|
|
|
|
|
|
The Beleaguered City: The Vicksburg Campaign, December 1862-July 1863 (Modern Library)
written by Shelby Foote
Studio : Modern Library
by Modern Library
Release Date : 1995-08-08
Publisher : Modern Library
Released : 1995-08-08
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Number of Items : 1
EAN : 9780679601708
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 10 reviews)
List Price : $17.95
Our Price : $8.75
|
|
| |
|
Product Description |
|
The companion volume to Stars in Their Courses, this marvelous account of Grant's siege of the Mississippi port of Vicksburg continues Foote's narrative of the great battles of the Civil War--culled from his massive three-volume history--recounting a campaign which Lincoln called "one of the most brilliant in the world." |
| |
|
| |
|
Vicksburg and the Rise of U.S. Grant |
"The Beleaguered City" is an extended excerpt on the Vicksburg Campaign from Shelby Foote's absolutely superb three volume narrative history of the Civil War. The Vicksburg Campaign is a gripping story in its own right, the central dramatic thread of which is Union General U.S. Grant's struggle to capture the great Confederate citadel on the Mississippi.
Grant, stubborn and taciturn, will try a variety of methods to close with and subdue the Confederate forces defending Vicksburg. His initial approaches fail, sometimes spectacularly, and it is only when Grant takes the great risk of cutting loose from his own supply lines to cross the Mississippi river and place his own army between two Confederate forces that he is finally able to place the city under siege. The Vicksburg campaign marks the coming of age of Grant as a mature senior leader, the kind of general who can plan, fight and win campaigns at the operational and strategic level. His success at Vicksburg will lead directly to his summons by Lincoln to lead all Union armies.
This book is highly recommended to the student of the Civil War and to the casual reader looking for an absolutely page-turning account of the Civil War meant to be read as literature. |
| |
|
An Intimate Study of a Crucial Campaign |
As the country experiences the greatest philosophical and political division since the Civil War, I return to study the very bloody war that defined America as a nation. The best way to study this war is through the excellent narrative of Shelby Foote, featured in the acclaimed Civil War documentary by Ken Burns.
Shelby Foote has written infinite volumes about the civil war. However, I wasn't ready to immerse myself into those thick encyclopedia-looking things. Instead, I tried to ease myself with The Beleaguered City, which is an excerpt from these volumes. And it was an excellent choice.
This book, gave me an intimate account of what the seventeen-month campaign was like. From the infinite marches, to the bloody battles, the constant skirmishes, the digging of the trenches, was visualized in front of my eyes to the realization that this was one of the bloodiest campaigns the humanity has ever known.
Foote does a great job with the character development as well. From the worried, on the edge, ready to be labeled a scapegoat Grant, he evolves to the "Unconditional Surrender" Grant. The opposite happens with the Confederate generals, as they go from overly confident winners, to being slaughtered battle after battle.
Vicksburg is the turning point of the Civil War, and Shelby Foote is the present day authority on this war. If you want to really understand what happened during this campaign this is the book to buy. The excellent prose, and wealth of details will make it a fascinating read. |
| |
|
Vicksburg: The Cliff Notes |
This is the same type of feel-good no-footnotes-it-just-crowds-the-page pseudo-history for which fiction writer Shelby Foote is famed. Others have written three volume sets on the Vicksburg Campaign (Bearss), but Shelby Foote seems comfortable boiling it down into a novella. It makes for a nice quick read, but others wishing to get their hands dirty with some real history should opt for Bearss, Grabau (98 Days), Winschel, or Timothy B. Smith (Champion Hill).
|
| |
|
History at its' best |
|
This is, without a doubt, the best book on the seige of Vicksburg that maybe was ever written. Never have I gotten more insight into the heart of Grant as well as a blow by blow description of the problems that befell this Union Army in undertaking what some have called an impossible victory. |
| |
|
Very informative! Just how did Grant take Vicksburg? |
|
For some it may be unclear just how Grant finally took the city of Vicksburg and who to tell it wisely but Shelby Foote! Shelby Foote is probably one of the best authors of the Civil War around and it is certainly easy to understand why in this very informative book! Foote carefully explains all engagements in and around Vicksburg that eventually come to light towards the finish. Every event is descriptively written covering many naval strategies along the Mississippi, Yazoo and other rivers which were of importance to naval affairs of each opposing side. Grants struggles to capture the city are indeed covered by many in depth chapters which cover the naval and land assaults. Also to help build the story, strategic moves in and around the city by Sherman and other generals make it easy to understand the Union grip upon Pemberton towards the end. Another interesting part of this book was about Grant's personal dealings with daily life and how alcohol was a problem. Besides just mentioning movements and battles in this book, condition of troops, officers and citizens of Vicksburg is also presented well. Pemberton's decisions towards the end to surrender easily give the reader a true sense of desparation upon the part of Pemberton to seek help from Johnston for most of the seige which never came. Such writing makes it clear of Pemberton's motives to defend yet finally surrender the city to Union forces as a the stranglehold is built up from the start of the book and to the end! |
| |
|
|
|
