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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellant account of Stonewall Jackson's only defeat.,
By rgainer@gmu.edu (Arlington, Va) - See all my reviews
This review is from: We Are in for It: The First Battle of Kernstown, March 23, 1862 (Hardcover)
Gary Ecelbarger, a well known speaker and tour guide in the Northern Virginia area, has produced one of the finest battle histories published in the last decade. Ecelbarger's research, both meticulous and voluminous, tears away much of the myth surrounding Jackson's defeat at Kernstown. Ecelbarger is unsparing in his criticism of Jackson's handling of the battle, but still retains his objectivity. One welcome aspect of "We Are In For It" is its even-handed treatment of the Federal side, something that many other 1862 Valley Campaign books neglect. All told, this is a superlative effort by a rising young Civil War historian.Rod Gainer, Kernstown Battlefield Association
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
We are in for it!,
By A Customer
This review is from: We Are in for It: The First Battle of Kernstown, March 23, 1862 (Hardcover)
A useful study of a battle that doesn't get enough attention. The author states in his introduction that he feels the battle has been misinterpreted, but he never clearly gives his thesis. That's a minor glitch in an overall vivid portrayal of the events. As a student of the 27th Virginia I was excited to learn about their heroic performance here. The battle recreated in microcosm some of the war's larger tactical themes, giving a pretty clear view of the new power of the defense, illustrating the screening role of cavalry, and making very plain the fact that attacking in column should stay in Napoleon's grave where it belonged, so even scholars not especially interested in the Valley Campaign will find something of interest in this study.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Small Battle book,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: We Are in for It!: The First Battle of Kernstown (Paperback)
Writing a readable book is not an easy task, writing a readable book about history is harder. Even harder is writing a readable book about an obscure historical event. Making the event real, immediate and understandable is an accomplishment that should be recognized. Mr. Ecelbarger manages to do this in a very real way.
This book succeeds on many levels, first it is well written, instructive and a pleasure to read. The central battle is not an isolated event but carefully placed within the fabric of the war, campaign and the local area. We understand what leads the armies to this particular place and why each side is making incorrect assessments. The aftermath is very well done giving us a balanced view of where the battle took the war and those that fought it. This little battle continued to reverberate for many years as participants attempted to justify there actions that day. The Jackson/Garnett controversy starts here but continues to our day. The charges, counter charges, defense and string pulling make a fascinating read. That Jackson managed to keep from losing and Garnett was never able to emerge from under the cloud the charges cast says much about the system and the men. Most of all this is a battle book and it delivers a battle! The maps are plentiful and excellent! You will not get lost on the field and you will understand where things are. This is one of the strongest points of the book. The battle narration and the maps allow the reader to keep up and stay in position. I have never been to the field and read little about the battle but with them, I understood what was going on and never got lost. Another major item is personalizing the men fighting the battle. It is hard to do this in a big battle when the participants have star power. Their are some stars on this field but the majority are just ordinary people participating in an extraordinary event. The author does an excellent job in telling us about them and what happed to them later. I always like this in small battle histories and it is well done and interesting. Overall, this is an excellent book, well worth the money, an enjoyable read and a learning experience.
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