Upton and the Army

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding
Review: As a student of the Civil War, I have read many books about the subject, and this one to me ranks as among the best.

Steven Ambrose is America's best historical biographer and proves it in this outstanding study of Emory Upton, a hero of the Civil War and a brilliant tactician who was the first to recognize the need for new army tactics brought about by the changing technology of the Civil War.

Ambrose covers Upton's full life story, his brilliant tactical evolutions of the War, and his struggle to modernize the Army manual of tactics.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book because it reveals a little known chapter of American Military history and the life of a figure who played a deep, and perhaps not fully appreciated role in it.

Perhaps the best line from the book is General Sherman's description of Emory Upton: "Thoughts are ephemeral, deeds substantial. To unite both requires genius."

The same can be said of Mr. Ambose's work.