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Summary: Outstanding Overview of the Pivotal Battle of the Civil War
Review: If you asked most Americans what was the turning point of the Civil War (assuming, of course, that the ones you asked knew there was a war between the states) they would probably say "Gettysburg". James M. MacPherson, professor of history at Princeton, develops the case that the one-day battle in September 1862 near Sharpsburg, MD was the pivotal event of the Civil War. This is the bloodiest day of war experienced by American troops. The union commander, "Little Mac", let the opportunity to shatter the Army of Northern Virginia slip away for the second time, the first being when he was just five miles from Richmond during the earlier Pennisular Campaign. It caused Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation freeing the slaves (although only in the Confederate States). Probably kept the Republicans in control of both houses of Congress after the 1862 election. And, perhaps most importantly, decided the issue of recognition of the Confederacy for the British and French. This book is an overview of the events leading up to the battle at Antietam Creek and it focuses on the socio-political background at the time. Military history buffs who prefer to read minute details of battles and campaigns will find this book lacking. However, one cannot analyze warfare without understanding what lead up to the use of armed force. This is a concise, must read for those interested in the second most important war our nation has ever fought.
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Summary: Antietam "mini-history" not lacking in quality...
Review: James McPherson has again managed to combine military and political Civil War history into one great volume and,in this case, in a sort of "reader's digest" version that lacks neither quality nor insight. This short volume is a part of the new "Pivotal Moments in American History" series and succeeds overwhelmingly in portraying the battle, what led to it and the political/social climate of mid-1862. McPherson packs an amazing amount of information into this short (about 153 pages of text)book while still maintaining readability...the military situation leading up the initial Confederate invasion of Maryland is summarized well, as is with the on-going International maneuvering for Confederate government recognition. In fact, the strength of this work (in my opinion) is the International climate and how the Confederate ambassadors probed for the all-important foreign assistance that never came. McPherson shows actually how close they came to achieving this milestone and discusses how this would have changed the outcome of the conflict...this was something that wasn't covered as well in his Pulitzer Prize winning "Battle Cry of Freedom" and is a welcome addition here. The political and social issues that led to the Emancipation Proclamation are overlayed with numerous newspaper and diary entries from the "everyday" people that place this important development in context with the ever changing face of the military actions...Lincoln struggled to find the right timing to issue the Proclamation and McPherson gives an excellent account of that struggle. The only critique I'd mention is that the build up to the actual battle at Sharpsburg led me to believe that we'd get a detailed analysis of the battle...actually the battle is only in summary form and was a minor letdown (I'll need to read the Stephen Sears account "Landscape Turned Red" to get the details I'm after I suppose). In summary, this is an excellent short summary of the early battles of the Civil War and a surprisingly comprehensive political discussion of that era and I would recommend it highly.
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Summary: Indictment of General McClellan.
Review: "Antietam" by James M. McPherson. Sub-titled, " The Battle That changed The Course Of The Civil War". Oxford University Press, 2002. As so many of the 53+ reviewers have noted, this book is NOT a blow by blow account of the Battle of Antietam, September 17, 1862, the bloodiest single day in American history. Many of those friendly reviewers suggested other books which give an account of the actual battle, itself. The author, the noted Historian James M. McPherson, spent much of the front part of the book developing the political, military and international situation just prior to the Battle of Antietam. The condition of the Union was far bleaker than I had realized. President Abraham Lincoln seized on any success, even the slight and scanty success of Antietam, to promulgate his Emancipation Proclamation. But, what I would like to point out is that McPherson's book is a scathing indictment of the actions of Union General, George Brinton McClellan, (1826-1885). McClellan was certainly the most controversial of the Union generals. He ran against President Lincoln in the election of 1864. When I was working on my MA, History, at Bridgewater State, the joking comment in the Civil War class was that , after Robert E. Lee, General McClellan was the best general that the Confederacy had. If , in the modern Gulf War, a modern Army general had done one-tenth of the things that McPherson wrote about McClellan (e.g. hold back his reserve troops when needed in battle), then that modern General surely have been found guilty by a court-martial. So, if you are ever required to write a paper on the failings of McClellan, take it from this book.
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Summary: Another Masterpiece from the Dean of Civil War Historians!
Review: Dr. McPherson is unmatched in writing highly readable books which at the same time manifest an unparalleled academic knowledge of Civil War sources. This book reads as well as his Pulitzer prize-winning "Battle Cry of Freedom" (the best one volume history of the Civil War), and simultaneously reflects the highest level of expertise. While other books treat the battle of Antietam itself in far greater detail (e.g., "Landscape Turned Red," by Stephen Sears), no other work goes into such detail on the reaction in Northern, Southern, and European newspapers to the events before and after the battle. The author sets the context for Sharpsburg by reviewing battles leading up to Lee's invasion of the north and the resulting bloodiest day in American history. The politics of the Confederacy's seeking British recognition, the economics of King Cotton, the politics of slavery and auspicious timing of the Emancipation Proclamation, the mid-term election of 1862--this background and aftermath of the battle are analyzed comprehensively with a thoroughness not found elsewhere. I'm not a historian, but a serious buff who has read hundreds of Civil War books. There are only two authors on the recent unpleasantness whose books I haven't been able to put down once opening the cover. One is Bruce Catton, who captured the romanticism of the common soldier; the other is James McPherson, who writes clear, succint prose reflecting the deepest levels of scholarship. After Battle Cry of Freedom, this book is his best work, and is a must for readers who want to understand the social and political context of this most intensely violent of American battles.
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Summary: Fascinating & Flawed
Review: If you've never read a book on the momentous clash of arms that took place at Sharpsburg in 1862, then you should read this book to get the basic overall picture. But be forewarned: it's a VERY basic picture. Of the 156 pages, only about 15 pertain to the actual battle of Antietam. Apparently Dr. McPherson had a deadline he had to meet and had to hastily throw in the very event that the title of the books claims to explain in order to meet it. The introduction to the political and military picture in both North and South preceding the battle is probably the best you'll find in any Civil War book. McPherson makes events that most buffs already know about seem fresh and new due to his remarkable talent to concisely explain things. And if you hold to the popular opinion that the Southern Confedracy was one big Klan rally, then you'll especially enjoy Jim's barely-concealed bias against the South. Several times the author makes it clear that if Lee's army had won, "freedom" (which he fails to define) would be lost forever. But this can be forgiven, because those of us who've read Dr. McPherson before know what to expect and have developed a talent for skipping through the Lincoln-worshipping propaganda and getting straight to the good stuff. And there's plenty of good stuff contained herein. I heartily reccomend this book to all Civil War buffs and those with a passing interest in history. The writing is superb, many fascinating firsthand accounts are used, and the overall picture is given in a manner that is short, yet sufficient. Just don't heap any more hatred on us Southerners after you read it!
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Summary: A look at the causes and effects of the battle of Antietam
Review: In this short book, James McPherson attempts to explain why Antietam (or Sharpsburg, as the South called it) was such a crucial battle. Far from being just a look at the battle itself, this book explores the causes of the battle, the events leading up to it, and the ramifications of the Union 'victory' achieved after the battle. The most notable effect of the battle was the Emancipation Proclamation, which Lincoln had been waiting for a victory to issue and which kept Europe out of the war. McPherson, as always, presents an engaging narrative and some very useful and appropriate commentary, as well as a very helpful interpretation.
The principal drawback of this book, in my opinion, is that so little of it actually focuses on the battle. In fact, only one chapter is devoted to it, and details are often somewhat sparse. I see the need to build up to the battle and explain why it was so important, but I would have really liked to see an in-depth look at the battle with McPherson's great analysis to accompany it. McPherson points out that, though the Union won, the battle was far from being as decisive as it should have been. I wish the idea that the potential gains of the battle were not realized due to the North's inability to follow up on the victory could have been better developed.
Those who have read McPherson's great work The Battle Cry of Freedom will find that much of this book is similar in nature to that larger volume. It seems that this book was intended as a brief look at a part of the Civil War, and not as an in-depth study of this particular battle. In that capacity I think it serves the purpose very well.
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Summary: Great brief history of Antietam
Review: McPherson, one of the best Civil War writers alive, proves with this book that you don't need to write 500 pages to convey the horror of this battle. This is a great little book, which tells the story of the bloodiest day in American history. I would recommend any of his Civil War books. For a more in-depth look at the battle, try reading "Landscape Turned Red," by Stephen Sears, but if you just want a quick read to get an appreciation for what happened that day this is the book you want to read.
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Summary: Pivotal history moment, not a detailed battle account
Review: This book does not provide a detailed account of the civil war battle at Antietam creek, but attempts to pinpoint a crucial moment in history. The greater part of the book discusses events leading up to the Battle at Antietam Creek (Three and half chapters). It then focuses briefly on the Antietam battle and describes the significant political events closely following the battle (4th and 5th Chapters). Had the South won overwhelmingly on the battlefield AND in the media's description of the battle, then the liklihood of England joining the Confederate forces and the North then sueing for peace was a distinct possibility. This is the most salient point of the book and it is justly supported. Having read Nevins "War for the Union" a four volume set covering the length of the war from nearly every angle, but that of the combatants; And having read several other books dealing exclusively with combatants and battles; reading Crossroads seemed pointless. For those who are well versed in the Civil War, the book is redundant and watered-down during most pages. I was thinking as I read, "yes, I already know this, but get to the point, you know, the Crossroads to Freedom." For a reader who has little to no Civil War knowledge the book will give a quick, enjoyable introduction to the first few years of the war, but what about the next two years? There are other books just as readable and entertaining that cover the entirity of the war and seem more appropriate for a newcomer to this fascinating period of United State history. Better to condense this book into one chapter and fill the remainder of the chapters with other condrums (what ifs? and the importance of). Or perhaps add three more chapters and leave blank pages for Southern Army enthusiasts to write at pleasure. I can see it now... Chapter Six - (title) Them English Enter the War with the South... (following paragraphs) then them Royal Marines flank the Army of the Potomac on the left, whilst Forrest's Cavalry goes a galloping around to the right, and Stonewall surrounds them all, whilst McClellan pulls his hair and wails "I must have me some reinforcements!" Perhaps "Crossroads" is of significant scholarly value, as the editor points out at the beginning of the book, yet the major points seem awash with anecdotes and unrelated details. The book did not come across as a serious scholarly endeavor, but more like cliff notes.
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Summary: classic McPherson
Review: For a complete narrative of the battle itself, readers will want to consult another work--perhaps Sears' Landscape Turned Red. But for a brief treatment of Antietam that places it in its larger context and argues for its significance as the war's turning point, this is the work. And at that, McPherson succeeds, bringing his characteristically broad brush and keen storytelling skills to bear. Antietam, says McPherson, played a pivotal role for the morale of the armies (the Union had just come off a particularly bad run of defeats, for example), for the elections of 1862 (in which Republicans lost some ground, as well as gained some, but could have done far worse had Antietam not turned out as it did), for the issue of the Emancipation Proclamation, and for diplomacy, particularly international recognition of Southern independence. On this last point, McPherson's argument is especially convincing. Even in the two weeks following the battle and preceding the arrival of the news in London, the British government was probably as close as it would ever come to recognizing the Confederacy--a possibility Antietam permanently removed. Had any number of things gone differently (for instance, the Special Orders No. 191 affair), Antietam could well have been the South's Saratoga (which eighty-five years earlier had secured the French alliance for the revolutionaries of Seventy-Six). Instead, the Army of Northern Virginia was turned back, even if McClellan did not pursue it for the rout. And that made all the difference.
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Summary: awesome
Review: ... This book gives the Civil War enthusiast much to think about in relation to the past and the present. I absolutely recommend it. ...
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