Reviews

"These well-written essays present a carefully considered review of senior leadership during the Civil War."--Choice"This collection is refreshing and well written. Readers will not entirely agree with each of the authors' conclusions, but they will find it an insightful and worthwhile study of the losing side of war."--Civil War History"Woodworth's edition renders a very thorough, engaging, and challenging chronicle to the Civil War literature. Each essay in this volume offers a fresh perspective on an old problem: how to explain the defeats of generals who held such high promise in their nations' eyes."--Florida Historical Quarterly

"This book about Civil War generals that historians have called losers is clearly a winner. The authors persuasively argue that winning or losing a battle should not simplistically be attributed solely to a general's talents or weaknesses. Will stimulate spirited discussion among professional historians and amateurs alike--as only good history can."--John F. Marszalek, author of Sherman: A Soldier's Passion for Order"A needed corrective to the facile 'what fools they were' school of military history, this book examines why some of the most capable commanders of the war failed the 'test of merit'--battlefield success. Sometimes controversial but unfailingly interesting."--Mark Grimsley, author of The Hard Hand of War: Union Military Policy Toward Southern Civilians, 1861-1865