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Rating: 
Summary: A Meteor Shines Brightly
Review: A majority of the essays in this book are quite well done, but a few shallow efforts such as Alethea Sayers' quite-clearly poorly researched article leave gaping holes in the text. Cartwright's effort is well-presented and Joselyn's article, while written with readability in mind leaves the reader with more questions than answers. A consistantly written biography of Cleburne would be preferable to this halting, sometimes good, sometimes bad collection.
Rating:
Summary: A Meteor Shines Brightly
Review: A majority of the essays in this book are quite well done, but a few shallow efforts such as Alethea Sayers' quite-clearly poorly researched article leave gaping holes in the text. Cartwright's effort is well-presented and Joselyn's article, while written with readability in mind leaves the reader with more questions than answers. A consistantly written biography of Cleburne would be preferable to this halting, sometimes good, sometimes bad collection.
Rating: 
Summary: Caught between two themes
Review: A Meteor Shining Brightly : Essays on the Life and Career of Major General Patrick R. Cleburne by Mauriel Phillips Joslyn is a collection of numerous essays about the life of Confederate Major General Patrick R. Cleburne. It is organized in chronological order so as to depict his entire life. The decision to organize the book in such a manner forms the foundation for the primary weakness of the endeavor. The book is not necessarily the best essays on Cleburne's life and the different authors prevent any continuity from chapter to chapter other than time.There are certain parts of Cleburne's life that are appropriate for the essay format. Several areas are the early years in Ireland and it effect on his latter career, Cleburne's proposal that slaves be freed and incorporated into the Confederate Army and his death at the Battle of Franklin. In addition, the issue of how an individual who understood and identified with the downtrodden of Ireland could have been so devoted to the Confederacy which was based on the slavery of human beings is not even mentioned in the essays. Instead of treating these issues in depth, the collection at best treats them as another part of Cleburne's life. This is a shame, for Cleburne's life, and especially his proposal to enlist slaves into the Confederate Army, deserves a more in depth treatment. The collection seems to be trapped between its desire to be a biography and a collection of essays exploring different views of Cleburne's life. By trying to do both, it did neither well. The collection does succeed in putting forward the facts of Cleburne's life in a fairly easy to read format. The individual authors are all well qualified and write well. However, if one is looking for a straight forward biography of Cleburne, I would suggest Stonewall of the West : Patrick Cleburne and the Civil War (Modern War Studies) by Craig L. Symonds.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent Articles on a Superb Leader!
Review: A Meteor Shining Brightly is an absorbing read of many aspects of Cleburne's life: 1. His family background and struggles in 1840s Ireland.
2. His acceptance by the people in his adopted hometown of Helena, Arkansas.
3. Early war years and well-earned promotions.
4. Particular battles: Shiloh, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Ringgold Gap, Pickett's Mill, Atlanta, and finally, Franklin.
5. His controversial, yet well-thought out proposal to offer freedom for slaves who offered to fight for the Confederacy (slavery was doomed to fail and the Confederacy, led by Robert E. Lee, sought to include slaves as soldiers towards the end of the war).
6. His obviously strong moral character.
7. Proclivity to shyness around women and his intense and successful courtship of Susan Tarleton (too bad he did not survive the war and marry Susan!).
8. His sensitive nature (yes, men can be strong and sensitive). Having been a Cleburne admirer for many years, all I can say is: What a read! I highly recommend the book for anyone interested in learning more about a very capable and often overlooked Civil War general.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Articles on a Superb Leader!
Review: A Meteor Shining Brightly is an absorbing read of many aspects of Cleburne's life: 1. His family background and struggles in 1840s Ireland.
2. His acceptance by the people in his adopted hometown of Helena, Arkansas.
3. Early war years and well-earned promotions.
4. Particular battles: Shiloh, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Ringgold Gap, Pickett's Mill, Atlanta, and finally, Franklin.
5. His controversial, yet well-thought out proposal to offer freedom for slaves who offered to fight for the Confederacy (slavery was doomed to fail and the Confederacy, led by Robert E. Lee, sought to include slaves as soldiers towards the end of the war).
6. His obviously strong moral character.
7. Proclivity to shyness around women and his intense and successful courtship of Susan Tarleton (too bad he did not survive the war and marry Susan!).
8. His sensitive nature (yes, men can be strong and sensitive). Having been a Cleburne admirer for many years, all I can say is: What a read! I highly recommend the book for anyone interested in learning more about a very capable and often overlooked Civil War general.
Rating: 
Summary: Great read
Review: Being a non-historian (this is the only history book I've read cover to cover in 7 years), I was initially dreading reading this book. However, its well-organized format, its to-the-point style (to which almost all of the authors ascribed), and its information were incredible. This is an enjoyable read. FYI, I also sent an e-mail to the author of the book as I was tracking down Cleburne's original work, and she very graciously replied within a day, informing me that his work was at the University of Arkansas. READ THIS BOOK!!!
Rating:
Summary: Great read
Review: Being a non-historian (this is the only history book I've read cover to cover in 7 years), I was initially dreading reading this book. However, its well-organized format, its to-the-point style (to which almost all of the authors ascribed), and its information were incredible. This is an enjoyable read. FYI, I also sent an e-mail to the author of the book as I was tracking down Cleburne's original work, and she very graciously replied within a day, informing me that his work was at the University of Arkansas. READ THIS BOOK!!!
Rating:
Summary: Provides readers with exciting new information on Cleburne.
Review: The essays in A Meteor Shining Brightly provide its readers with exciting new information about and interpretations of one of the Confederacy's most able and controversial generals. Well written and meticulously researched chapters...This book belongs on the shelves of everyone interested in the Western Theater and Civil War leadership. Arthur Bergeron, Jr. Pamplin Park Civil War Site
Rating:
Summary: Brilliant book about one of the best Confederate Generals!
Review: This book does an excellent job telling about Patrick Cleburne. It is not a day by day biography of Cleburne, instead, it tells the stories that help us understand Cleburne better, from a drowning incident in the Mississippi to Chattanooga where Cleburne was the only one to hold his ground. This book is a must for all history lovers.
Rating:
Summary: A "must-read" edition to your Civil War library.
Review: Until I devoured this masterpiece, I thought it impossible for anyone to surpass Purdue's text on Pat Cleburne. Well researched and well written, so much so that even the Civil War novice will thoroughly comprehend Cleburne's battlefield brilliance. Someday history will place Cleburne in his proper place among great leaders and humanitarians. When it happens, this compilation of essays will have paved the way.
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