The Bloody Crucible of Courage: Fighting Methods and Combat Experience of the Civil War by Brent Nosworthy

The Soul of Battle : From Ancient Times to the Present Day, How Three Great Liberators Vanquished Tyranny --
The foragers became the beau ideal of partisan troops. Their self-confidence and daring increased to a wonderful pitch, and no organized line of skirmishers could so quickly clear the head of column of the opposing cavalry of the enemy. Nothing short of an entrenched line of battle could stop them, and when they were far scattered on the flank, plying their vocation, if a body of hostile cavalry approached, a singular sight was to be seen. Here and there, from barn, from granary and smokehouse, and from the kitchen gardens of the plantations, isolated foragers would hasten by converging lines, driving before them the laden mule heaped high with vegetables, smoked bacon, fresh meat and poultry. As soon as two or three of these met, one would drive the animals, and the others, from fence corners or behind trees would begin a bold skirmish, their Springfield rifles giving them the advantage in range over the carbines of the horsemen. As they were pressed they would continue falling back and assembling, the regimental platoons falling in beside each other till their line of fire would become too hot for their opponents, and these would retire reporting that they had driven in the skirmishers upon the main column which was probably miles away. The work of foraging would then be resumed.

Soul of Battle’s theme is “Never in human conflict have such vast democratic infantry forces appeared out of nowhere, wrought such havoc and then dispersed among the consensual culture that fielded them.”  The focus is onEpaminondas of Thebes and his campaigns which destroyed Sparta; Sherman’s March to the Sea and march through the Carolinas in 1864-65, and Patton’s Third Army campaigns from Normandy to Czechoslovakia in 1944-45. Jumping back and forth while discussing each leader in historical context, Hanson shows that these seemingly different men are very similar.  Click for the rest of the review....

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Individual Battles: The Gettysburg Campaign: A Study in Command - Edwin B Coddington Killer Angels - Shaara [Gettysburg] Gettysburg - Gingrich & Forstchen Unto This Hour - Tom Wicker [2nd Manassas]
Two Great Rebel Armies : An Essay in Confederate Military HistoryAuthor: Richard M. McMurry -- Why was the Confederate army of Northern Virginia more successful than the army of Tennessee? Talk among yourselves.... Perilous Times - Free Speech in Wartime Civil War Trivia and Fact Book The Complete Book of Confederate Trivia Fiction Civil War Trilogy -Michael & Jeff Shaara Gods & Generals Killer Angels The Last Full Measure Starbuck chronicles   - Bernard Cornwell Rebel    - First Manassas / Bull Run Copperhead    - Peninsular campaign, 7 Days' Battles Battle Flag    - Second Manassas / Bull Run Bloody Ground    - Antietam
Wealth & Democracy Consumer price index 1790-1960  vividly portrays the cycles of inflation and depression in American history Consumer price index 1790-1990  how little we've been aware of the incredible and unprecedented  inflation of the late 20th century   Other links: Civil War Trivia and Puzzles Online Civil War game More Battlefields Books on the Civil War - Bernard Cornwall, Newt Gingrich Battlefield Reenactments Civil War Images Civil War maps More History Over 500 royalty free history images on CD

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