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The Battle of Resaca: Atlanta Campaign, 1864 (Civil War Georgia)
written by Philip L. Secrist
Studio : Mercer University Press
by Mercer University Press
Publisher : Mercer University Press
Released : 1998-05
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Number of Items : 1
EAN : 9780865546011
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 5 reviews)
List Price : $20.00
Our Price : $59.00
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A little dissapointing |
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Apparently this is the only book available on the Battle of Resaca, and for that I am grateful. But the book left me confused as the the flow of battle. Some better and more detailed maps would have helped, with units located a little better. I just never got a good feel for what happened there. He mentions advanced Confederate lines in front of the main line, but fails to position these on the map. He mentions the dismissal of Union General Judah, but leaves it at that, with no follow up. The author uses the same map and corresponding unit movement arrows for the 1st day as the second. So did the Confederates attack over the exact same ground? I'm sure Dr. Secrist is an expert on the battle, he just didn't keep in mind that most reading his book would not be, and he left out lots of explanitory details. Why did the Confederates choose Resaca to make a stand? Why didn't Sherman just choose to expand the Lay Ferry bridgehead? I do agree with him totally that Sherman was not a great tactical commander. But the victors always get to write the history don't they? |
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Fair value |
This book has two very distinct parts that complement each other and together make a small book.
Part one is a magazine article containing a standard battle history. While well written, I could feel the effort that went into making it fit the mold. The maps and illustrations as reproduced in the book are almost unreadable. The addition of two multi-color pages of maps help but do not fully cover the action. This made it almost impossible to follow the battle as I frequently tried to locate the map and the place on it. The author is determined that Sherman is a poor battle commander and never misses a chance to point this out. At Resaca, like many battles the plan was not what happened, some was Sherman's fault but the reader can figure that out.
Part two is a history of the battlefield. This is a labor of love for the author and he does a very good job here. Preservation is a problem and we see what is being done, how it can be done and why we need to do more. The photographs here add real value to the book.
This is not a bad book nor is it a good one. You are getting fair value for your money and a good overview of the battle and the battle to preserve the field. It is not a great small battle book and I feel it could be better.
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Brief Overview of Resaca |
As I usually point out in cases like this, Mr. Secrist's book is the only one to focus specifically on the Battle of Resaca. In this early fight of the Atlanta Campaign, Secrist believes Sherman had a great chance to trap and destroy Johnston's Army of Tennessee, thus ending the campaign before it had hardly begun. Instead, says Secrist, Sherman failed and doomed his Army to a long journey before they reached Atlanta. The book is rather thin at 102 pages, especially when one considers that only Part I (the first 65 pages of the book) is a narrative of the battle. Part II consists of the Battlefield from the end of the battle through today, with an emphasis on relic hunting and preservation efforts. The maps are average. On the plus side we have topographical lines on the standard maps, but these maps are of the Resaca area today. However, since the land has changed so little since 1864 (aside from the construction of I-75 directly through it!), this is not necessarily a large minus. The troop positions leave something to be desired on the standard maps. Sherman's and Johnston's lines are drawn as one large line, with Corps (and sometimes Divisions) marked off in a vague manner. Secrist does include other maps taken from the Official Records Atlas, but these are pretty small and a little difficult to read. On a lot of pages, text ends early, so this book is really even shorter than the listed 102 pages. On the plus side, Secrist is well-qualified to write the book. He has been studying the Resaca Battlefield since 1958, and is a noted relic hunter. I enjoyed his writing style. The book was definitely not a tedious read. All in all, though, The Battle of Resaca was too short for my taste. It just did not contain enough detail, and only whetted my appetite for more detailed discussion. Sadly, a more detailed discussion does not exist.
102 pp., 12 maps |
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One Of The Best! |
I have read the Battle of Resaca by Philip Secrist and I highly recommend this book for the serious student of the Battle of Resaca.
Dr. Secrist has done an outstanding job by going into more detail than is normal for a Civil War book. The maps are great and are drawn so that even the novice can find the sites. Secrist brings up-to-date what is happening to Resaca at the present time. I found in the book why that there were certain parts of the battlefield that I couldn't locate. Well worth the price! |
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Live the battle. |
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Ideal book for a Civil War buff. Take it with you if you visit the site. Written accounts from the soldiers that stormed across the hills put you in the moment. Several good maps and even pictures taken a few days after the battle help take you out of your living room and into the past. |
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