“Destined to be the classic account of what may be the oldest . . . hardest form of war.â€â€•John Nagl; Wall Street JournalInvisible Armies presents an entirely original narrative of warfare; which demonstrates that; far from the exception; loosely organized partisan or guerrilla warfare has been the dominant form of military conflict throughout history. New York Times best-selling author and military historian Max Boot traces guerrilla warfare and terrorism from antiquity to the present; narrating nearly thirty centuries of unconventional military conflicts. Filled with dramatic analysis of strategy and tactics; as well as many memorable characters―from Italian nationalist Guiseppe Garibaldi to the “Quiet American;†Edward Lansdale―Invisible Armies is “as readable as a novel†(Michael Korda; Daily Beast) and “a timely reminder to politicians and generals of the hard-earned lessons of history†(Economist). 70 illustrations; 8 maps
#1214706 in Books University of Tennessee Press 1977-12-03Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.05 x .80 x 5.99l; .98 #File Name: 0870492322272 pages
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Great introduction to the battle of ShilohBy Bradley NelsonThis is a very good short history of the battle of Shiloh in 1862. McDonough is an expert on the Civil War in Tennessee and is very successful here in focusing on the important events and providing clear-eyed analysis. He is dismissive of some historical claims and uses sound historical reasoning to validate others. There is some setup to how the two armies came to fight each other at Shiloh and then a very clear description of the course of battle. This can be hard to do well. While Shiloh is maybe less complex than some other battles; there is still a lot of nuance to it. But McDonough's telling of it is very careful and deliberate so readers should not be left confused. Perhaps the greatest attribute to this book is McDonough's refusal to celebrate events that don't deserve it. He is skeptical of General Johnston's reputation as the best commander of the war; only to be cut down in battle so early on. Johnston had limited military experience and demonstrated little skill in commanding his vast army; delegating much of his command responsibility to his subordinates; including Beauregard. Also; McDonough does not overplay the role of Prentiss and the Hornet's Nest. While this is a key part of the day one withdrawal of the Union forces; it is perhaps glorified too much. McDonough recounts clearly what Prentiss' troops actually accomplished. This is certainly the best short history of the battle I've read.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Bloody ShilohBy StudgeOn April 6; 1862; the Rebel army had the advantage of surprise; momentum and manpower as they attacked the Federals at Shiloh. Winning at Shiloh was crucial to both sides; as the victor would gain control of the Mississippi Valley. Timing was everything for the Rebels. They had to achieve victory before Buell's Army of the Ohio could join Grant's Army of the Tennessee.The bloodiest fighting took place at the Hornets' Nest; near the center of the Sunken Road. Professor McDonough shows that the Rebels blew an opportunity to gain a smashing victory over the Union forces by engaging in continuous; piecemeal; frontal attacks; rather than using a single; mass attack to destroy the Union army. Here he attributes a good deal of the blame to Genearl Braxton Bragg. As a result; the Union forces were able to hold on long enough at the Hornets' Nest to forestall the Confederate attack and gain time for Buell to join forces with Grant for the Union's massive counterattack the following day.Professor McDounough points out the mistakes made by both sides that could have been avoided; and thereby changed the course of the battle at certain given points in time. In addition to describing the details of the actual fighting and analysis of the decisionmaking by each sides' high command; he throws in some interesting facts and incidents concerning individual commanders; not the least interesting of which involved Nathan Bedford Forrest and his courage on the battlefield.Professor McDonough's Shiloh is a welcome addition to my Civil War library.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Shiloh revisited!By TylerThe book is excellent; but is only rated a 4-star because of the snail-like pace of it's arrival; which happened long after it's maximum due date; 2 weeks at the most. But as I started reading it; the book digs deep into the events of Shiloh; before and after as well. Some should refer to it as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing; since the Confederate army that day was hell-bent on driving the Yankee forces before them into the Tennessee River there; and Shiloh was only the name of the church in the vicinity. How many battles are named for a church? But it was in fact the bloodiest battle of it's time; long before the slaughterhouses of Gettysburg and the Wilderness; where 10;000 casualties on each side even made the casualties of Bull Run pathetic in comparison.What surprised me is how little the Yankee army was actually prepared for a battle at that time in the vicinty. No trenches had been made; and actual sightings of Confederate troops massing in strength in that area were scoffed at by the superior officers. Sherman; in fact; chewed out the commander of an Ohio regiment for these sightings; telling him in fact the Confederates were no closer than the Corinth crossroads and to "take his damned regiment back to Ohio." That regiment was one of the first Yankee units to absorb the Confederate attack; and to retreat in terror; and wouldn't be the first to run that day. The Yankees came VERY close to defeat; and the struggle of the "Hornet's Nest" was made well-known by the details in this book. A classic read!
