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Return to Bull Run: The Campaign and Battle of Second Manassas
written by John Hennessy
Studio : Simon & Schuster
by Simon & Schuster
Publisher : Simon & Schuster
Released : 1992-11-01
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Number of Items : 1
EAN : 9780671793685
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 20 reviews)
List Price : $27.50
Our Price : $22.00
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Product Description |
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A comprehensive examination of the Second Manassas Campaign chronicles Lee's army, describing Stonewall Jackson, James Longstreet, and others. 15,000 first printing. |
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Ben Richardson's review |
Do you like books about the Civil War, military tactics, or just the second Battle of Bull Run? Then this book is for you. This is a complete analysis of the second Battle of Bull Run. This battle has been overlooked by history and never been told so completely before this book.
The book starts out with Edward Pope filling the empty general's position for the army of North Virginia for the Union. He decides to move the army from the Potomic to confront Lee, the comander of the army of Virginia, for the South. Lee decides to send his top general, Stonewall Jackson, on a flanking manuver around the Union lines to attack the Union from the rear. When Jackson and his 25,000 men make their way around, they take supply depots and set up defensive positions at the Union rear. Lee then sent another general, Longstreet and 12,000 men to follow behind Jackson. Pope was convinced he needed to attack Jackson and sent his troops to attack. The next day Pope sends the bulk of his army to attack Jackson. Jackson held his ground and repelled Pope. The next day Longstreet met up with Jackson. They combined their forces and mounted a counterattck agianst Pope and forced his army to retreat.
If you like books that are about the Civil War, read this book. It is a comprhensive guide of the second Battle of Manassas, in depth, and included maps. It not a very easy read. The book contains 600 pages and has medium sized font. This book is what I consider to be more of a guy book because it deals with war, killing, and military tactics.
This book is a great account of a underappreciated Civil War battle. If the Union had won, the war could have been over much earlier and lives wouldn't have had to be wasted. If you are an avid Civil War buff or have just begun to have an interest in the Civil War, this book is for you.
Ben Richardson |
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Responsibility |
At first glance, John Hennessy provides an excellent account of the Second Bull Run campaign. He draws on copious primary and secondary sources and crafts a very readable narrative, often clarifying what can be a very confusing campaign to follow. While not absolving the Lincoln administration, Henry Halleck and George McClellan for the Union fiasco, Hennessy believes the chief responsibility for the failed campaign rests on John Pope.
But there is one huge problem here. Hennessy ignores almost everything John Pope wrote about the campaign. This is very odd. Hennessy looked at an impressive number of primary sources. He looked at a number of articles from the "National Tribune." Oddly enough he never looked at any of Pope's articles from the Tribune. While Pope often refered to the OR, he did offer some insight on his motives and decisions. This undermines a great deal of Hennessy's book. For example, Pope wrote a great deal about Banks attacking Jackson at Cedar Mountain and what the exact orders were. Hennessy blithely ignores this and much other material.
Since Hennessy goes out of his way to trash Pope, this is a major factor in evaluating the book. Pope may well have been a scoundrel full of bravado. He may well have been an incompetent commander. But Pope, like all other commanders, deserves to have his say. The fact that Hennessy feels compelled to ignore Pope's records is disturbing to say the least.
Can you write an account of the Overland campaign without consulting the assorted writings and musings of Grant or Lee? Of course not and the fact that Hennessy chose to ignore the writings of the chief Union commander of the Second Manassas campaign is appalling and frankly undermines the credability of the book. |
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Worthy Effort of a Great Campaign |
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Rarely in the past few years has a campaign study been published that has been as good as John Hennessy's "Return to Bull Run: The Campaign and Battle of Second Manassas." Expertly researched and well written the author knows his subject, and draws the reader in with the first page. This was one of the most interesting campaigns in the eastern theater. High drama prevailed from the very start. Jackson's performance is well documented and Hennessy does a very good job of describing his effort and those of his men as they marched around Pope's flank. Freeman's Ford, the attack on Mannassas Junction, Brawner's Farm, the railroad cut, the annihilation of the 5th New York, it's all here and extemely well done. A very fine book in every way. |
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Excellent Book |
I was impressed by this book's flowing description. One time I sat down to read a bit, and next thing I knew, three hours had passed!
I would highly reccomend this to anyone interested in the Second Manassas campaign.
On a downside, the maps, though common, are hard to read in places, and it is hard to tell the woods from the open land.... |
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Cant imagine a better rendition of this campaign |
This is the quality of book that will make anyone wishing to write a book on this campaign/battle drop the idea.
Hennessy has blended the facts, personal accounts, maps, and analysis splendidly....one is never over served in any area.
Being detailed work, regimental positioning (something I enjoy)is here for the taking. The maps are of a quality that in conjunction with the regimental movement information, this book could serve as a guide for a battlefield visit. Having read this book after reading Kricks "Stonewall Jackson at Cedar Mountain", I am thankful that we can draw on the workmanship of such fine students of the WBTS.
This battle sets up the Antietam Campaign and this book should be read previous to that study. The North doesnt want to talk much about this battle, understandably, and perhaps this is why it hasnt received much attention. Lee makes his largest charge of the war (Longstreet on 8/30/62) which reveals the magnitude of this battle. |
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