3 comments about The Life and Writings of Abraham Lincoln (Modern Library).

1. I have a large Civil War library, and if there was a fire, this is the one Lincoln book I would try to rescue. Despite being written almost 50 years ago, the book's strong point is not its selection of Lincoln's writings (although that is quite good), but its masterful biographical sketch of Lincoln by Stern. Almost seven score since Lincoln's death, there is still no other satisfying BRIEF biography. In about 200 pages, Stern has managed to capture, in skilfull prose, all the important facts while still having room for some less-wordy, interesting comments. Each important event is succinctly captured in a couple paragraphs. I like that Stern actually calls Lincoln "neurotic" in certain personal aspects. I also like his passages on Willie Lincoln's death, emancipation, and the war's closing. There's really not enough room for any heavy politically-influenced interpretations of issues like those in modern long biographies,and that's why Stern's sketch can't be considered outdated. Some people may not like the short description of Lincoln's assassination, and I thought Stern spent too much ink on Lincoln's final attempts to compensate the South. Since the book predates the most comprehensive, closely-inspected collection of Lincoln's letters, there may be some inaccuracies in the writings reproduced here. However, the selection is an excellent one, linked together well with intros by Stern. I can't imagine this was an easy job for Stern and I'm lost why it's been virtually ignored. But all in all, I can only repeat, if you want to know the most about Lincoln in the fewest words, and have your interest held throughout, just buy this book and you're set!



2. This is a great book. I think the introduction is the best. It is interesting plus you really feel Lincoln was a man of the people. My favorite part was when Lincoln had one of his sons in a wagon. Lincoln was so much in his thoughts that the child fell out and was crying loudly and Lincoln kept walking dragging an empty wagon behind him.



3. This book is out of print, but you can get it used through amazon and others. It's a great collection of Lincoln's speeches, correspondence and other writings, and it includes an approx. 200 page biography. The bio was written around 1940, and no doubt there's more recent scholarship missing, but we're spared the fashionable speculation about whether Lincoln was gay or some other insignifica which seem to be focal points for so many contemporary biographers and historians. Stern, as the reviewer on amazon says, "wisely respects the mysterious alchemy by which a plain man became a statesman; this respectful anthology seeks only to present Lincoln, not to explain him." The bio's a useful bonus, but the real matter belongs to Lincoln, and there's 700 pages of it beyond the bio. Hopefully Modern Library will reissue this book, and it would be great if the bio were to be updated while maintaining the same cautious and sober approach.

5 comments about Why Lincoln Matters: Today More Than Ever.

1. Mario Cuomo's essential approach to Lincoln is "How would Abraham Lincoln have responded to the challenges present in today's America?"
   
   This, of course, leads to some very biased presentations of the facts in order to present Abraham Lincoln in as positive and liberal a light as possible. Missing is the fact that Lincoln was forced to write the Emancipation Proclimation in order to appease the strong Abolitionist wing of the Republican party and other such instances where Lincoln was not the brightest Presidential star. While I do think that within the pantheon of Presidents, Abe Lincoln definitely ranks up there with George Washington, and FDR as one of the greatest Presidents, I also think that a book that is trying to present a case for Lincoln should focus less on the present occupier of the White House and more on the former. Cuomo simply makes it too obvious that this entire book is one enormously jaded propoganda piece for the Democratic party. The true parts on Lincoln doesn't even begin until 50 pages into the work because the author is too busy talking about all that is wrong with the current Republican-lead government in Washington.
   
   I consider myself a Democrat and see the importance of the role of the federal government, but this book should focus more on what Lincoln did right to change his own age and how that went on to impact American down to the present period and less on what he might have done had he been alive today.



2. This is very short, easy to read commentary on the greatness of Lincoln, and on how Abe's speeches and actions can be relevent today. Needless to say, in the comparisons between the Great Emancipator and the current Administration, Abe easily overwhelms Bush II,&Co. Gov. Cuomo's main point is the Lincoln's actions and words were for all time, and addressed to everybody,literally in all lands. His thoughtful, last resort approach to war is contrasted with the current deceptive drive to war in Iraq. Cuomo suggests that FDR and Lincoln had a lot in common in attempting to aid those who have troubles helping themselves. He also states that Lincoln's ecumenical religious approach is in sharp contrast to today's GOP. All in all, a thoughtful argument, and the author's criticisms are never overwrought. In fact, he seems to make a special effort to maintain civility throughout the book.



3. This book should be required reading for todays politicans. It gives the reader an understanding of the mistakes being made by the government today.



4. Cuomo applies the moral and rational perspective of Lincoln to the present day issues. Needless to day he does not find Bush & Co in line with what he thinks Lincoln would have done. He contrasts Lincoln's consistent evoking of a higher moral purpose, and his intellectual integrity to what we have now. The book ends with a draft of what Lincoln might have said to Congress in 2004 if he'd been newly elected.
   
   People who dislike this book call it a screed, full of Bush-bashing, etc. To which I say "the facts are biased." However, any fair reading of Lincoln's morality, his invoking of religion, and of course, his eloquence all are in evident contrast to the current leader.
   
   Cuomo's suggestion for Lincoln's 2004 State of the Union address contains this: "What constitutes the bulwark of our own liberty and independence? It is not our frowning battlements, our bristling sea coasts, our missiles, or the strength of our gallant and disciplined armed forces. These are not our most important safeguard against the terrorizing of our fair land: Our principal reliance must be on the love of liberty which God has planted in our bosoms."
   
   In the moral wasteland we now find ourselves, it is good to be reminded that we, at least once in our history, had a leader that could summon us to consider our situation from the highest moral perspective.



5. Former New York Governor Mario Cuomo, one of the most prominent figures in Democratic Party politics of the late 20th century, has written several books since leaving office about his view of current American politics. In Why Lincoln Matters Today More Than Ever, he does so again, but this time through the lens of the past through the eyes of Abraham Lincoln. Cuomo argues that while Lincoln died in 1865, the usefulness of his view of America is still very much alive. Cuomo sheds light both on how Lincoln developed and articulated his views and on how Lincoln's view of society might be used to analyze current American political issues, including the war in Iraq.
   
   How much the reader enjoys this book will depend on what he or she expects to find here. The title might suggest that Cuomo is offering a non-ideological general examination of Lincoln's significance in modern decades in general. That reader might be disappointed in this book. But if the reader is looking for a book by an articulate, prominent liberal who knows and admires Lincoln and who applies what he believes are Lincoln's lessons about very specific political issues, then he or she will enjoy this book very much. Readers who've enjoyed Cuomo's earlier analyses of American politics such as Reason To Believe will enjoy this book, too.
   
   Like Reason To Believe, this book offers Cuomo's view of current politics, but this book does so with an eye toward answering the question: what would Lincoln say about that? Not surprisingly, Cuomo argues that Lincoln would agree with a modern liberal perspective on a wide range of issues facing America going into the 2004 presidential election. More importantly, he argues that President George W. Bush--like Lincoln, a Republican wartime president--has not operated according to Lincoln's principles on a wide range of topics. And, all the worse for Cuomo, where Bush has followed Lincoln's lead, he's done so on the issues where Lincoln didn't proceed as Cuomo thought best--particularly in the efforts to curb civil liberties during wartime by both presidents.
   
   The 2004 election, which Cuomo clearly had in mind when writing this book, was a notably polarizing one in the eyes of many. Partisan reaction to this book will almost certainly break down along the same lines. What's more, the issues discussed here are still very current today, as are the divisions. Cuomo's use of Lincoln in these debates may need to be taken with a grain of salt, but his command of Lincoln and strong ability as a writer means he makes his case very effectively for the most part. While this book will certainly provide ammunition for liberals in current American politics, it will also provide food for thought--or for argument--for people of all political stripes with an interest in the American politics of the past, present and future. More importantly, it is a fresh reminder of how enduring and relevant the views of Lincoln remain--a point on which both Democrats and Republicans for once can agree.

2 comments about Civil War Doctor: The Story of Mary Walker (Social Critics and Reformers).

1. This biography highlights Mary Walker's lifetime dream to become a doctor when women weren't even allowed to vote yet! Historical background fills this intriguing look at Mary Walker's life and really places the reader in her time. Readers will enjoy a look back in time to see what women wore, what was going on in the world, and just what Mary Walker had to deal with in her lifetime. An interesting biography about an amazing woman!



2. Mary Edwards Walker was the daughter of a freethinking New York farmer and abolitionist who at an early age became determined to live life on her own terms, shunning women's fashions, wearing men's clothing, and eventually becoming a medical doctor in an era where women couldn't even vote. Her pursuits would take her to the forefront of battles during the Civil War and her story deserves a place on any advanced elementary-level bookshelf where women's biographies and history are featured.

4 comments about Halleck: Lincoln's Chief of Staff.

1. This biography of Henry W. Halleck provides great insights into
   the life & career of one of the Civil War's most vilified figures. Stephen Ambrose provides a balanced overview and keen
   analysis of Halleck and his contributions to the Union war effort. Studying the full story of Halleck's numerous and very
   valuable contributions will be an eye-opening experience for many students of the Civil War. Though he may not have been a "great captain," he was an extremely effective organizer and judge of military talent, The "George C. Marshall" of the Civil War! Buy and read this book - you'll thank yourself!



2. Henry Halleck, that is the name that would rise a storm of scorn or derision among most Civil War readers. General Halleck have not been well regarded by most Civil War historians since the Civil War. This short biography (90% of 212 pages of text are on his Civil War years) by Stephen Ambrose tries to take a revisionist tack to Hallack's accomplishments, talents and his contribution to the Union cause. Ambrose's effort was to show that Halleck was bit more then just a paper general but an effective organizer and coordinator of the Union war effort. While admitting that Hallack was no battlefield general, his massive intellect on military matter was more suited for support roles to the armies at front, a classical bookworm general.

   The book was originally published back in 1962 so the writing may not be as good as Ambrose's later efforts. But its still nicely readable and provides some very insightful views on Halleck's role in the Civil War. Whether you agree with Ambrose or not, is up to you.




3. I'll not repeat the comments made by the other reviewers since I agree with their sentiments. This is a very informative book about "Old Brains," a man without whom neither Lincoln nor Grant could have suceeded.
   
   The most important fact about this book is its importance for the author. Ambrose is without a doubt one of my favorite historians. This was, I believe, his first published work, the result of his PhD research. Soon after it was published, General Eisenhower read the book. He liked it so much, he invited the young author to meet with him to begin writing an official biography. The rest is history, so to speak. Because of this book, we have other great works of history, great because they relate so much of importance and they relate it to the common man.
   
   Thanks to this little book, we all can read D-Day, Citizen Soldier, and outstanding biographies of Nixon and Eisenhower.
   
   Doug



4. Henry Wager Halleck has gone down in history as the man General Grant replaced, the man who did little to advance the Union cause for the first four years of the Civil War. Perhaps this reputation is deserved, but what is undeserved is the fact that this major player has gone so long without a biography that does him some justice. Master historian Stephen Ambrose sheds light on this interesting individual.
   
   Halleck was born in 1815 and graduated West Point in 1839 in the corps of engineers, a sin quo non for advancement at the time. During the Mexican-American war he was sent to California and subsequently was influential in writing the state's constitution and bringing it into the union. In 1861 Halleck was given command of the Western theatre for the Union and it was here that he first gained recognition for his organizational abilities as well as his problematic love for headquarters. He was the opposite of his most successful commander, Ulysses S. Grant. In 1862 Halleck was brought, by Lincoln, to Washington to run command the entire Union effort. But he proved incapable of dealing with the field commanders, such as Burnside and McClellan and from this point his reputation soured. Eventually he would be replaced by his former subordinate, Grant, and he became Chief of Staff. After a posting in California he was transferred the army command of the 'Division of the South', dying while at work in 1872, a career military man.
   
   This short biography sheds some light on his career and on his successes, especially in terms of logistics, that he brought to the war effort.
   
   Seth J. Frantzman

5 comments about George Thomas: Virginian for the Union (Campaigns and Commanders).

1. General George H. Thomas was a Southern born Union officer who commanded the outstanding Army of the Cumberland and he was one of the great generals of the American Civil War. In military circles he will forever be known as "The Rock of Chickamauga". However today, for a number of reasons, he is relatively unknown to the American public.
   
   Any author writing a biography of George Thomas is faced with a major hurdle in that most of Thomas' private papers were burned at his request when he died, and the fact that he died suddenly of a stoke soon after the Civil War which left no chance for a memoir. The author addressed these problems by relentlessly researching every collection of Thomas Papers available and reviewing as many private letters that he could. Other authors may have done this also, and used them to influence their writing, but Mr. Christopher Einolf has done more. He quotes from the Thomas letters giving the reader a glimpse of the real Thomas.
   
   The author uses an understated writing style that I think would have been appreciated by Thomas himself. He lets the facts speak for themselves in many cases and lets his readers draw their own conclusions. However he is not shy about sharing any new understanding of Thomas that he has reached. His description of how Thomas' attitude about blacks changed, from one of a conventional Virginia land owner to a real Civil Rights advocate and that this change came not so much as an evolutionary process but more of a `frame-break' moment after the Battle of Nashville when he saw for himself how well his black troops fought, gives us a new major insight into the man. This view came as a revelation for me as I never agreed with some early Thomas biographers who assumed Thomas had some innate goodness in him that would not allow him to treat blacks unequally. With his aristocratic Virginia upbringing, it did not make any sense. To me Mr. Einolf's analysis rings true.
   
   The author's battle descriptions and analyses are very good with the notable exception of the Battle of Chattanooga. He basically subscribes to the standard `miracle theory' or to luck, as he has the soldiers saying, for the great success at Missionary Ridge. He states that `military historians' say the artillery was badly placed, and that the Union soldiers could scurry up the ravines unseen by enemy soldiers. This may be true, but the author misses the point that the prime factor in winning the battle was the effort of General Joseph Hooker and the fact that Thomas delayed his attack as long as he could to allow Hooker time to flank the ridge from Lookout Mountain. Confederate veterans on high ground and in good defensive positions would ordinarily not have been worried about any Federal charge, but with the added knowledge that a Union Corps was marching across their line of retreat, they decided it was time to skedaddle. That aside, the author's description of Stones River, Chickamauga, Nashville and the other battles is very good and his conclusions are astute.
   
   Mr. Einolf's chapters on Thomas' post war actions and decisions during the occupation and the early reconstruction periods are given the detail they deserve. The author shows how Thomas had a unique perspective on the situation due to his being a Southern gentleman, a Unionist and knowing first hand the qualities of the black men who fought for their freedom. These two chapters really differentiate this book from other Thomas biographies.
   
   In his concluding chapter entitled "Thomas in Historical Memory" Mr. Einolf goes into the reasons for loss of Thomas' place in history. This makes for very interesting reading especially in what he has to say about the Southern Historical Society. While I personally think he is too mild with regard to Generals U. S. Grant and William T. Sherman in their treatment of General Thomas during the war and later in their memoirs which contributed to the loss of George Thomas in history, Mr. Einolf's opinion on this matter has merit.
   
   Overall this biography is excellent and a very creditable addition to the literature on the American Civil War.



2. Volume 13 of the "Campaigns and Commanders" series, George Thomas: Virginian for the Union is the in-depth biography of one of the Union's most prominent and successful generals, who was at one time considered for overall command of the Union Army. Remembered today as the "Rock of Chickamauga", George H. Thomas was a slaveholding Southerner who chose to fight for the North, and his experience with the heroism of black soldiers on the battlefield forever changed his view of African-Americans, transforming him into a defender of civil rights. While George Thomas: Virginian for the Union makes a solid case for Thomas' integrity and competence, neither are Thomas' flaws and ill decisions neglected. Notes, a bibliography, and an index enhance this evenhanded appraisal of a truly remarkable commander.



3. Anyone who is mildly interested in history should read this biography. Mr. Einolf has thoroughly researched George Thomas and while providing an extensive account of his life, he has managed to create a work that is entertaining. Civil War buffs should enjoy this work as it shares an interesting and valid view of loyalties to fellow man and country.



4. In reading about the Civil War, I was intrigued by the story of Union General George Henry Thomas. How fortunate that Christopher J. Einolf recently published George Thomas: Virginian for the Union. This book does much to introduce 21st Century readers to this once famous general who has pretty much dropped off the radar screen.
   
   The background of George Thomas is very similar to Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Coming from a prominent Virginia family, Thomas went to West Point, served in the Mexican and Indian Wars, and then taught at West Point. But unlike Lee, when the Civil War began, Thomas placed his oath to the Constitution above his loyalty to his family and his state and sided with the Union. He never saw his homestead or his sisters again.
   
   While both armies had more than a few eccentric characters in key leadership positions (think Grant, Sherman, Stonewall Jackson, McClellan, J.E.B. Stuart, etc.), Thomas proved to be one of the most steady, consistent but understated generals during the Civil War. His friend and West Point roommate, William Tecumseh Sherman said of Thomas that "He was never brilliant, but always cool, reliable, and steady--maybe a little slow." After the war, Sherman praised Thomas as "the second-best general of the war, after Grant, and argued that Thomas was a better general even than Robert E. Lee."
   His greatest successes were at the Battle of Chickamauga and the Battle of Nashville. His actions at Chickamauga helped to save the Union army from total annihilation and earned him the nickname, The Rock of Chickamauga. He finished the Civil War as the sixth highest ranking general in the Union army behind Grant, Sherman, Halleck, Mead and Sheridan.
   
   While I found George Thomas: Virginian for the Union to be engrossing, it's very long on military information and short on personal facts. The reasons for this are the same reasons that Thomas is not very well known today. First, he had all his personal papers burned upon his death and he rarely spoke to his colleagues about his personal life. He never published his memoirs, unlike many of the key players from the war. He also was the first general to die after the war at the young age of 53 (in 1870). Three friends wrote biographies of Thomas after his death and respected his wish for privacy. This book doesn't even contain a photograph of his wife, Frances. Frances was also a very private person, and they had no children. While I would have preferred more personal information, I can't hold it against Einolf is very little is available to researchers.
   But despite this shortcoming, George Thomas is still an excellent book and one that I would strongly recommend to others.



5. We hear from all of the writers who wish the South won in the Civil War and lionize those who sided with their states against the Constitution, but finally we hear about a solid, capable, Virginian who stayed with the United States. General Thomas was greatly chastised by his friends and family because of his choice to remain in the service of the United States, very much like Admiral David G. Farragut, USN. His excellent service was underrated by General Grant but does in no way diminish his service to this country. His high point had to be in the victory at Chickamauga. Politics were as bad then as they are now in the senior ranks of the armed forces and once labelled as "overly-cautious" by General Grant, he was side-lined. Of note in the book was a comment made by General Thomas as the middle south's Occupation Commander as he worked to protect and bring citizenship to the Freedmen. He stated that he was bewildered as to why "southeners tended to violence rather than obey the law", and was sickened as he witnessed the rise of Jim Crow.
   
   A very interesting book that shows the life of and the difficult career of General Thomas, a Virginian, who was a keystone to the success of the Union in the western campaigns.

No comments about Behind Enemy Lines: Civil War Spies, Raiders, and Guerillas.

No comments about Lincoln's Men: The President and His Private Secretaries.

2 comments about American Heretic: Theodore Parker and Transcendentalism.

1. Grodzins has written an astonishingly thorough and readable biography of an important but neglected 19th Century American. Parker is one of the most influential Americans of the mid-1800s, a brilliant scholar and powerful preacher who became a crucial figure in our religious and political history.

   The book is destined to become the standard biography of Parker for generations. Anyone interested in American political thought and the evolution of American religious doctrine will find this book invaluable. Any New Englander will find this a treasure trove of well-written stories.




2. Transcendentalism has never been easy to define, all the more so because its two most well-known adherents, Emerson and Thoreau, were highly poetic souls who had much better uses for their rhetoric than in crafting creeds or clear-cut manifestoes. It is a pleasure then to read Grodzins' biography of Theodore Parker, in whose life and work we can see more clearly the philosophical and personal dramas that played themselves out within the Unitarian Church in regard to its Transcendentalist sympathizers - in particular, the attempts of one Transcendentalist to define his views against the charges of Deism. Religion is a key concern for Transcendentalism, though in Emerson and Thoreau there is no sense that organized religion can play a key role in the individual's enlightenment. Parker remained in the Church as he struggled to know and preach Truth, and gained a large following. Our understanding of Transcendentalism is eminently richer for our appreciation of his struggle.

3 comments about Herndon's Informants: Letters, Interviews, and Statements about Abraham Lincoln.

1. In the preface to his "Life of Lincoln", William Herndon expounded that when writing the history of Lincoln's early life "the whole truth concerning him should be known" and there should be "nothing colored or suppressed." Having set the standard Herndon failed to follow it, for there were something's even Herndon must have felt should not be put into print. Scholars wishing to explore Lincoln's early life beyond the insights offered by Herndon's biography had to turn to examining the letters and notes collected for over a twenty year period by himself and his collaborator Jesse Weik. This often proved to be a daunting task. As the editor's in their introduction noted even though available on Micro roll film specific documents are "very hard to locate" and even if located are "very hard to read." To further complicate matters the index to the Herndon collection prepared by the Library of Congress is "neither accurate nor complete." What Editors Douglas L. Wilson and Rodney O. Davis have done in their "Herndon's Informants" is to transcribe all of the known Herndon, Weik letters and notes into a readable and properly indexed Documentary Edition. What they have also done is create a masterpiece of scholarship that will be used by students of Lincoln for decades to come. "Herndon's Informants" offers the student the complete Herndon collection, unabridged and un-editorialized. To anyone who has a strong interest in learning more about Lincoln's early life this is just about all that is available and it simply must become a part of your personal library.



2. Forget authors, historians with agendas. Read what the people who actually knew Abraham Lincoln said about him.
   
   Before Lincoln's body was cold, William Herndon, Lincoln's law partner for 17 years and friend for longer, began interviewing Lincoln's friends, family members, enemies, acquaintances, neighbors, etc. His goal was to collect as much information as possible about his friend, so he could write a completely truthful biography. "Warts and all" Herndon said. Unfortunately, Herndon soon realized he could not use some of the information he collected because it was very personal and Lincoln's image would be tarnished. Fortunately, some of this information he could not use you will find in this book. While 98% of this book contains very interesting information about all aspects of Lincoln's life. It is the remaining 2%, the unsavory stuff, that is so fascinating! For instance, I was surprised to read about the number of Lincoln's friends who told stories about Lincoln's involvement with prostitutes (before his marriage). Some friends even speculate about Lincoln maybe having one or two illegitimate children. This book contains information I never learned in school about Lincoln!



3. With Herndon's Informants Douglas L. Wilson and Rodney O. Davis have made a tremendous contribution to Lincoln scholarship. Much of what we know of Lincoln's pre-presidential years, especially, was compiled through interviews and correspondence by Lincoln's last law partner William H. Herndon. Although many of these items were published decades ago in Emanuel Hertz's anthology The Hidden Lincoln, that collection's limitations have long frustrated Lincoln students. The only alternative was the expensive and awkward-to-use microfilm verison of Herndon's papers available from the Library of Congress.
   
   Now, however, Wilson and Davis have made this treasure trove of firsthand information available in an affordable and convenient format. Moreover, they have carefully tried to reproduce texts exactly, retaining oddities of spelling and punctuation, a feature entertaining to ordinary readers and valuable to scholars. The book's presentation of documents in chronological order is welcome. Scholars will probably be the main consumers using this product.
   
   This volume is a major contribution to Lincoln studies.

5 comments about Generals in Gray: Lives of the Confederate Commanders.

1. Warner does an excellent job in giving short biographies on all 425 Confederate generals, including a picture of each general. An excellent reference guide and a must have for your Civil War library.



2. I remember first reading Generals in Gray as a teenager and have often referred back to the book over the years.

   Warner gives a synopsis of each general , usually containing the following information:

   1. Birthplace and birthdate.
   2. Pre-Civil War life.
   3. Battles served in, promotions, woundings, death (if applicable).
   4. Postwar career (if he survived the war).
   5. Death and place burial.
   6. Brief mention of the general's competency (or lack thereof).
   7. Relationships with other generals (superior, subordinate).

   I have often found the book to be extremely helpful when reading a book on a particular Civil War battle. Doing so helps me to better understand the general when studying a particular battle.

   Whether you have a serious interest in the Civil War or a novice, I highly recommend the book as an excellent reference!




3. This book is a must for any Civil War buff. Learn the good, bad and the ugly about all general officers of the army of the CSA. I keep this book, and its companion, Generals in Blue, handy when I am reading historical accounts of battles of the Civil War. How often, while you are reading, have you yearned to get additional information on a particular general? These books are perfect to provide more information, when you want it.



4. .....but this one sure is. The Civil War is still a current event for many of us. For four long years, both sides were carried by their armies, and led by their Generals. Now, lots of us know about Lee and Jackson, but there were a total of 425 Confederate Generals over the course of the war, and some even I've never heard of. Of these, 299 were serving as General Officers at the end. A total of 77 were killed in battle; the rest died of natural causes, resigned, got fired, etc., etc.
   
   They're ALL here, at least the ones that we can't argue about whether they were really a General. [There are others about whom we can argue, for various reasons--a separate book has come out in recent years...see "More Generals in Gray"]. While Lee has has more biographies than I can count, and many have at least one, for most of these guys, this is all we've got. Here we get pictures, pre and, where appropriate, post war careers, grave sites, and a study of just what the man accomplished [or didn't]. Robert E. Lee gets three and a half pages, but all get a good write-up.
   
   They were a varied lot: six General Lees, six Jacksons, eight each of Smith and Walker. Professional soldiers, lawyers, politicians, even three preachers [Polk and Pendleton, you know; read this and find the third]. Some were heroic, some were drunks, a few were both. Some brilliant, some inept, one or two both. The post war lots of the survivors were as various as the men; poverty and wealth, glory and apostasy, and all points in between. Trivia: Who was the ONLY Confederate General born in Texas? Who was the last living Conferderate General? ONE man answers BOTH questions. [OK, I'll give it to you...Judge Felix Huston Robertson of Waco died April 20, 1928]. The very first American Indian to wear General's stars AND the last General to surrender...he's here, in all his glory.
   
   I can go on all day. The late Ezra Warner, Illinois native and California investment counsellor, published this in 1959...it needs to stay in print forever. While I've had this, and the companion "Generals in Blue", for years, only recently has a trade paperback made it readily available, and affordable. A "thank you" to the publisher, and a huge, everlasting, "THANK YOU" to Mr. Warner.



5. Like its companion volume Generals in Blue, Generals in Gray is an important resource for both the Civil War buff and the serious historian (which is not to say that the two can't be one and the same!). In this volume, which was actually written before Generals in Blue, author Ezra Warner has written the biographies and rustled up the photos of all the general officers confirmed by the Confederate Congress, and a handful of those who weren't for one reason or another.
   
   There were 425 men who served as Confederate generals. Nearly one-fourth of them died in the war. Boy generals, men promoted before they reached the age of 30, were plentiful, and nearly half of them were killed on the battlefield. Looking at their photographs, one can scarcely fathom the experiences they endured at such young ages. They look like college lads.
   
   Several of the generals profiled by Warner especially stand out for me. There's William Flank Perry, for example, the philosopher-general, who enlisted as a private in 1862 and was commissioned a brigadier in the war's final months. After the war, he taught philosophy at Ogden College in Kentucky until the turn of the century. There's Alexander Reynolds, who at war's end entered the service of the Khedive of Egypt, and so must've known the tragic Federal General Charles Pomeroy Stone, of Ball's Bluff infamy, who did so as well. There's General John McCausland, who with his huge handlebar moustache and heavy eyebrows looks for all the world like Yosemite Sam of cartoon fame. And there's the boy general Thomas Benton Smith, a youngster whose fate breaks my heart. After he and most of his brigade surrendered during the Battle of Nashville, a Federal colonel tried literally to beat Smith's brains out. His brain exposed, in a coma, Smith was expected to die. But he somehow survived, only to spend the rest of his life, some 48 years, in an insane asylum.