An impressive compendium of varying but related methods of understanding the war through historical archaeology. Readers willing to expend some effort will come away with a better understanding of the Civil War.--Civil War Book Review"Geier and Potter deliver a great book that includes archaeological fieldwork; site type diversity; and theoretical perspectives; which provide something for every reader. The authors' contributions vividly convey the battles and effects on the civilian population from participant soldier; prisoner; caregiver; commercial; and civilian perspectives. Connections between contemporary life and Civil War events are made easily here. These connections and extensive use of primary historical sources make the book an excellent undergraduate and graduate text."--Southeastern ArchaeologyFrom the introduction: "Archaeological Perspectives on the American Civil War is must reading for professionals; collectors; and all people interested in battlefield archaeology; the material culture of the Civil War era; and the preservation of associated sites. Because of the popularity of Civil War literature and archaeology; this well-illustrated and well-written publication will appeal to the general public; as well as to the professional community."--Edwin C. Bearss; historian emeritus; National Park Service"Speaks to the carnage of war; figuratively and literally; as each author [investigates] the physical evidence of the war and its ramifications to those living at the time and in our culture today. There is little question that the American Civil War changed the fabric of our culture in ways that are still being felt today; and this volume provides a real and tangible link; via the material culture left behind by its participants; to that time."--Douglas D. Scott; Midwest Archaeology Center; Lincoln; NebraskaFrom studies of Antietam Battlefield; site of the bloodiest day in American military history; to Andersonville; the infamous Confederate prison; these graphically illustrated essays broaden our understanding of the American Civil War. They demonstrate how historical archaeology; combined with the traditional techniques of the study of history; generates new insights into battlefield tactics; social and military history; and the effects of the war on civilians and communities. The paperback edition includes a new foreword by award-winning journalist Jim Lehrer. Contents Introduction; by Edwin C. Bearss "To Peel This Land;" by Clarence R. Geier and Stephen R. Potter Part I. Tactics and the Conduct of Battle 1. "No Maneuvering and Very Little Tactics": Archaeology and the Battle of Brawner Farm; by Stephen R. Potter; Robert C. Sonderman; Marian C. Creveling; and Susannah L. Dean 2. The Submarine H. L. Hunley: Confederate Innovation and Southern Icon; by Steven D. Smith 3. Fortifying the Landscape: An Archaeological Study of Military Engineering and the Atlanta Campaign; by Robert J. Fryman 4. An Irishman Dies at Antietam: An Archaeology of the Individual; by Stephen R. Potter and Douglas W. Owsley 5. The Battle of Cool Spring; July 16-20; 1864; by Joseph Whitehorne and Clarence R. Geier Part II. The Home Front and Military Life 6. "For the Convenience and Comforts of the Soldiers and Employees at the Depot": Archaeology of the Owens' House/Post Office Complex; Camp Nelson; Kentucky; by W. Stephen McBride; Susan C. Andrews; and Sean P. Coughlin 7. Defending the Capital: The Civil War Garrison at Fort C. F. Smith; by Joseph Balicki 8. The Sheridan Field Hospital; Winchester; Virginia; 1864; by Joseph W. A. Whitehorne; Clarence R. Geier; and Warren R. Hofstra 9. Far from the Battlefield: Archaeology at Andersonville Prison; by Guy Prentice and Marie C. Prentice 10. Antietam: The Cultural Impact of Battle on an Agrarian Landscape; by Elise Manning-Sterling 11. "Four Years of Hell": Domestic Life in Harpers Ferry during the Civil War; by Paul A. Shackel 12. "The Colored Laborers Work as Well as When Slaves": African Americans in the Breadbasket of the Confederacy; 1850-1880; by Kenneth E. Koons 13. "Free within Ourselves": African American Landscapes at Manassas National Battlefield Park; by Laura J. Galke 14. Battling beyond First and Second Manassas: Perseverance on a Free African American Farm Site; by Erika K. Martin Seibert and Mia Parsons Part III. New Methods and Techniques 15. The Archaeology of Retreat: Systematic Metal Detector Survey and Information System Analysis at the Battlefield of Chickamauga; September 1863; by John E. Cornelison; Jr. 16. Surveying the Civil War: Methodological Approaches at Antietam Battlefield; by Bruce B. Sterling and Bernard W. Slaughter 17. Archaeological Interpretations of the Battle of Antietam through Analysis of Small Arms Projectiles; by Bruce B. Sterling 18. Double the Cannister and Give ‘Em Hell: Artillery at Antietam; by Jeffrey HarbisonClarence R. Geier; professor of anthropology at James Madison University; is coeditor of Look to the Earth: Historical Archaeology and the American Civil War. He has directed and collaborated on historical archaeology projects at the battlefields of Third Winchester; Cool Spring; and Cedar Creek and has conducted research at the site of the Sheridan Field Hospital. His most recent work has focused on the interpretation of the Confederate military complex of Fort Edward Johnson/Camp Shenandoah in Augusta County; Virginia.Stephen R. Potter; regional archaeologist with the National Park Service for the National Capital Region; has overseen archaeological research at Harpers Ferry National Historical Park; Manassas National Battlefield Park; and Antietam National Battlefield. His work was featured on "Death at Antietam;" a television program produced by the Learning Channel. He is the author of Commoners; Tribute; and Chiefs: The Development of Algonquian Culture in the Potomac Valley.
#332958 in Books 2015-05-26 2015-05-26Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.18 x .86 x 6.09l; .81 #File Name: 0812982126432 pages
Review
115 of 120 people found the following review helpful. First-rate in terms of narrative; insight and interestBy Peter G. KeenI selected this because I was interested in learning more about Sherman. I expected a solid and informative book. This turned out to be much more than that. It is first-rate.First; it is always interesting. The author has a lightness in style and an uusual ability to organize and summarize topics. To pick a few examples; he explains the developments in rifles and the resulting impacts on how commanders positioned troops and soldiers adapted in a compact way that is striking and very clear. Again and again; this skill enlivens the flow of the narrative without disrupting it. I can't recall a book on military history that made the details of campaigns and battles so easy to follow.The core of the book is; of course; the presentation of Sherman's career and personality. The writer made a unusual choice that I think works very well; he separates the military phase of his life as the first and main part of the book and addresses his later career and the very complex psychodramas of relationships within his family circle in other ones. This helpfully unclutters the flow of the narrative; though it is quite arguable that it obscures interactions and is selective in choosing events.Sherman comes across as not particularly self-aware; limited in his empathy and insight; and in many ways not an interesting character. But he was the opposite of this in his growth as a commander. The resulting portrayal abstracts the key historical threads of his life very vividly and convincingly; without neglecting the personal dimensions and resonances. There are a few themes that may be a tiny bit artificial -- a distinctive view of "strategy" as the core of what made Sherman different and a categorization of him as always seeking to be the Number 2 in his relationships with; most obviously; Grant.These are minor demurrals and queries. The analysis seems reliable and the sources and scholarship solid. What stands out is the book is so; so interesting. It flows vividly with a superb sense of the reader -- examples; phrasing and explanation really make this a conversation not a presentation.I loved it. It leaves a sense of enhanced understanding and a rich reading experience.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A perfect example of this is that O'Connell spends several chapters ...By Robert PekichNot sure how this book became a national bestseller. The author seems to be out to prove that Sherman won the Civil War with little or no help from any other Union General and was the innovator of almost every tactic and strategy the North used. Ignoring that many of the strategies and tactics he used were merely adopted or adapted from other commanders isn't a problem because in these cases the author gives no mention that they were ever used until Sherman employed them. A perfect example of this is that O'Connell spends several chapters detailing how original and unheard of it was for Sherman to march away from his supply lines during the March to the Sea; ignoring entirely that it was merely adopting the same strategy as Grant's Vicksburg campaign. O'Connell also perpetuates previous myths of the Civil War (Grant's drinking in combat) despite the fact that they have revealed as myths for some time. The end result is to present all other commanders faults while passing Sherman's off as either overblown or twisted to make him look bad. When one reads history it's important to remember that heroes have faults too; this book seems determined to remove all faults from Sherman and present him as the true reason that the Union won the American Civil War.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Follow Uncle Billy Sherman as he marches to the sea; courts women; attends the theatre and raises cain in 19th century AmericaBy C. M MillsWilliam Tecumseh Sherman was born in Lancaster; Ohio in 1820. His father was an Ohio Supreme Court Justice who died while the red headed lad was young. His mother had to tend to a large family so ":Cump": was sent to the home of Thomas Ewing. Ewing was a close friend of his late father and a man of wealth; intellect and influence. Ewing served as US Secretary of the Treasury and as the nation's first Secretary of the Interior. He also served as US Senator from Ohio. Sherman wed Maria Ewing the daughter who was bright and opinionated. The couple would have several children; she became a Roman Catholic; their son Tom became a Jesuit priest but Sherman was an agnostic disdaining Catholicism. Sherman graduated from West Point in 1840 rooming with George Thomas the future Rock of Chickamauga Sherman served in California; St. Louis; New York and other posts prior to the Civil War. During the Civil War he won lasting fame for h is conquering of Atlanta; and the March to the Sea. He was friendly with General Grant. Following the Civil War Sherman was the chief commander of the United States Army. Sherman was a man of contradictions and complexity. Consider the following aspects of his character":1. He considered African Americans and native Americans to be lower in intellect than white people.2. Sherman hated politics and refused to run for office. His brother John Sherman; however; served as US Senator from Ohio and US Secretary of State among many other influential positions in government.3. Sherman was an adulterer having a rocky though long marriage to his wife.4. Sherman liked Southerners but believed the South's will to continue fighting must be squelched'; this resulted in the March to the Sea in which he ":made Georgia Howl!":5; Sherman had a brilliant ;mind and a photographic memory regarding topographical features which aided him in h is military campaigns.6. Sherman often suffered from depression; he was moody and very talkative.7. Sherman was devoted to the Western armies he commanded relishing in public speaking at countless veteran reunions. Dr. Robert L. O'Connell has written a fairly short book on the great Sherman. This book will not replace such classics as those by Lloyd Lewis and John F. Marzalack. Yet it is a fine addition tot he Sherman literature. The author divided the tome into three major sections each one devoted to an aspect of Sherman the man and solider.Part I-This section provides an examination of Sherman';s war career as we follow him from First Bull Run to Shiloh to Vicksburg and the March to Sea culminating in the defeat of General Joseph Johnston in North Carolina.Part II examines Sherman's army and how it was organized; the weapons it fought with and other aspects of Union military life during the Civil War.Part III-A keen look at Sherman';s complicated personal life with his wife and many children. This is a fine biography well worth your time and money. I enjoyed it learning much about Sherman and the ever fascinating topic of the American Civil War. Recommended for both Civil War buffs and the general reader.
