Shiloh was the first horrific battle of the Civil War. Up until the battle, the encounters had been gentlemanly encounters. Shiloh introduced the blood bath. AS part of his thesis, he points out that this was a must win battle for the Confederacy and led to control of the Mississippi lifeline by the North. A fascinting account and a welcome addition to Civil War history.

"Shiloh: The Battle That Changed The Civil War" by Larry Daniel is a readable account of one of the war's bloodiest battles that is sometimes overlooked by other battles (Gettysburg, Antietam, etc.).

The first 100 pages or so provides the setting and strategy leading up to Shiloh while the remaining 200 pages focuses on the battle and strategic importance. The narrative is smooth and readable and the author appears to be fair in his criticism and praise for leaders on both sides.

The major problem I had with the book is the maps. While the ones in the book are of good quality and provide sufficient detail, in my humble opinion, there are just not enough to follow the many detailed troop movements and engagements described in the book.

Complaint aside, the book is a good read and is recommended. However, since I have not read other books on Shiloh (Wiley Sword, etc.), I cannot say for certain that this book is the definitive study of this bloody engagement.

THis book offers an insight into the bloody battle at Shiloh. It was a turning point in the Civil War because it provided the Union with a much needed victory at the time, but also allowed future leaders to demonstrate their skill in battle. It was a battle that showed Lincoln that there were competent leaders in blue and the northern public that victories could be done. Daniel demonstrates how the Union leaders were able to achieve this great success in spite of the disadvantages the Union forces found themselves in. The author also does a great job of recounting the terror and death associated with Hornet's Nest and the audacity of Grant's counterattack. All in all a very thorough and readable work an important battle in the Western Theater of the American Civil War.