Scholars hail Confederate General John Bell Hood's personal papers as "the most important discovery in Civil War scholarship in the last half century." This invaluable cache includes documents relating to Hood's U.S. Army service; Civil War career; and postwar life. It includes letters from Confederate and Union officers; unpublished battle reports; detailed medical reports relating to Hood's two major wounds; and dozens of letters exchanged between Hood and his wife Anna. This treasure trove is being made available for the first time for both professional and amateur Civil War historians in The Lost Papers of Confederate General John Bell Hood; edited and annotated by award-winning author Stephen M. Hood.The historical community long believed General Hood's papers were lost or destroyed; and numerous books and articles were written about him without the benefit of these invaluable documents. In fact; the papers had been carefully preserved for generations by Hood's descendants. In 2012; collateral descendent Stephen Hood was given access to these papers as part of his research for his book John Bell Hood: The Rise; Fall; and Resurrection of a Confederate General (Savas Beatie; 2013).This 200+ document collection sheds important light on some of the war's lingering mysteries and controversies. For example; letters from Confederate officers help explain Hood's failure to entrap Schofield's Union army at Spring Hill; Tennessee; on November 29; 1864. Another letter by Lt. Gen. Stephen D. Lee helps to explain Maj. Gen. Patrick Cleburne's gallant but reckless conduct that resulted in his death at Franklin. Lee also lodges serious allegations against Confederate Maj. Gen. William Bate's troops. Other papers explain; for the first time; the purpose and intent behind Hood's "controversial" memoir Advance and Retreat; and validate its contents. While these and others offer a military perspective of Hood the general; the revealing letters between he and Anna; his beloved and devoted wife; help us better understand Hood the man and husband.Historians and other writers have spent generations speculating about Hood's motives; beliefs; actions; and objectives and the result has not always been flattering or even fully honest. Now; long-believed "lost" firsthand accounts previously unavailable offer insights into the character; personality; and military operations of John Bell Hood the general; husband; and father.
#126120 in Books 2014-11-11 2014-11-11Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.10 x 1.80 x 5.50l; .81 #File Name: 1609805925704 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. I did not like the format of it for studying purposesBy kimmi103191I bought this book because it was my history text book and i needed to. I did not like the format of it for studying purposes.It would do better for general reading because in that regard it was interesting . It basically a bunch of first person accounts of events taken place in history which is interesting .first person accounts are not the same as facts though because how you are feeling at the time for an event isnt the same as the facts of the event and this book would have been easier to study if There was more then 1 paragraph before each 1st person account explaining what is happening.20 of 20 people found the following review helpful. A strong intellectual perturbationBy Dr. Lee D. CarlsonHistory is sometimes written with the goal of documenting the attitudes or opinions of a particular class of people; such as the intellectuals; the politicians; the scientists; or the warriors. Each of these groups has made important contributions to human accomplishment; which should not be forgotten or discarded under the guise of some egalitarian or multicultural reading of history. But when the stories of these groups are documented in history; too often other voices are deafened; and these voices represent the vast majority of historical participants. It is not enough to view history through the eyes of intellectuals; politicians; or warriors. For an historical account to be meaningful; it must offer insight into the collaborations; opinions; belief structures; and longings of those who chose not to become famous; but instead chose to indulge themselves in the unique fascinations that each historical epoch possesses.But because most humans throughout history did not record their experiences; the historian is left wanting for accurate appraisals of these experiences. Diaries; journals; and other personal writings can assist the historian in this regard; and there have been many uses of these throughout the historical literature. It is important to remember though that because of the paucity of these personal documents; one should not be too hasty in imputing the opinions of their authors to the entire population at the time. One cannot view them as representing the "voices of the people" without establishing this with (difficult) statistical analysis.Sometimes however these documents were written more as a catharsis; as a way of expressing; in a strong and determined way; an idea; grievance; or opposition to the status quo. The opening quotation in the book by Frederick Douglass reinforces this view; for in that quotation Douglass essentially states that power must be challenged before it can be defeated (Douglass does not want to stop with mere words though; for in the same quotation he asserts the need for physical confrontation if necessary).It is in this light that this book should be read. It is a collection of essays and letters that reveal attitudes that are not the typical ones that one would be exposed to in United States secondary schools. Those readers familiar with the author's earlier book on United States history will appreciate this book even more; but both can be read independently of each other. This is not a book that will please the elitist historian who discounts any view of history that does not magnify the contributions of intellectuals or military leaders over and above the "common" person. It is a book for those who are genuinely interested in the moods and aspirations of the people of a given time; if only from a limited vantage point. It will certainly upset the intellectual equilibrium of anyone who holds to a view of American history that has been sanitized by the educational establishment.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Wonderful. A Great Companion to A People's History of the United States.By LavenderI read from this book constantly. The speeches included truly bring history to life by providing the actual words of the actors involved in the events. It underscores the personal convictions of the individuals; their intelligence and their passion. This book is informative and inspirational. I never fail to feel revived and encouraged by reading these chronicles of individual participation in the betterment of the person and the society. One of my favorite books!
