5 comments about Lincoln's Tragic Admiral: The Life Of Samuel Francis Du Pont (Nation Divided).

1. Kevin Weddle has blazed new trails in this long-overdue look at one of the U.S. Navy's most important but little-known leaders. He has tapped into the extensive resources of the Du Pont family to capture the essence of a complex figure who stood tall at the cusp of a critical period of American history. The book is a quick read and Samuel Francis Du Pont's story is told with balance, style, and accuracy.
   The best biographies hold relevance for for present and future leaders - and this one is no exception. Du Pont plays key roles as mariner, technological innovator, personnel reformer, diplomat, strategist, combat commander, and family man. Through it all, he remains a man of steadfast principle.
   Kevin Weddle has spun a superb yarn and created an impressive work that shines a contemporary lamp on a long-neglected giant of the U.S. Navy. This volume is a worthy addition to the library of those with an interest in naval history, the Civil War, or leadership.



2. Great read! Easy, smooth flowing syntax and text. Almost reads like a novel. A nice mixture of text, maps, and images. Substantial research has brought together the personal man as well as the public man and his concern for United States protection and the well being of his naval forces.
   Coming from a naval family, I was very interested in seeing the evolving history of the US Navy. I was also interested to follow the interaction of husband and wife and her influence on DuPont. Highly recommend this book.



3. For those of you who eagerly await the one book on Civil War naval history for every fifty released concerning the land war, you will not be disappointed. Not only is this book an exceptional biography of Admiral Du Pont, but it also provides a thorough look at the Navy during the service's formative years prior to the Civil War. This is possible because Du Pont's influence proved instrumental during this period; he authored the first comprehensive national maritime strategy (which provided guidance for transforming the Navy from a coastal defense force into a "Blue Water" service with offensive capability), as well as catalyzed much-needed personnel reform. Du Pont's at-sea adventures in the Mexican War and during a hazardous voyage to the Far East also make for great reading. What sets this book apart from any good biography, however, is the insightful discussion of civil-military friction and ill-conceived reliance on technology that characterize Du Pont's 1863 attack on Charleston, SC. Du Pont was against this operation (believing it to be an unnecessary peripheral enterprise that would siphon off valuable - and limited - resources from the all-important blockade), but Lincoln, Navy Secretary Welles, and Assistant Secretary Fox all though the capture of Charleston had important symbolic value. Since civilian leadership sets policy and related strategic objectives, Du Pont saluted smartly and began planning the operation. Friction arose when the admiral tried to persuade Welles and Fox that Charleston could only be captured via a joint Army-Navy operation. Welles and Fox (demonstrating blatant service parochialism) favored an all-Navy operation, and instructed Du Pont to proceed without Army assistance. Despite evidence to the contrary (Drewry's Bluff, VA and Fort McAllister, GA), Welles and Fox were convinced that monitor ironclads alone could destroy Charleston's forts and capture the city; as a result, they confidently assured Lincoln that the monitor technology would prevail. Of course, Du Pont was correct and the operation tragically ended in failure. Civil-military friction and technology as a military panacea are familiar themes throughout American military history - and we see them still in the current global war on terrorism. Colonel Weddle, therefore, does the reader a great service by providing such a thought-provoking discussion and analysis of these crucial issues. Superbly written, thoroughly researched, and well organized, this book was a pleasure to read and I highly recommend it.



4. A fascinating book! I particularly appreciate the way the author integrates Du Pont's human strengths and frailties with the bureaucratic, logistical, and armament systems of the time. He provided just enough background information on Du Pont's family, peers, and related events for readers to appreciate their impact without being taken off track. Ultimately the reader sees the guy as very much a real man with skills, challenges, successes and failures that are just as relevant today as 150 years ago. (Anyone who doubts the relevance of history to modern events need only read this book.) Finally, I greatly enjoyed learning about the technological advances of the day in the context of the times. It's easy for us today to look back at the Civil War as being an "old-style war" like that of 1812, but in reading Weddle's book I was enlightened to the fact that from a technological attitudes standpoint, the Civil War was much more of a "modern" war than I had previously realized. What kid isn't fascinated by the battle of the Monitor and the Virginia (Merrimack), for example? In history books that event is always presented as an isolated incident, but thanks to this book I now realize that steam-powered vessels and ironclads were the wonder weapons of their day -- they captured the public imagination (and those of military planners) just as tanks, jets, and nuclear weapons have in more recent times. It has been a truly delightful read and I've learned a lot. Incredible the peers Du Pont rubbed elbows with at the time -- legendary heroes like Stephen Decatur and Matthew Perry. If you like history, you will love this book. Not only does it offer fascinating facts and insights into a man and his times, but it reads like a novel. Don't miss it!



5. Weddle has given us a sympathetic tale of one of the premier figures of the 19th century navy -- Samuel Francis Du Pont, whose statue initially graced Washington's Dupont Circle before it was moved to his home state of Delaware and replaced by a fountain.
   
   The climax of Du Pont's career was his least-succesful campaign -- the abortive attempt to take heavily-fortified Charleston from the sea. Weddle convincingly argues that this attack -- undertaken in spite of Du Pont's reservations -- was doomed to failure. The early ironclads were simply no match for heavy shore-based fortifications. In the best tradition of inter-service rivalry, the Navy rejected Du Pont's request for a joint army-navy assault: "I beg of you not to let the Army spoil it."
   
   Equally interesting is Weddle's description of Du Pont's early career, which spanned a period of rapid technological change, from sail to sidewheeled steamers to ironclads with screws. Perhaps Du Pont's most important and lasting contribution was his successful struggle to introduce merit into the navy's promotion system.

2 comments about John Charles Fremont: Character As Destiny.

1. There were few Americans of the nineteenth century with greater name recognition than John C. Fremont. His five controversial treks across the uncharted Rockies aroused interest and controversy. His military exploits in Mexican California brought him a court-martial. He struck gold in California, became an outspoken abolitionist, and ran as the first Republican candidate for the Presidency of the United States. Married into one of America's most powerful political families, he won and then lost a major command in the Union Army. He habitually cheated investors on several continents out of millions of dollars, only to be bankrupted himself by bigger sharks. There is a great story here.

   Unfortunately, Andrew Rolle's biography of Fremont is a bit flat, perhaps because of the author's announced intention of probing the psychological motivations behind this life of stupefying behaviors. Rolle states in his preface that he studied psychiatry and psychoanalysis to prepare himself for this work. Most readers will find themselves wishing he had spent more time with cartographers. In a work whose hero is called "The Pathfinder," there is not a single map! It is no exaggeration to say that for literally half the book the reader is never certain exactly where the Pathfinder is.

   It is equally fair to say that despite the author's best efforts, we don't get an unprecedented roadmap of Fremont's inner psychological journeys, either. It is clear from the simple factual narrative that Fremont, like Hamilton, was ashamed of his humble origins, that he was blessed or plagued with wanderlust, that he instinctively rebelled against authority figures, that he was addicted to risk taking and suffered significant deficiencies of empathy and moral character. This personality profile would have emerged easily enough from a straightforward telling of the tale, without the baggage of psychoanalytic spin. Curiously, the psychodynamics of Fremont's marriage to his lover/promoter Jessie Benton, are not addressed. The story of the remarkable Jessie, however, is one of the redeeming features of this work.

   Since very few readers are likely to be millionaires, there are probably many like me who would like to know how one loses a million dollars. Fremont accomplished this several times, with different commodities, different economies, different schemes, and even different countries. He was a master of losing money imaginatively. Rolle is spotty in his accounts of Fremont's financial empire. The reader is left to surmise that investors were attracted to The Pathfinder's name recognition and that the Fremonts lived beyond their means, but obviously there is much more to this ongoing financial soap opera that can only be guessed at.

   The good news for the reader is that warts and all, this is still a reasonably captivating biography. Rolle's style is professional and his character compelling. If at times the reader feels as lost as the disastrous Fourth Expedition, the views from the top and the bottom of Fremont's career are still quite spectacular.




2. John Charles Frémont is history's version of an unscrupulous, morally inverted Forrest Gump. In the 1994 film Forrest Gump, Forrest was the affable idiot-savant who constantly became intermingled and unwittingly influential in larger than life world events. John Charles Frémont's life runs a somewhat darker parallel. Highly intelligent and ambitious, Frémont crashed head long into the historical events of his day but was consistently overwhelmed by them precisely because of his own self-serving inscrutable morality. Andrew Rolle's choice of Frémont as a subject for psychobiography is akin to taking pot-shots at the broad side of a barn. However, it is the subject's vulnerability in this vein that makes Rolle's work a tremendously interesting, dishy read.
   Actually, Rolle's psychological observations are more muted than one might expect. He saves most of his thoughts in this regard for the final chapter, which psychologically deconstructs the subject using the case heretofore constructed. Rolle's two primary psychological analyses of Frémont reside in the loss of his father. As a result of this loss, Rolle examines his ongoing hostility in his relationships with older male authority figures and his narcissistic streak. The older male hostility thesis, while well argued, doesn't quite hit the mark. It seems more likely, through Rolle's own presentation of the facts, that Frémont's precocious early successes meant that those he would inevitably clash with were naturally older in age. Therefore, it is merely circumstantial that those who held sway over Frémont's life happened to be older. On the other hand, Rolle provides a highly compelling case for Frémont-as-narcissist by delving into Frémont's mounting odd behavior during the Civil War.
   Frémont's narcissistically driven ambition led him to make rash and often self-destructive decisions, according to Rolle. Frémont's third and fourth expeditions are damning evidence of this aspect of his character. Try as he might, even Rolle is unable to penetrate Frémont's thinking deeply enough to untangle some of the unconscionable decisions made by Frémont regarding these expeditions. Rolle again and again uses the lack of male authority figure as a bromide for Frémont's actions. Although compelling to a certain extent, it simply cannot explain the entire mountain of poor decisions made by the man. Frémont simply placed himself in situations in which he was out of his element and insolated himself so successfully from potentially helpful guidance that he was doomed to remain out of his element while in the eye of many storms. Lack of a male authority figure cannot wholly account for this inability to perceive the difference between right and wrong. In addition, having allowed so many others to defend him in the court of popular opinion, Frémont only singled himself out as a man who, in reality, required much defending. Rolle notes a conversation between Abraham Lincoln's secretary John Hay and Lincoln:
   "Frémont would be dangerous if he had more ability and energy," grimaced Hay.
   Abraham Lincoln responded with one of his typical anecdotes, "Yes. He is like Jim Jett's brother. Jim used to say that his brother was the d---dest scoundrel that ever lived, but in the infinite mercy of Providence he was also the d---dest fool."
   As Virginia J. Lass notes in her review of Character as Destiny in The Journal of Southern History, Rolle posits, perhaps, a more illuminating aspect of Frémont's character and personality. Lass gleans from Rolle that "Frémont suffered from arrested emotional development that influenced his actions and decisions as an adult." In other words, Frémont was born on third base and went through his life honestly believing he had hit a triple. Well, to be fair, allotting due for overcoming the financial and societal obstacles of his early years, perhaps he hit a bloop single to center field.
   To his credit, Rolle makes every attempt to outline Frémont's contributions to the exploration of the American West. He attempts, to a certain extent, to justify the American public's adoration for Frémont, much of which seems to originate in the propaganda from Jessie's pen. Despite this noble attempt, Frémont remains a lemon and not lemonade.
   How does Rolle's psychological analytic approach differ from other contemporary biographies of similar historical figures? Not much. It seems as if Rolle is aware of the desire of his reading audience not to get lost in psychobabble. He treads carefully in this area and, as mentioned before, reserves most of his psychological analysis for closing. However, it is clear that Rolle is necessarily far more interested in Frémont's decision-making process in relationship to the events that formed his life than the events themselves, as previous Frémont historians have done. And, while not especially groundbreaking, it appears to be the most appropriate approach to take with a subject such as Frémont, as opposed to John Wesley Powell, for instance, whose actual achievements in geology and exploration of the America West far outweigh any overriding aspects of personality.
   Character as Destiny is a very well written and a highly enjoyable read despite its rather despicable subject. Rolle says of Frémont halfway through the book "Once more nothing had gone his way." On the contrary, everything came easily to this unsavory character, John Charles Frémont, on a silver platter. He simply had a grand knack for consistently knocking the darned thing over.

1 comments about Sanctified Trial: The Diary of Eliza Rhea Anderson Fain, a Confederate Woman in East Tennessee (Voices of the Civil War Series.).

1. Dr. Fain has done an excellent job of compiling and editing the diary of Eliza who wrote of her experiences and feelings during the Civil War.

1 comments about The Grimke Sisters from South Carolina: Pioneers for Woman's Rights and Abolition.

1. I read an earlier (1970-something?) publication of this work, and really enjoyed it. The sisters were presented as powerful thinkers who struggled with the issues of their day. The title is right on, they were pioneers for women's rights, as well as influential abolitionists. I'm glad that they were presented as whole people, with doubts and questions and problems, too.

   It was an easy ready, but I didn't feel like the author was talking down to me. The book is highly recommended.

No comments about Commanders and Heroes of the American Civil War -Vital G (Vital Guide).

1 comments about Freedom: Volume 1, Series 1: The Destruction of Slavery: A Documentary History of Emancipation, 1861-1867 (Freedom: A Documentary History of Emancipation).

1. This volume is the first of a series of books documenting the march from slavery to freedom in the U.S. from 1861-1867. The team of historians from the Freedmen and Southern Society Project at the University of Maryland began in 1976 (assisted over the years by many graduate students) to select original documents from the National Archives that best illustrated the process of emancipation, abetted in some states by the central role played by the slaves themselves in attaining their freedom. Letters, affidavits and proclamations from slaveholders, politicians, non-slaveholders, bureaucrats and slaves--complemented by the editors's illustrative footnotes--bring to life the voices of 19th century America wrestling with a destructive institution that led to civil war. While the editors present but a small percentage of the archive's holdings, they have chosen the most powerful and illuminating documents that should be read by every American.

No comments about Zeb Vance: North Carolina's Civil War Governor and Gilded Age Political Leader.

2 comments about November: Lincoln's Elegy at Gettysburg.

1. A few years ago I ran upon a book titled: "Gettysburg: A Meditation on War and Values" by Kent Gramm. Being a history teacher and Civil War enthusiast, I bought the book and devoured it. I use it as a guide on my annual trip to Gettysburg. I was always wondering when Mr. Gramm would publish a new book. Well, the wait is over. "November" picks up where "Gettysburg" left off. This book is excellent for students of the Civil War and general history enthusiasts alike. Mr. Gramm uses Lincoln's Gettysburg Address and the month of November as a starting point for his interpretations of several key events in history, both in America and in the world. Included in his analysis are JFK's assasination, the death of C.S. Lewis, the Holocaust, RFK's impact on America, and the Vietnam War. Mr. Gramm also traces his family history and writes eloquetly about how his ancestry fits into the larger canvas of American history. Using Lincoln's famous words, Mr. Gramm paints a portrait of the deeper meanings of our identity as Americans, our history, and our place in the world. This is not a work of history in the tradition of batte narratives or campaign overviews. Rather, it is a moving, deep and touching look at the heartbeat and soul of the America that Lincoln spoke about in November 1863 and how it applies to us in the 21st century. As you read this excellent book, you will be reminded of Lincoln's gift of eloquence. The month of November has witnessed numerous key events in the history of America and the world. Thanks to Mr. Gramm and his magnificent book, these events have taken on a deeper, more spirtiual meaning to me. I recommend this book without hesitation or reservation.



2. Kent Gramm's latest book, November, Lincoln's Elegy at Gettysburg, is a remarkable achievement. This work contains a profound series of meditations on history, loss, values, idealism, and patriotism, inspired by Gramm's sojourn, throughout the month of one November, in and around Gettysburg. Although his search for the exact spot where Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg address is the ostensible reason for his visit there, this quest - and his determination to reflect each day on what Lincoln had been doing on each day of November 1963 (leading up to and following the delivery of the address) - actually provide a touchstone for reflections both wide and deep on our country's history, and the standards to which we must hold ourselves. World War I, Vietnam, World War II, the Civil War, the assassination of JFK, the life of Robert Kennedy, Martin Luther and Martin Luther King, modernism and postmodernism, and the loss of beloved parents, all provide topics for thoughtful rumination. This book is profound, absorbing, inspiring, poetic, and deeply moving. It is a book you will want to revisit, and from which you will find yourself reading aloud to friends.

1 comments about Voices from Company D: Diaries by the Greensboro Guards, Fifth Alabama Infantry Regiment, Army of Northern Virginia.

1. The editor did a fantastic job of combining these diaries into a chronologically coherent narrative. Additionally he was very wise to preserve the non-standard spellings and minimize annotations. By doing this he preserved the spontaneous quality of the writing.

   The writing skills of these diarists is quite surprising. Time and again the reader will come across details and vignettes that are astonishing. In one instance the writer (a private) takes a late night stroll and in the moonlight passes another lone stroller...Robert E. Lee. In another instance a young doctor, fighting as a private, describes his heroic attempts to save his best friend from a protracted illness only to have him die in his arms. It may well be the most poignant thing I have ever read. Other descriptions will create images that will long remain with the reader. From now on when I hear bacon frying I will think of flying miniballs!

   This book is unlike anything I have ever read concerning the War Between the States. I highly recommend it.

2 comments about American Civil War Commanders (2): Confederate Leaders in the East (Elite).

1. This title was somewhat above my expectations. While many Osprey books run toward the shallow side, Philip Katcher is one of their better writers with a wealth of knowledge about the Army of the Potomac. The biographies of well-known generals like McClellan, Burnside, Hooker, and Meade are competently done but with little that is new. Where this book stands out is its biographies of lesser generals like William French, Darius Couch, and Philip Kearny, about whom serious information is harder to find. I was pleased to learn that Couch was something of an intellectual with an interest in nature, and that William French tried to manipulate a New York Herald reporter to cover his mistakes after Mine Run. Katcher makes fine use of eyewitness personal accounts to depict people by those who knew them. All in all a small but useful work of research by an interesting writer.



2. This is another in the Osprey Publishing series on the Civil War. The focus here is on 30 generals serving with the northern forces in the East. Each general receives brief coverage and either a photo or other rendering of his likeness. So, if you want an in-depth analysis of the likes of Phil Sheridan, George Meade, Winfield Scott Hancock, Joseph Hooker, or George McClellan, forget about it. However, if you want a quick and dirty examination of each--plus an introduction to many lesser known generals--this does a nice job.
   
   The book begins by noting the obvious--the standing military of the United States at the outset of the Civil War was tiny. The largest functional units were regiments--and these were largely broken into companies to serve on the frontier or in other postings. There were relatively few professional officers--and 1/3 of these went south. There were only four generals in the army--Winfield Scott, David Twigg, John Wool, and William Harney, the latter the only general under 70 and who had NOT served in the War of 1812!
   
   What I find especially interesting about this book is learning a bit about some of the lesser known generals, such as Darius Couch (How many know that he was acting commanding general at Chancellorsville of the Army of the Potomac?), William French, Andrew A. Humphreys, Fitz John Porter, James Ricketts, Edwin Sumner, and so on. There is just enough on each to give a sense of the person and broaden the knowledge base of people who have not read deeply on the Civil War.
   
   As with all Osprey volumes (in this and other series), the book is rather short (58 pages of text). However, it does provide a useful service in exposing people to a fair amount of basic information in a short work.