Grant's Lieutenants: From Cairo to Vicksburg (Modern War Studies) (v. 1) (Hardcover)

by Steven E. Woodworth (Editor)
Key Phrases: western theater, mortar boats, Lew Wallace, Fort Henry, Fort Donelson (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Ulysses S. Grant did more than any other single Union general to secure the North's victory in the Civil War, but he did not achieve that victory alone. Grant's ability to inspire and cultivate the talents of the officers serving under him was a key factor in his remarkable military success. Steven Woodworth and his fellow authors provide ample evidence for that in this first of a two-volume reassessment of Grant's officer corps from Cairo to Appomattox.

Covering the war's western theater through July 1863, Woodworth et al. highlight the character and accomplishments of these men and show how their individual relationships with Grant helped pave the way to Union victory. They demonstrate how each officer's service contributed to Grant's success and development as a general, how interaction with Grant affected each officer's career, and how the relationship ultimately contributed to the course of battle and the war's final outcome.

These portraits include the most important of Grant's lieutenants as well as some who are representative of various officer types. Here are William T. Sherman and Grant's other trusted commanders from the Army of the Tennessee, revered mentor Charles F. Smith, and difficult subordinate William S. Rosecrans. Here too are such citizen soldiers as Lew "Ben Hur" Wallace and Peter Osterhaus, de facto intelligence chief Grenville Dodge, and naval officers Andrew Foote and David Dixon Porter, whose relationships with Grant proved crucial to the war effort.

Full of revealing insights regarding military leadership and the special problems of Civil War command, Grant's Lieutenants adds a new dimension to our understanding of the Union road to victory and gives us the true measure of these dedicated men.

This book is part of the Modern War Studies series.

From the Back Cover
"In the long run, the relationships commanders forge with subordinates are no less important than the decisions they make on a battlefield. Informed, insightful and sometimes surprising, these eleven essays extend and revise our perspective on Grant during the first three years of the Civil War. Highly recommended."--Mark Grimsley, author of The Hard Hand of War: Union Military Policy Toward Southern Civilians, 1861-1865

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: University Press of Kansas; 1st edition, edition (July 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0700611274
• ISBN-13: 978-0700611270
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #685,483 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing with scant new information, September 22, 2003

By	Candace Scott (Lake Arrowhead, CA, USA) - See all my reviews

Woodworth is a proven, able civil war historian, but this is one of his weakest books. Instead of concentrating on Grant's relationship with his subordinates, he focuses on mini biographhies of people in Grant's orbit, such as Wallace, Baldy Smith, Sherman and Sheridan. The biographies themselves are no better than what you would find in an encyclopedia and contain absolutely no new or novel information. There is very little material on the personal dynamics between the commander and his minions.

Grant's famous feuds with Rosecrans, Pap Thomas and Smith are poorly presented and glossed over without inciteful comment. A golden opportunity is missed here, because these disagreements highlight the most interesting aspect of Grant's relationships throughout the war. In short, a slim and completely unpenetrating look at a subject that is well suited for a lengthy and interesting examination.