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Mosby's Rangers
written by Jeffry D. Wert
Studio : Simon & Schuster
by Simon & Schuster
Publisher : Simon & Schuster
Released : 1991-09-15
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Number of Items : 1
EAN : 9780671747459
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 15 reviews)
List Price : $16.00
Our Price : $3.67
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Product Description |
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No single battalion was more feared during the Civil War than the 43rd Battalion of Virginia Cavalry, better known as "Mosby's Rangers". Here, in vivid and fascinating detail, is the most authoritative account of the Rangers' infamous adventures, written by a prize-winning historian. ". . . recommended for nearly any Civil War collection".--Booklist. 16 pages of photographs. |
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Americancivilwar.com Review |
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Confederate cavalry leader John Mosby is among the most romantic characters in the Civil War, and with good reason. From 1863 to the end of the conflict, Mosby's raiders were a constant headache for the North. Although more than 1,000 men served under Mosby, they usually acted in small detachments of several dozen, sacking supply depots, attacking railroads, and harassing federal troops. They seemed to move behind enemy lines almost at will, and in what is perhaps their most celebrated exploit, a handful of them led by Mosby himself rode into Fairfax Station, Virginia, in the dead of the night and kidnapped a Union general. When they were not on missions, Mosby's riders simply melted into the countryside, finding safe haven in the homes of sympathetic civilians. Theirs was a guerilla war. The frustrated North eventually assigned a special contingent of cavalry to combat them, and a price was ultimately put on Mosby's head. Nobody reined him in, however, and his command enjoyed the proud distinction of never having formally surrendered to the bluecoats. Shortly after Appomattox, Mosby simply disbanded his unit. This is another fine book from the prolific Civil War historian Jeffry D. Wert, who hardly could have picked a more intriguing subject. --John J. Miller |
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Disappointed |
This is the first effort by Mr. Wert that I did not enjoy.
Perhaps a misconception on my part, but I thought this would offer more of a biography of Mosby.I had A hard time with the book it jumped around so. |
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Best of Mosby |
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Jeffry Wert's book on John Mosby's adventures reads like a great novel. It carries the action along while fleshing out the main characters, and gives vivid discriptions of the places of "Mosby Confederacy." Just an outstanding effort and Wert is to be praised. I have read all of the books on Mosby and while the others are good, this one was the most entertaining. It is well researched (as are all of Wert's books), and the author does excellent job of describing the events that brought home the Civl War to the people of Loudoun and Fauquier counties in Virginia. |
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Fair and Balanced |
Jeffry Wert came to his subject about as objectively as is possible in such matters. He was not afraid to point out Mosby's weaknesses - and he had them - but neither was he afraid to trumpet his strengths which were considerably more numerous and important than his weaknesses.
John Mosby - in Wert's own words - was the 'most lethal man' about whom the author had ever written and yet, Mosby's 'lethality' is not that of other 'notorious guerrillas and bushwhackers' who fought for the Confederacy, men like Quantrill, Anderson and Ferguson. Rather, his was constrained, premeditated and intellectual in nature; Mosby was no bestial monster who killed in the red rage of sectional hatred. As long as Union soldiers were fighting against him, Mosby - and his men - did not hesitate to kill - and they did it very well indeed! However, once a soldier or a command had surrendered, he immediately embraced that behavior considered honorable in wartime - so much so, in fact,that some of his best friends after the war were officers whom he had captured. Only in two instances did Mosby fight 'under the black flag' - that is, with no prisoners being taken. The first involved the understanding by Mosby's command that they were to kill all troops involved in the destruction of civilian property. The second occurred when Mosby was forced (very much against his will) to engage in retaliation for the hanging and shooting of six of his men at Front Royal and the later hanging of another of his men who had been captured. Mosby believed that unless he responded in kind ('measure for measure' as he himself said) his men would be treated as outlaws and not soldiers when captured. Interestingly enough, in the latter instance, Mosby made sure to get permission to retaliate by going up through the chain of command, requesting the 'blessing' of both Lee and Secretary of War Seddon - which he got. He also chose by lot seven men under Custer and Lowell, the commands that had been responsible for the lynching and shooting of his men.
Wert gives us a 'fair and balanced' picture of the man who became the 'patron saint' of today's Special Forces, a man so far ahead of his time strategically that he was often considered a thief and an outlaw by his own side and whose impact on the war was far greater than the size of his command or the limited area in which he fought would indicate. At the same time, however, Wert does not make Mosby into some legendary figure who could have single-handedly rescued the Confederacy if only things had been just slightly different. And yet, it is well to remember that it was Robert E. Lee who, upon hearing of one of Mosby's earliest exploits said, 'Hurrah for Mosby! I wish I had a hundred of him!' Who knows what Lee could have done had he the services of a hundred men with the vision, acumen and intellect of John Singleton Mosby! |
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Good at the end |
I have to be honest, I almost put the book down half way through. But I gave the author the benefit of the doubt and kept on reading.
I couldn't figure out why Mosby was so "glorified" as a great leader reading this book. Basically all the author described was taking prisoners and stealing horses.
After I read to the last 1/3 of the book the action picks up. Now I know why Mosby is so highly regarded in the "Confederacy".
It turned out to be a good read, and one has to admire the leadership and courage of Mosby, Chapman, Richards, and all his men.
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Colorless. |
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This is not a biography of John Singleton Mosby but rather an analysis of the men under his command. The writer does a fair job outlining Mosby's operations in Northern Virginia, primarily Loudoun, Fairfax and Fauquier counties, so from that point of view it appears well researched. But Wert's prose is flat and somewhat boring. As a result, this is a very difficult book to get into. Better maps might have helped. |
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