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The American Civil War: A Military History
The American Civil War A Military History Author:John Keegan For the past half century, John Keegan, the greatest military historian of our time, has been returning to the scenes of America's most bloody and wrenching war to ponder its lingering conundrums: the continuation of fighting for four years between such vastly mismatched sides; the dogged persistence of such ill-trained, ill-equipped, and often ... more »starving combatants; the effective absence of decisive battles among some 260 fought. Now Keegan examines these and other puzzles with a peerless understanding of warfare, uncovering dimensions of the conflict that have eluded earlier historiography.
While offering original and perceptive insights into psychology, ideology, demographics, and economics, Keegan reveals the war's hidden shape--a consequence of leadership, the evolution of strategic logic, and, above all, geography. The American topography, Keegan argues, presented a battle space of complexity and challenges unmatched before or since. Out of a succession of mythic but chaotic engagements, he weaves an irresistible narrative illuminated with comparisons to the Napoleonic Wars, the First World War, and other conflicts.
The American Civil War is sure to be hailed a definitive account of its eternally fascinating subject.« less
People love to nitpick Keegan. I grant you at times he does make some seemingly obvious errors. But he is still our best military historian and even if you need to add a dash of salt its still delicious reading.....sorry.