No comments about Ambroise Pare and His Times 1510 to 1590.

5 comments about The Nelson Touch: The Life and Legend of Horatio Nelson.

1. Coleman has written a highly negative biography of Nelson that stresses Nelson's faults while ignoring his accomplishments. Coleman believes that Nelson was engaged in war crimes at Naples since he decieved the rebels with a truce and than slaughtered them. Also Nelson bluffed his way to victory at Coopenhagen by overstating his strength to the Danish king in order to achieve a truce. Finally Coleman is critical of the way that Nelson treated his first wife with his affair with Emma Hamilton. Even though this is a highly negative biography of Nelson it is highly readable.



2. I notice that Joel Hayward's new book also points out Nelson's flaws as a warrior and as a captain and as an officer. Maybe Hayward wrote it all in a more balance way, and with more context, but he still said similar things to Mr Coleman. Yet Coleman seems to have been singled out for criticism for merely showing that Nelson was human and used his legal disciplinary rights more often than we assumed. Big deal. He was a great admiral but just a man.



3. I don't feel outraged that Coleman's treatment of Nelson is harsh. Why make Nelson something he wasn't: a saint.



4. I admire _The Nelson Touch_ in the way that, Nelson-like, author Terry Coleman ties up alongside and lets the broadsides rip at his subject from the get-go:
   
   "Nelson was a paramount naval genius and natural born predator, and those who look to find a saint besides will miss the man. The strength of mind is everywhere obvious. He knew he was right, and in action was daring and direct. His originality asserts itself again and again, and so does his quixotic generosity. But in private life, as in war, he was ruthless whenever he had to be, and he could be pitiless. He was a fanatic for duty, at times beyond all sense, and a royalist so infatuated with the divine right of kings that he began to see himself, in revolutionary times, as the instrument of God. This made him a good hater. He hated the American rebels of the thirteen colonies, and the harmless liberal rebels against the Bourbon king of Naples, as unforgivingly as he hated the revolutionary French and then Napoleon."
   
   That's the first paragraph from page one, and in excellent journalistic style, Coleman, having layed out his thesis, succintly expands upon it in the next 343 pages (a very small number of pages relative to most modern biographies.) Coleman does not discuss Nelson's military strategy to a great extent. Nor does he fill in the many gaps in the historical record with generalized discussions of the social milieu of the time; for example, little is known about Nelson's boyhood, and Coleman does not have any sections that choose to draw in sources about what it might have been like from contemporary accounts of other persons of the same period. The author does not bother filling in the vast background story of the sociopolitical upheavals of the time, and approaches Nelson's life with a certain expectation of familiarity on the part of the reader of its general outline. Far from detracting from its subject matter, the relative tautness and focus of this approach make it one of the most readable biographies I've encountered in recent years.
   
   What Coleman does rather superbly is go back to truly original source material on Nelson, and more or less reconstruct a portrait of the man he was. The surviving primary material, in the form of Nelson's letters and those few letters to Nelson which survive, are meticulously examined. Any contradictions and inconsistencies are investigated, the factual basis often being compared to subsequent distortions. This book might be labeled 'revisionist' because of Coleman's insistence on unraveling the origins of the many myths and distortions that have developed over the centuries concerning Nelson; however, my impression is more that Coleman simply tries to get at the truth of the matter under the layers of hogwash without any agenda per se. If that results in a revision in the general public understanding of Nelson, that's where the chips have fallen.
   
   A constant theme of the book is deconstructing the myth, the legend, the hagiography that's been built up around Nelson since his death. Indeed, Coleman manages to convey that it was Nelson's very nature that started building up the legend in the first place. It remains dubious about the extent to which Nelson's military acumen was or was not responsible for victories at St. Vincent, the Nile, Copenhagen, and Trafalgar, but there's no doubt that Nelson thought that Nelson was responsible almost wholly for those victories. (Nelson was quite fond of referring to himself in the third person.) And the tenor of the times was ripe for mythologizing a hero, particularly in a Britain that was in such dire straits in its continental struggle and in fear of popular uprisings.
   
   Nelson's strange sojourn as a sort of minister of war cum loose-cannon warlord supporting the King of Naples is given a great deal of attention. It's a sorry episode where Nelson's reactionary political leanings, love of royalty, desire for self-aggrandizement, and failure to obey his superiors combined in a rather nasty and bloody counter-revolution. The current controversy about whether Nelson's unilateral abrogation of a treaty, which resulted in the execution of several hundred prisoners who had been promised safe conduct by the British, is discussed in significantly greater detail than Nelson's fleet exploits. I came at this book without any sense of national pride (or disgust, as some contemporary Italian scholars have because of the incident, to the point of calling Nelson a war criminal) in the Nelson legend, but with considerable familiarity with his military record, and as such I found this material very interesting.
   
   What I do find somewhat missing in Coleman's account is an explanation of 'The Nelson Touch' that so inspired his contemporaries (at least the ones who didn't hate his guts). Nelson cheerfully explains it about himself in laying out his battle plans for Trafalgar, but as Coleman notes, there are zero accounts from his captains about the same meeting at which Nelson describes himself so glowingly. Was the 'Touch' an invention? If it was real, what was it about Nelson's personal qualities that made him an inspirational leader? This subject is not addressed, leading one to the conclusion that it perhaps might have been a contemporary invention of the glory-seeking Nelson and his acolytes. I don't know this to be so, but this is not the book that explores those issues. And, as noted, there is little in the way of revisionism in looking at the claims of Nelson's military genius, which are certainly overstated in many other sources and which is taken as a given by Coleman.
   
   One item of particular note: Coleman does a superb job of looking at the visual record of Nelson in terms of the contemporary portraits done of him during his lifetime. Often in biographies the illustrations are unremarked upon by the author, almost afterthoughts. Coleman treats these, too, as primary sources, and this greatly enlivens the text.
   
   Regardless of how one approaches Nelson as man or legend prior to reading this book, this is an excellent modern biography that rehumanizes him, and well recommended.



5. Novelist and historian Terry Coleman's "The Nelson Touch" may be regarded as the first of the three great biographies of Admiral Nelson published in the first decade of the 21st Century. However, in stark contrast to John Sugden's monumental two volume work (The second volume is in preparation, covering the period from 1797 to 1805, when Nelson had his greatest triumphs and defeats.) and Roger Knight's biography published last year, Coleman's extensively researched tome reads more like a negative "Cliff Notes" review of the admiral's life, focusing on Nelson's career in the 1790s and 1800s, devoting as much time to the great British admiral's flaws as well as his successes. Indeed, I suspect that the title "The Nelson Touch" is a bit misleading, since Coleman doesn't dwell much on those facets of Nelson's personality which made him into an inspirational naval commander well respected - if not loved - by his celebrated "band of brothers" such as Captains Berry, Hallowell, Hardy and Hoste, and Admirals Collingwood and Hood. Speaking of which, to my utter amazement, there is not much for the reader to discern regarding Nelson's strong ties to fellow officers such as Captains Berry and Hardy and especially, Admiral Collingwood. Only Rear Admiral Troubridge is discussed at any length, and it is more from the perspective of Nelson's perceived rivalry with Troubridge dating from the latter's appointment to the Admiralty in 1801, than the close comradeship which had developed while serving together in the Mediterranean Sea during the 1790s.
   
   Yet Coleman's negative appraisal of Nelson's life and career is important for two major reasons. First it demonstrates convincingly how disastrous Nelson's conduct was at Naples in 1799, condoning acts which would be charitably described as running counter to the spirit, if not the actual letter, of dignified conduct against the enemy; in other words, Nelson acted as a war criminal. How, you might ask? He abrogated a treaty signed by one of his subordinates and representatives of Naples's Republican government and misled defending Neapolitan and French troops holding out in impregnable forts near the city who had been guaranteed safe conduct to Toulon, but instead, found themselves sent via safe conduct only to the gallows. He also arranges for the summary execution of the Neapolitan naval officer in charge of the city's defense, who had become a close colleague and friend of Nelson's, before switching his loyalty to the Republican government. Coleman also delves deeply into Nelson's relationship with Emma Hamilton, demonstrating how it evolved slowly into a passionate love affair, beginning innocently enough via Emma's diplomatic work on behalf of the Kingdom of Two Sicilies's Bourbon royal family. At any rate, Coleman's fine scholarship puts to rest any notion that theirs was love at first sight. Despite my own misgivings regarding Coleman's coverage, I still strongly recommend this book as an excellent biography of Admiral Nelson, especially in its coverage of Nelson's actions at Naples and his love affair with Emma Hamilton.

3 comments about Fuck The Navy....Fuck The System: The Unpleasant Truth About A Lot Of Things.

1. As someone who's spent time in the US Navy, I completely sympathize with Mark's bootcamp experience, and empathize with his other military experiences. Unfortunately, it has also been my experience as well that the stupidest, most unqualified people tend to be the ones put in charge. It has nothing to do with ability or talent, but rather how many years you've put into the rediculous system and your ability to adjust and embrace stupidity, that gets you ahead in the military.
   
   The problem with this book is that it *desperately* needs to be edited. You will notice right off the bat spelling and grammar mistakes, as well as missing words. You can understand what Mark was trying to say, but it's rather unprofessional. It sounds as though he wrote it all in an angry rush, and sent it to the publisher without reading back over it.
   
   So read it and realize how desperately the military needs to be flushed of the trash that fills its management. I guess nothing happens quickly, especially not in a governmental organization, but it would be nice if it could.



2. This book really needed to have been proof read before it was published. Having said that the story was good, if you can understand what the author was trying to say. I am retired from the navy and I understand the "shop talk". While this guy "Mark Moremoney", obviously not his real name, sounds like a really disgruntled/disaffected navy "nuke" I can tell you that it is mostly a true story. If he embellished at all he did not need to embellish very much. They really treat people in the navy that bad, sometimes worse. The hours that he was made to work are absolutly truthful! Anyone who plans on going into the Navy's nuclear power program better be ready to do it without any sleep.



3. I expected a few errors in this book after reading the other customer reviews but nothing could've prepared me for the vast amount of problems I found. First of all, the author completely missed his target audience. He says he's writing to inform the general public of some of the problems with the Navy, however, he uses so much "Navy jargon" that if you hadn't served yourself you wouldn't know what he was talking about 2/3 of the time. Also, the general writing is easily on an 8th grade level if not 7th. I was turning in papers in the 5th grade with less sentence fragments, misspelled words, and out of context remarks than THIS guy! Oh, and I couldn't get over the fact that he used the word "like" so many times in the read. For instance, "The RDC let me sleep until LIKE 7am that day" or "This guy LIKE completely should have proofread his work." Also, missing words? COME ON! You can't write a sentence and leave the NOUN out!
   Some of this guys' subjects and topics were amusing. I think he would be a pretty good person to have a conversation with but definitely should leave the writing to people who have a basic understanding of the English language. Also, it's only 110 pages. It's 12 dollars. NOT worth that amount. You could easily pick up a paperback edition of a best seller and be a hundred times happier with your purchase. So I say, for the humor in the book I'll give this one 2 stars. That's all, no more.

5 comments about A Rifleman Went To War.

1. It might not be written in perfect English, and it's not always politically correct, but it's definitely always enjoyable.
   
   You get the whole WWI experience from the author's point of view, including enough "war stories" to satisfy any reader.
   
   McBride includes technical details, anecdotes, and just good old story telling, in this tale of a machine gunner / rifleman in the Great War.



2. As a rifle shooter with a historical interest i bought this book. If your looking for an overly dramatic or gruesome account of life in the first world war trenches dont by this book. From what i can tell it is a written collection of memories by the author. These memories are written in a matter of fact, straight talking way which does not hide the authors zealous approach to his task of being a soldier.
   
   Although at times slightly rambling i found this an interesting read and at times amuzing. A good reference if you are interested in rifle shooting or battle history.



3. Having read a lot of WWI books and books on sniping this one takes the cake. It's written in the autobiographical tradition of Teddy Roosevelt and will impress the old and young alike with its vivid imagery and colorful prose. Great read.



4. A thoughroughly enjoyable, mesmerizing, collection of a soldier's WWI remembrances. Somehow manages to be more than the sum of its plainly told, shy, politically incorrect, wars is hell but you get used to it parts. It ends up assembling and describing bit by bit the remarkable character of the author.
   
   Also notable to me for how it reaches across 70 years to contrast how we've changed as a people. For example, I don't think this book would be published as written today. The editor would have probably added more polish, removed some of the namecalling and stereotyping and would have thus diminished the book.



5. Mr. McBride has written a book that nearly perfectly talks about what can be expected from a modern infantry man. He talks about sniping, putting in a properly sighted machine gun, raids, and patrols. Honestly, this book is so good that most Army ROTC and Marine Infantry instruction may want to have their future officers and NCO candidates read this book.
   
   I will give you a story that really stuck me as being ahead of its time. Now, this book was written in the mid-1930s. However, Mr. McBride knows the problems of lugging ammunition. A soldier with .303 British (about equal to modern NATO 7.62 ammo) could only carry about 200 to 300 rounds. So, Mr. McBride thinks the armies should carry ammunition of about .27 caliber. That is almost exactly 6.8 mm. This is exactly the same solution the US Army discovered after 5 years in Iraq.
   
   I liked this book. Mr. McBride thinks both the British and Canadian Armies did much better with their training time than the US military. Indeed, he thinks the US Army and military is overly tied up with paperwork. And that observation was made in 1918.
   
   This is a five star book by a soldier who knows his field craft. Pay attention to his anti-sniper traps. They are still useful today. Also, the book is great for telling about how the Germans would leave abandoned grenades after an attack. Some were rigged to go off if picked up.
   
   As written before, this book is five star. Mr. McBride writes a book about the birth of the modern infantry man. Indeed, their is little difference between a Tommy of WWI with a Lewis gun and a Grunt in Vietnam carrying an M-60 machinegun. In 50 years little had changed.
   
   The modern professional soldier can learn a lot from this book. Some university military history departments may want this book for an individual study of a hard infantry man.

5 comments about With God on Our Side: One Man's War Against an Evangelical Coup in America's Military.

1. More than two years ago the author of this book started the Military Religious Freedom Foundation as a watchdog to make the military obey the laws of separation of Church and State. His concern started with a specific evil at his alma mater, the Air Force Academy, the chronic harassment and intimidation by evangelicals to pressure Catholics, liberal Christians, Jews, and others to assent to a right wing, primitive faith. Weinstein explains how the military has been taken over by a fundamentalist agenda. What these chaplains are doing is a blatant violation of the famous wall between Church and State.
   
   Various chaplaincy codes flatly prohibit the "proselytizing of any religion, faith or practice."(p. 74) In the command structure of superior and inferior of the military this may put government in the person of an officer in the position of commanding a soldier or cadet to convert or else. This prohibition of evangelizing the fundies reject as curtailing their freedom of religion, claiming that making converts is enjoined as an integral part of their religion. Anything less, they claim, is anti-Christian bigotry, a bias against the majority, and discrimination against their belief. Remember, in most circumstances when fundies speak of Christianity it does not include Roman Catholics and liberal or mainline denominations.
   
   Mikey Weinstein has qualification to take on this struggle few can match. A family tradition of father, son, and grandchildren graduating from the Air Force Academy, law degrees and experience of service in the White House, and a network of political allies. The book is a narrative of events at the Air Force Academy and the military in general which lead Weinstein to found the organization. The book is a quick and easy read. It seems part of a push back on the inroads made by "born again" religious fascists on the administration of the country. In the long run I do think the believers in fascist Christian authority will lose.



2. Because a person believes in God and is a member of the Military, therefore, that individual, motivated by their belief in God, conspires to overthrow the government of the United States. Now you know what it's about, save your money for something worthwhile.



3. A fast paced, quick read, Weinstein's account of the troubles at the Academy raises many disturbing questions. Unfortunately, the military routinely invades privacy and stories of antisemitism are hardly new. Therein lies the problem with anecdotal evidence and the way the issue has been framed here. The separation of church and state, indeed civilian control of the military, has never been all that secure, resting, in part, on vague notions of privacy. Because Weinstein assumes the military is subject to clear, established Supreme Court principles, we are led to believe his is a reaction to an insubordinate, insurgent military. His stance does not allow us to ask whether the Court's principles are sufficient to protect everyone, including agnostics, and if it is a trustworthy agency to resist the attacks of evangelicals, particularly on those lacking religious affiliation.



4. Superbly written, with tight prose, this is a dynamic page-turner that will grab and hold your attention. At a time when the Administration of President Bush is filled with "yes men", Mikey Weinstein, graduate of the Air Force Academy, former JAG, counselor to President Reagan and attorney for Ross Perot, does not shrink from speaking truth to power. The events and truths he exposes are both deeply troubling and liberating.
   
   "With God on Our Side" reveals the transformation of Mikey Weinstein from a prominent attorney into a world-class civil rights activist - the Founder and President of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. Within its pages Mikey's heart is exposed, along with his passion, his deep devotion to both his family and his Country. His love and commitment to the United States of America, its Constitution and its citizens are unsurpassed. From the moment he entered the Air Force Academy many years ago until now he has never wavered from honoring his pledge to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States of America.
   
   Having experienced first hand the tyrannical legacy of the Bush Administration's legacy of dismantling the Constitutionally-guaranteed wall of separation between Church and State, I know all too well that what Mikey exposes in the prescient volume is but the tip of the iceberg. Like Mikey's own sons, I too have experienced predatory proselyzing and blatant religious discrimination; whereas Mikey and his sons have experienced it at the Air Force Academy, my experience has been within the Department of Veterans Affairs and its medical facilities. Since Mikey founded the Military Religious Freedom Foundation he has advocated not only for active duty and reserve military personnel, but also veterans. His efforts have directly and positively impacted my own life.
   
   There is not a book I would recommend more than Mikey Weinstein's "With God on Our Side." Buy the book, read it, and see for yourself the terrible consequences of the destruction of the First Amendment's guaranteed protection of religious liberty.



5. Weinsteins documented how a particular Christian sect with a disturbing "end times" agenda has worked itself into every level of the U.S. military! ...gee GW..thanks!
   
   He talks about flyers at the academy...for 'LAST TEMPTATION' and is sharp enough to note that mels flavor is different...mels is catholic and gothic...while the 'endtimers' is protestant evangelical!!!!Still the academy pushes Mels movie!

3 comments about Packs On!: Memoirs of the 10th Mountain Division in World War II (Stackpole Military History Series).

1. In the style of Ernie Pyle, the author relates the experiences of members of the 10th Mountain Division who fought the veteran fighters of the German Army in the mountains of northern Italy during World War II.



2. Author A. B. Feur skillfully puts a collection of personal combat stories together into his book "Packs On! Memoirs of the Mountain Division in WWII". The author is one of the more prolific chroniclers of WWII history and this book may be his best to date. The Foreword is written by Senator Bob Dole and adds a real touch of class to the telling of this unit.
   
   Feur takes us through the unit's campaigns after a well written introduction that gives us insights on the way the unit was put together and how they trained. He then takes us to Alaska and the Kiska Campaign. That campaign turned out to be a fight for an island that the Japanese had already abandoned and left. There were causalities and deaths due to "friendly fire" in the fog and the confusion of the battle that had no opposing forces.
   
   We follow the unit onward to Italy and Europe and into the mountains and snow. The author allows us to see each battle area through the eyes of the different veterans who wrote their memories of the events. This enhances the story telling format and enriches the final over-all story of the unit. The many different and diverse voices make the book entertaining as well as educational. It feels more personal then any straight telling of historic events would have. Feur expertly weaves all these individual stories together and connects them with facts, data, maps and old photos to make this whole book a first class reading experience.
   
   This is book captures the essence of what this unit was all about. The author realizes that strength of this story was to allow the men who were there to tell it--and he does that well! The Military Writer's Society of America gives this book its highest rating of
   FIVE STARS!



3. very good service I received the book within 5 days of ordering it very informative book. This book was about my fathers army war days in Italy and the training in colorado, so many of the stories in the book I had heard form my father. Good history!

4 comments about More Generals in Gray.

1. A tome devoted to biographical sketches of 137 men united only by their arguable status as Confederate generals sounds like one of the ultimate Civil War "buff books". It is a pleasant surprise to open its pages and discover no dreary catalogue of minutiae. Instead, the author has condensed years of research into a series of sparkling capsule lives that reflect the wide range of characters and events in America's bitterest conflict.

   Each of the subjects has some claim to having held the rank of general in the Confederate military but not enough of one to have earned listing in Ezra J. Warner's authoritative "Generals in Gray". However solid or dubious their entitlement to the highest rank, however, they form a cross-section of important and interesting Southern officers and citizens. They came from a variety of backgrounds. Ten were born in the North, nine in Border States, nine abroad (including one veteran of Napoleon's Grande Armee, whose unit's performance in the defense of New Orleans fell short of Napoleonic standards). Not all had embraced independence eagerly. Michael Jefferson Bulger, for instance, voted "no" in the Alabama secession convention but nonetheless enlisted in the 47th Alabama Regiment. At Cedar Mountain, he suffered wounds to his arm and leg, binding the latter with corncobs and suspenders. At Gettysburg, he was captured after being left for dead. Following such mishaps, he ended up living to age 94, enjoying a placid post-war career as a farmer and occasional politician.

   In contrast to the indestructible Bulger, Edward Gantt was a fire-eating secessionist who resigned his seat in the first Confederate Congress to raise a regiment in Arkansas. After being captured with the garrison of Island No. 10, he returned home on parole but then experienced an astonishing change of heart. In late 1863, the formerly rabid states-righter slipped across the Yankee lines and spent the rest of the war urging his former countrymen to lay down their arms.

   Many more such tales are told here. The author has a keen eye for incisive facts and quotations, and his writing wastes few words. For the serious student of the Civil War, this work is a valuable reference. For everyone else, it offers hours of fascinating browsing.




2. I have owned and used Mr. Warner's classics Generals in Blue and Generals in Gray for over 40 years. Mr Allardice shows us the men appointed General by the various Southern States. This book proves the point the Government of the Confederacy was still having growing pains; the point being the generals from the Trans-Mississippi not being confirmed by the CSA Senate, in Richmond, Va. This is a great book for the Civil War Buff. It is a must need in your War Between the States Library.



3. Ezra Warner's classic 1959 volume tells us the stories of the 425 Confederate General Officers about whom we can't argue as to whether they were, in fact, a General; this volume tells the stories of several about whom we CAN argue. Warner gives the criteria, and this book does, too; a man had to be nominated to General Officer rank by President Davis, AND confirmed by Congress.
   
   The reasons to be here, not in Warner's book, are several; most commonly, a man could be a General of state militia, nominated by the Governor, confirmed by the legislature, not a General of the Confederacy. [President Jefferson Davis makes this book that way]. These militia officers can be seen as the equivalent of modern National Guard Officers. In some cases, there was a disconnect between the President and Congress, in others, there is doubt as to who appointed the man, and when. Thus we have the first Hispanic General, Santos Benavides--some records have him as a Colonel, others as a late appointment to Brigadier General. [The first American Indian General is in Warner's book--no doubts about Stand Watie].
   
   A special case is that of nine officers appointed to Brigadier General by General Edmund Kirby Smith using his expanded powers as Commander of The Transmississippi Department. Communication between Richmond and the West was most difficult after the fall of Vicksburg in July, 1863; Smith was, thus, in a situation unique in American history. These nine men are but a small part of a most complicated story; Warner lists them in an appendix; here they get full honors.
   
   In these reviews, I try to differentiate between books for the general reader, and those for "people like me". This book falls, I think, somewhere in between. It is superbly done, well written, well illustrated; a most respectful account of men deserving full respect, even if they aren't a "big name". For those poor folks who are like me, this book is, indeed, essential. You know who you are....



4. I was uncertain about the merit of this title before I purchased, but I need not have been. Author Bruce Allardice has created a worthy supplement to Ezra Warner's "Generals in Gray."
   
   The presentation format of "More Generals in Gray" is very close to that of Warner's classic reference works, but in single column vs. two columns for Warner's books. For most of the 137 entries a photograph, sketch, painting of the person is provided, except where ones were not available. The author provides background information including birthdate, state, parents, education as well as prewar occupation. Following this is a description or relevant military career, ranks achieved, commands, postwar life and death. Allardice closes each biography with a description of what sources led to the inclusion of the particular figure as a general. Notes and sources are provided after each entry as well.
   
   One caveat is that the reader should not expect to find a large list of generals overlooked by Warner, that is not the direction of this work. Instead, Mr. Allardice has cast a wider net to include those who would be legitimately rejected by the earlier criteria. He carefully provides detailed criteria and explanation for his additions. Most names here are men who were either never really promoted/confirmed or who were generals in state service or appointed in the Trans-Mississippi by E. Kirby Smith.
   
   This brings us to the strength of the study: the inclusion of men acting as generals who were either appointed by Kirby Smith or who led state forces as generals in actual campaigns. Both of these are indeed generals in the true sense of the word. Those studying the Trans-Mississippi will definitely find the backgrounds provided here beneficial.
   
   The less exciting entries for the reader are those appointed very late in the war (e.g. March 1865 or later) but never confirmed and really never served in the capacity of general. In addition, there were those referred to as generals in various Confederate post-war histories, but whom the author demonstrates did not really achieve the rank. Though it is perhaps a thankless task, the author is to be commended for setting the record straight with regards to these men.
   
   As a bonus, in an appendix Mr. Allardice lists another ~135 individuals sometimes referred to as generals by less authoritative sources. In one or two sentences for each he explains the reasons for excluding them.
   
   "More Generals in Gray" is a well-written and organized supplement to Warner's work. This volume will appeal the most to a narrower group of civil war enthusiasts and particularly those studying more obscure engagements. Note that now is a good time to obtain inexpensive remaindered copies.

4 comments about Jefferson Davis: Unconquerable Heart (Shades of Blue and Gray).

1. Felicity Allen's recent biography, Jefferson Davis, Unconquerable Heart, transcends mere history. Such a sensitive and comprehensive work, therefore, may perplex the hardened historian, who is often pleased only with cold chronological facts that fit comfortably into his own predispositions. Allen's intricately documented work has the touch of a true poet who deftly and profoundly reveals not only the heart and soul of a great (and often misunderstood) American but also a way of life gone forever.

   No scholar can fail to appreciate Allen's exhaustive research,, nor any layman fail to be amazed at her mass of fact and significant detail. But if fact is the body and bone of biography, truth is its revelation. And this is the outstanding accomplishment of Felicity Allen: she has recovered the heart and soul of an honorable and courageous American patriot who thought and fought and fell with his young nation.

   Oxford Stroud




2. This is a good book to read for anyone wanting to see how a good man dealt with adversity. Allen places much emphasis upon Davis' Christian faith, and how it helped him to be the sort of man who can be worthily imitated. The book also contains a goodly amount of historical information which is not commonly known. It could have used some tighter editing, as there were a few points where I was not quite sure about whom Allen was writing, and had to go back and re-read the paragraph, but, all in all, I was both informed and edified by this book. About the review by Kirkus, I can only conclude that that reviewer is an anti-Christian, anti-Southern bigot, as he obviously had already decided about the book before reading it.



3. What Mrs. Allen succeeds so brilliantly at is showing the human side of the man. I must admit that I was no fan of Jefferson Davis in his role as the President of the CSA. However, thanks to Mrs. Allen, I was able to see him in a much different light - as an American patriot and a human being. In the passions that colour anything dealing with the War of Northern Aggression, it is sometimes difficult to remember that everyone involved had a life before that tragic conflict. I can't help but be grateful for the way in which Mrs. Allen brought that point home in her book. While I will still take issue with many of his wartime decisions, I can't help but be proud that our nation produced a man like Jefferson Davis. Thanks for the insight and the education Mrs. Allen!



4. Since becoming interested in the 19th Century, and the oasis of information concerning that time period, I'm still baffled as to why the 21st Century historian cannot understand the greatness of men like Jefferson Davis. All the modern historian can do is point out cultural problems of times past (slavery: as if the South was the only place on earth that had them). After reading the standard review from Amazon, I had to chime in on this great book. I've read William J. Cooper's Jefferson Davis as well as Jefferson Davis himself. Is it not interesting that modern day Jefferson Davis antagonists' (Just read James Mcpherson's preface in 'The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government") can only talk of slavery, as if this is the only motivating factor which drove J. Davis to become a relunctant secessionist, while ignoring our own cultural problems that are far worse and grandiose in scope. Modern day/ post-modern historians cannot grasp the larger picture of history. Their worldview does not allow for such truth gazing. F. Allen does a supurb job of showing us a Davis who was triumphant, depressed,ultimately defeated, caring for Negros, and a dedicated Episcopalian who knew who his Saviour was. Many of J. Davis' associates supported gradual emancipation (Bishop Meade of Va and Bishop Leonidas Polk) as to help assimulate the Negro into society. The Northern invasion of the South precluded any such cultural assimilation to take place. Read this book- It is partisan, but isn't every historian coming to work the task of history with his/her presuppositions? F. Allen is not ashamed of this and her logical conclusions about the man and his times is as accurate as a historian can get. Cheers for independent scholars who have not abdicated the task of passing story to fellow countrymen!

No comments about German Fighter Ace Walter Nowotny: An Illustrated Biography.

5 comments about Quantrill of Missouri: The Making of a Guerrilla Warrior--The Man, the Myth, the Soldier.

1. From a woman's point of view this book was fascinating reading. Mr. Petersen's book is by far the best book yet written about William Clarke Quantrill. Not only his new insights but his understanding and experience as a combat veteran enables Petersen to give the reader a clear understanding why guerrillas fought so desperately. For the first time a complete account has been compiled written in a clear and easy-to-read style professionally edited and produced by a leading publisher. Reviews by critics who claim their self ascribed knowledge, is immaterial compared to someone who has done years of research and has tangible proof to show for it. Critics who once lamblasted Quantrill's men were labeled as unqualified and irresponsible. Modern reviewers lacking education or credentials are still critical of anything not demonizing Quantrill by showing their bitterness and mean-spiritness in what Petersen has expertly portrayed in his new book. One man with courage makes a majority and I'm glad Petersen had the determination and fortitude to see this work put into print. It should set a new standard for books about the border war in Missouri.



2. I have done extensive reading and research on this topic over the last decade and this is the most well researched, complete, and accurate account that exists today. If you are looking for a book that just re-enforces your already preconceived notions - then try something much shorter and less well done. Otherwise I would highly recommend it to those looking for a complete, accurate, and well researched account. It is probably much more of a neutral view than a souther view. Since most of the related history that I have found has been an extreme "slant" on history by Northen side of the war, who got to control how history was recorded, this may appear to be a southern view. If you have researched this topic as much as I have done, it will appear as probably one of the few attempts at accurately recording this most difficult time in the history of the mid-west.



3. The author seems bent on tipping the balance from the negative portrayal of previous biographers such as Connelly to the extreme opposite. Indeed, this weighty tome seems to be not much more than a response to Connelly's biography at the expense of objectivity. William Quantrill may not have been the devil incarnate but he was also no saint. The author seems to put a lot of stock into "God-fearing people" who followed Quantrill as if to impute their righteousness to him - instead of guilt by association it is the equally unjustified righteousness by association. In the end we are given not an historical biography but an idolatrous apologetic of the Confederate guerrilla leader.
   
   As a biography, this portrayal in an attitude of deep reverance for the subject only perpetuates the neo-Confederate myth. The same fault makes it untrustworthy as a political or military history. Perhaps the value is in it's adoption and example of the Confederate apologetic method. Truly the Confederate side of the history has been vilified to an unfair degree outside the context of the times. But countering the vilification with the opposite extreme does not provide balance. It only makes the Confederate side seem ludicrous and makes one question the purpose for their fight altogether rather than explaining the background of the conflict.
   
   The fact that the text seems a response only to anti-Confederate biographers is evidenced further by little mention of more balanced biographies such as _The Devil Knows How to Ride_ by Edward Leslie. I would highly recommend that book for a more balanced approach. I was pleased to find that many of the works of Mr. Donald Hale and Ms. Joanne Eakin are identified as sources since I have found their work very helpful in my own study of the guerrilla war in Missouri. Their research has led them to gather many of the primary and secondary sources into collections for publication into single volumes. It is a labor of love for them that will help current and future researchers immensely in this study.
   
   In contrast to the portrayal given in the text, the photographs and maps provided are first rate and help to place the reader in the context of the time.



4. If you want to know what William Clarke Quantrill was really like, then this is THE book for you. Petersen really did his homework, questioned all the assumptions closely and paid attention to the answers he got back. This is the story of the War Between the States from the Missouri Point of View. Quantrill is shown for the hero he was instead of the psychopath his detractors have painted him to be (without substantiation, I might add.)



5. My wife bought me two new books for Christmas. They are:
   
   Petersen, Paul R -- Quantrill of Missouri : the making of a guerilla warrior : the man, the myth, the soldier; and
   
   O'Flaherty, Daniel -- General Jo Shelby : undefeated rebel.
   
   I just finished reading Petersen's book last night. I had heard a lot about the book before from Missouri Civil War online discussion groups to which I belong. Due to my family history, I have a very personal interest in Quantrill. Events in my life have led me to have a very emotional response to Petersen's book.
   
   Before getting into my personal reaction to the book, I would like to say that it is very well written and very well researched. The only other book I have read about Quantrill was Edward E Leslie's: "The Devil Knows How to Ride : The True Story of William Clarke Quantrill and His Confederate Raiders." If one reads one of these books, it might be a good idea to read the other to get a more balanced view. If you haven't seen "Ride With the Devil", it might be worth your time to watch it.
   
   Petersen gives much more detail then Leslie. He has clearly read many sources and accounts of the career of Captain Quantrill. Quantrill's career is surrounded by controversy. Petersen resolutely takes one side. I tend to believe that no one can ever know "the truth" about Quantrill.
   
   I tend to doubt his claim that he had only been a Jayhawker to get revenge against Jayhawkers who had attacked him and killed his "brother." My view of Quantrill was that he was attracted to the life of a partisan, and the side made little difference. His story makes much more sense if it is seen as a way to gain the trust and confidence of the Bushwhackers he later joined and led. Petersen consistently refers to "Colonel" Quantrill, although that title is very much in question.
   
   One of my reasons for reading this book was to get more information about the lives of my ancestors who lived through the events. My McFerrin and Porter ancestors lived in Cass County, about ten miles east of Harrisonville. The Porter's lived near Dayton, which was burnt by Jennison's Jayhawkers, led by Susan B Anthony's brother, early in The War. The McFerrin's lived on Eight Mile Creek. Three couples of McFerrin and Porter children married each other. They also lived in the area. Samuel Burton McFerrin, on whom my SCV membership is based, served first in the 8th Battalion Missouri Infantry (State Guard). He and his father were at Lone Jack. Burton later served in the 9th Missouri Confederate Infantry, against Banks on the Red River, and against Steele in the Camden Expedition.
   
   My Deay and Vitt ancestors lived about fifty miles away in Eudora, Kansas, about seven miles west of Lawrence. Some of them enlisted in Kansas regiments after Quantrill's raid on Lawrence. During that raid, Quantrill sent a company to Eudora. The farmers in Eudora had heard the sounds of the battle. They were armed when Quantrill's raiders attacked, and turned them away. The children of William H Musick, on whom my SUV membership is based, married into the Deay and Vitt families. Members of William's regiment served under Steele in the Camden Expedition. My great-great-grandmother, Lena Vogel, was born in 1863 in Macon, Missouri, about thirty miles north of Centralia.
   
   Due to these family connections, I have a very personal interest in the events of the Kansas/Missouri War. I received my Master of Divinity degree from Thomas Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley, California. This is a Unitarian Universalist seminary. Starr King was a Universalist. He is credited with keeping California in the Union. He was a colleague of Theodore Parker, the Unitarian minister who agitated for war against the South. Parker was a member of "The Secret Six" who raised money for John Brown. My deep personal feelings against Parker may be the main reason I did not pursue a Unitarian ministry.
   
   Unlike Paul Petersen, I cannot make a hero of Quantrill or Bill Anderson. I place these two in the same group with James H Lane, Charles Jennison, and Theodore Parker. These are people who chose War and killing as a way to advance their personal agendas. I do not see any of these as being the "protectors" of either branch of my family. I see them as being the reason that my family's lives were terrorized. I very much blame both Quantrill and Jennison for the fact that my ancestors' homes were burnt to the ground, and that they were forced into exile or concentration camps.