2 comments about Hancock at Gettysburg...and Beyond: And Beyond (Army of the Potomac Series, V. 18).

1. A fascinating look at the minute by minute days of the immortal Battle of Gettysburg through the eyes of the man who is credited with saving the Army of the Potomac on the first day of the fight. Winfield Scott Hancock - an army called him "The Superb", and Gambone's fine biography shows us that this was simply a description of the man himself. Loud, profane, passionate, often angry, Hancock was all of those things...but he was a man of whom his officers said "you feel safe when you're near him." Gambone's well written book takes us from Hancock's first days as a handsome young lieutenant in the Mexican War through the horror of the Civil War to his last sad days, nearly penniless, old and sick. But he never lost his luster, his ability to command and to inspire men, his charisma and his passion. Gambone brings the exciting days of the Civil War back to us, takes his readers along to many bitter battlefields, and in the end, presents the general's last days poignantly and beautifully. The reader will want to salute as the soldiers did on that rainy February afternoon when Hancock the Superb passed them for the last time. This is a "DO NOT MISS THIS ONE!" book.



2. Don't expect "Hancock at Gettysburg" to provide a comprehensive narrative of the battle. That was not Gambone's purpose. Instead, he set out to portray one particular general's part in that crucial fight: Winfield Scott Hancock, "Hancock the Superb". I wouldn't recommend the book to someone without a good understanding of the battle beforehand, but it does provide solid information to anyone wishing to learn more about how the Union high command functioned during the three days of combat. In particular, two controversial episodes are highlighted: Hancock being assigned to take charge over officers more senior than himself, and Hancock's disagreement about how the artillery should be employed during the great bombardment preceding the so-called Pickett's Charge. In workmanlike prose and with excerpts from firsthand accounts, Gambone presents the story of his hero. Occasionally, his choice of material is a little peculiar (why does he quote Rutherford B. Hayes, a man who was not at Gettysburg, about Hancock's dramatic ride before his troops during the bombardment?) but for the most part a good range of opinions is presented.

   This is a worthwhile addition to the ever-growing bookshelf of Gettysburg studies.

No comments about Testament.

No comments about Women Civil War Spies of the Union (American Women at War).

2 comments about Greenhorn and The Elephant.

1. I have never been very interested in history, but this book was awesome! The author did an excellent job of describing every detail. I could see it as it happened. Great job! I was very impressed! You've done well!
   k davidson



2. I bought this book to discover what would compel people from different backgrounds and points of origin to coverge on such out of the way places as Franklin, Tennessee to reenact battles fought over 140 years ago, and which at face value seem to have little to no importance in a world facing the looming threat of global terrorism.
   
   Although "Greenhorn and The Elephant" recounts persons and places from the Civil War, it is not a Civil War book per se; instead it serves as a medium through which the author takes his audience along on a journey that transforms him from a "greenhorn" into a seasoned reenacting veteran who has "seen the elephant." (an analogy used by Civil War veterans to describe the enormity of the unleashed destruction they witnessed in combat.)
   
   Within this books 205 pages, the reader will find 5 hand-drawn maps and 20 modern photographs taken by the author at reenactments he has participated in over the past 16 years. This, combined with the author's delightful, easy-to-read literary prose, makes for a wonderfully entertaining book that is well-worth the asking price.
   
   If there is any negative to this book, it derives from the presence of several spelling errors which should have been discovered during the editing process; however, these errors do not detract the reader from the author's intended message.
   
   In the end "Greenhorn and The Elephant" revealed to me that my jaded attitude toward reenactors as being nothing more than weekend warriors could not have been more wrong. After reading Mr. Zabava's book I have come to the conclusion that instead of ridicule reenactors are worthy of praise; as persons who sacrifice their time and money in order to keep alive the memory of the sacrifices made by a generation that is rapidly fading from our conscious thought. Well done, Mr. Zabava!

No comments about Red Fox: Stand Watie and the Confederate Indian Nations During the Civil War Years in Indian Territory.

No comments about The day of reckoning.

No comments about Lincoln's Prose: Major Works of a Great American Writer.

No comments about Confederate leaders,.

2 comments about Confederate Colonel and Cherokee Chief: The Life of William Holland Thomas.

1. This research is often quoted by scholars, since Ms. Russell and Mr. Godbold, Jr. record numerous references and endnotes for their very balanced account of William Holland Thomas. They offer pictures, maps, and various views about the numerous subjects discussed; allowing the reader to grasp an unbiased account of this unique individual, Will Thomas. He is the only white man to be recognized as a "Cherokee Chief". (However, Godbold and Russell state, without one source or reference, that Thomas was declared insane. They also make an inference to syphilis).
   
   "Cherokee Chief, Confederate Colonel, Lawyer, Entrepreneur, and Politician: William Holland Thomas."
   
   William Holland Thomas never knew his father, was raised by a single mother in a lowly mountain home, lacked any formal education, but is one of the most prominent figures in Western North Carolina's history.
   
   William Holland Thomas is the only white man to serve as a Cherokee chief. As Indian agent, Will Thomas was in Washington during "The Treaty of New Echota" negotiations and he successfully lobbied for the right of a number of Cherokees to remain in North Carolina; these Cherokees are the present-day Eastern Band. He was very instrumental in the preservation of the Cherokees during their forced march west or "Trail of Tears" in 1838. His intervention provided safe haven for over 1000 Cherokees and, furthermore, it is noteworthy that Will Thomas's intervention is currently reflected with over 10,000 Cherokees residing in Western North Carolina. It is widely believed that without William Holland Thomas' intervention there would not be an Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
   
   To this day the Eastern Band of Cherokee bestows honor and gratitude to their great white chief.
   
   To study Will Thomas's Civil War service, consider "Storm in the mountains: Thomas' Confederate Legion of Cherokee Indians and Mountaineers" by Vernon H. Crow.
   To understand and fathom the sociopolitical and geopolitical "tone" of western North Carolina and the American Civil War, purchase "The Heart of Confederate Appalachia: Western North Carolina in the Civil War" by John C. Inscoe and Gordon B. McKinney.
   
   Matthew D. Parker



2. CONFEDERATE COLONEL AND CHEROKEE CHIEF is a truly laudable first published research effort on the life of Will Thomas. Though it lacks the multi-sourced documentation/research of Thomsen's REBEL CHIEF and at times seems to come across more as a dissertation overview rather than as a "readable biography" it is nonetheless a pioneering work of note.
   One only wishes that the edition was sturdier and more reader friendly in layout and typeset.

No comments about Duty Most Sublime: The Life of Robert E. Lee as Told Through the "Carter Letters".