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This Terrible Sound: THE BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA (Civil War Trilogy)
written by Peter Cozzens
Studio : University of Illinois Press
by University of Illinois Press
Publisher : University of Illinois Press
Released : 1996-11-01
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Number of Items : 1
EAN : 9780252065941
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 19 reviews)
List Price : $29.95
Our Price : $18.74
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Product Description |
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This is a main selection of the History Book Club. "Expertly renders the furious ebb and flow of the two-day battle, capturing both the evolving strategies of each side and the horrendous experience of the fight...[This book] is built upon a bonanza of primary research, with the author having combed hundreds of diaries, letters, memoirs, interviews, official reports and regimental histories. The individual voices and the rich experiences they represent are unforgettably presented here." - "New York Times Book Review". |
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Another great book |
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This is another great book in the civil war series. Each of the three books do not need to be read in order. Worth your money. |
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Detailed Study of the Last Confedeate Great battle |
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Cozzens provide an enormous study of the great bloody battle of Chickamauga that was the last great offensive, although costsly, victory by the Confederates. This was virtually the Gettsburg of the west as Confedrates use interior, although dilapidated, rail road lines to transport reinforcements from Lee's army (Longstreet's corp) and troops from the gulf to battle Rosecran's Army of the Cumberland while bracing for potential reinforcement from Burnside's 9th corp residing in Knoxville. The story starts with the facinating cast of charcters on both sides but particularly with the Confederates with a number of officers of high rank (D. H. Hill), those of former independent command (Buckner), a confident corp commander from the ANV (Longstreet) and the troublesome Bishop Polk all commanded by the offensive minded but physicaly taxed Bragg. Bragg who seems to lack any ability to get along with anyone creates a stupendous dysfunctional environment. Cozzens does well in identifying the masterpiece of manuver that Roasecran's engineers in spite o the terrian to displace Bragg that forces him out of Chattanooga and puts him on the defensive. The battle is told very well by Cozzens although in a micromatic detail that is very informative but makes this book more appropriate for the serious CW student or historian. For anyone who has visisted the Chickamauga battlefield it is not easy to visualize as one can Gettysburg because of its separated fields with large sections of intermingling woods. Thus the two days of violent attacks often break down into seperate brigade battles as divisons get entangled in brush or lose sense of direction. Cozzens provides plenty of maps but generally on a small scale to give you division, brigade and regiment familiarity of the attacks. But to maintain a good sense of what is ocurring throughout the 530 page text (not counting indexes, unit descriptions or notes), it helps greatly to have additional maps, as one reviewer noted, that provide a broad overlook of the battle. I used the National Park Service's "The Battle of Chickamauga magazine" to assist in getting a better sense of where the units were and to better comprehend Cozzens many maps that show a smaller field of battle. Cozzens provides numerous biographies while running through the action much like Harry W. Pfanz's Gettysburg series that sometimes causing a less vigilant reader to lose focus on what is happening. I did appreciate the frequent discussion of the wounded and first hand accounts of men that describe the horrors of battle posed by 58 and 69 caliber balls, cannister and solid shot. The book includes great decriptions of the unique units such as Union Wilder's mounted infantry armed with spencer repeaters and an infantry unit on horseshoe ridge armed with colt rifles with interchanagable pistol like 6 shot cylinders. The story of Wood's decision to remove his division to comply with non-sensical orders in the face of the enemy that sets up the catastrophic breakthrough by Longstreet is fascinating and one of the more oddities of the war. And of course Cozzens describes well Thomas' amazing ability to hold on to the left wing on good ground, with timely reinforcements and incredulous fighting by all his units keeps the battle from being a total complete and devastating rout. Although critical of the various commanders, particular the south's generals, I found Cozzens reasonable in his criticism but not extreme. Communications on a field such as Chickamauga were difficult with failures by both sides were made due to terrain, modern expectations can often be unreasonable under those conditions. Other interesting notes, Asst. Secretary Dana was a spy for Stanton and referred to by some in command as a "pimp" and future President James Garfield acting as chief of staff to Rosecrans is well documented as an undermining self serving scab. Cozzen's completes his last chapter with the reprecussions on both sides that ironicaly impairs the victorious Confederates more than the Union. For a less studious student of the CW, I would recommend another less detail book as an introduction. Although Glen Tucker's book has some flaws and is dated to a degree, he tells a fluent description of ther battle. Tucker's book is still on the shelves of the Chickamauga NPS book store. |
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This Terrible Sound |
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Well written, with excellent maps/diagrams showing locations of various units over time. Lots of military facts but also insight into indvidual soldier's lives. |
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Fantastic Military History Book |
I've read it twice, and it might just be the best Civil War book I ever read. Maps are clear, crisp, and totally tie into what you're reading. Whenever I felt a map was needed, there it seemed to be a page or two ahead.
Just a note: like someone else said, it's detailed. Not for the casual person who just wants to read about the human element. This is a detailed account of the movements of regiments, brigades, divisions. But all the same, it's not a dry book either. That's what makes it one of the best i've ever read.
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To hear and smell a battle |
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I have read several books of the battle of Chickamauga, but none as factual and well researched as "This Terrible Sound". This is by far the best factual account I have read that I would recommend to all serious civil war students. |
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