jjares reviewed The Battle of Chancellorsville: A Captivating Guide to an Important Battle of the American Civil War on + 3278 more book reviews
One thing I like about Captivating History books is the research they do in relation to the important characters of a story. The author takes time to explain the relationships between various Union and Confederate officers. When you know your adversary, it must be a very different battle than if you are fighting against someone you have no fore-knowledge of (prior to meeting them on the battlefield).
Captivating History does a great job of setting the scene, then producing the main subject. This aids in understanding the people, topography, strategy, and execution of the story. Another great facet of this author's explanation is getting into the minds of the main actors in this battle. The author helps the reader understand that Stonewall Jackson was a fairly audacious leader. However, when Lee told him to dig in, Jackson did it, because he trusted his leader. However, Lee gave him vague enough orders so Jackson could return to his bold risk-taking whenever he felt the time was right.
Explaining how battles were fought at the time of the Civil War was another important component of this story. It explained why there were so many deaths and horrible wounds. I was delighted that Shelby Foote, the noted Civil War historian, was cited. I first saw him while watching Ken Burn's 'Civil War' miniseries was was impressed by his deep understanding of the Civil War.
As always, the maps are crucial for understanding the logistics of the fighting. It was amusing to learn that Napolean had started a fashion by inserting his hand inside his uniform and showing some commanders who aped the style.
Captivating History does a great job of setting the scene, then producing the main subject. This aids in understanding the people, topography, strategy, and execution of the story. Another great facet of this author's explanation is getting into the minds of the main actors in this battle. The author helps the reader understand that Stonewall Jackson was a fairly audacious leader. However, when Lee told him to dig in, Jackson did it, because he trusted his leader. However, Lee gave him vague enough orders so Jackson could return to his bold risk-taking whenever he felt the time was right.
Explaining how battles were fought at the time of the Civil War was another important component of this story. It explained why there were so many deaths and horrible wounds. I was delighted that Shelby Foote, the noted Civil War historian, was cited. I first saw him while watching Ken Burn's 'Civil War' miniseries was was impressed by his deep understanding of the Civil War.
As always, the maps are crucial for understanding the logistics of the fighting. It was amusing to learn that Napolean had started a fashion by inserting his hand inside his uniform and showing some commanders who aped the style.
