War In Kentucky: Shiloh To Perryville [Hardcover]

James Lee Mcdonough (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 16, 1994

This compelling new volume from the author of Shiloh: In Hell before Night and Chattanooga: A Death Grip on the Confederacy explores the strategic importance of Kentucky for both sides in the Civil War and recounts the Confederacy's bold attempt to capture the Bluegrass State. 35 illustrations. 6 maps.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

According to McDonough (Chattanooga: A Death Grip on the Confederacy, Univ. of Tennessee Pr., 1984), the South's failure to bring Kentucky into the Confederacy gave the Union access to Kentucky's important railways and waterways, thus providing the Yankees with a back door to the South. He examines Union General Buell, Confederate General Bragg, and their subordinates, detailing strengths and weaknesses on both sides. He leads the reader to wonder whether the Civil War was as much a conflict of egos and eccentricities as it was of tactics and strategy. McDonough writes an interesting account, especially when he crawls inside the heads of the major figures. Several maps are included, but more would have been welcome. Nevertheless, Civil War scholars, buffs, and informed lay readers will find this book a valuable addition to the literature. For academic libraries and public libraries with Civil War collections.
Grant A. Fredericksen, Illinois Prairie Dist. P.L., Metamora
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

By mid 1862, Union gains in the Mississippi Valley and in Tennessee and Kentucky had brought the Confederacy to a point of strategic crisis. This valuable addition to the growing literature on the Civil War in the West tells how the Union then failed to press home its advantage while the Confederacy failed to force Kentucky into the Confederacy. The climax of these events was the little-known Battle of Perryville, in which a greatly inferior Southern force under Braxton Bragg managed a draw against Don Carlos Buell's Union army but also effectively terminated the Confederate invasion of Kentucky. McDonough has researched thoroughly and written clearly, making this book informative and accessible to a wide range of Civil War students. Roland Green

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 386 pages
• Publisher: Univ Tennessee Press; 1st edition (November 16, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0870498479
• ISBN-13: 978-0870498473
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,432,446 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book--with exceptions, March 26, 2004

By 

Matt Hering (Bartlett, TN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: War In Kentucky: Shiloh Perryville (Paperback)

I found this book to be the best that I have read of McDonough's (I have read three of his, besides this one). His description of conditions preceding the campaign were fantastic. I also found that McDonough treated Bragg fairly--unlike many other historians. Although I wish the accounts of the battles had been longer, the ones there were terrific.

On the other hand, I found the few maps too be not enough, and the ones provided were not too good. A nice compliment to the book were the several photos of the battlefields (Richmond, Munfordville, and Perryville).

Overall, I believe this book is worth the $12.57, plus shipping. I actually bought my copy elsewhere, at the full price of $17.98. Just the fact that this is one of the few books on the Kentucky campaign makes it worth the money. If you are a serious Civil War buff, or are interested in the Kentucky Campaign specifically, I highly recommend that you buy this book.