However, if every regiment in a brigade simply charges across a field and is repulsed I don't need 5 pages taken up by explaining every shot fired and every turn made by each company in the whole brigade. And that is exactly what Cozzens does.
Depends on what interests you suppose. In the big picture, those little details don't really add much, but they are fun to read about.
He bombards you with so much info and so many names that I get easily confused and the maps he provides are of little help.
He does need more maps. But publishers just don't seem willing to comply.
Maybe if his writing style wasn't so bone dry I could better handle all the tactical detail. I was sometimes confused when I read Larry J Daniel's account of Shiloh but it was nowhere near as frustrating when compared with Cozzens.
I don't find his writing particularly dry. But that probably goes back to whether one appreciates the level of detail.
Give me a Sears or Castel battle history.
They have good summaries, but not enough tactical meat for me.
{Admiral Porter, However, if every regiment in a brigade simply charges across a field and is repulsed I don't need 5 pages taken up by explaining every shot fired and every turn made by each company in the whole brigade. And that is exactly what Cozzens does.}
Maybe you don't need all that detail, but many of us look forward to it. Especially those researching units for a history, or even companies to learn what a relative was or might have been doing.
Will agree about the lack of maps, but....thats an issue with many writers. So, I look thru other books, sites online, or, if I have a huge interest in a battle will buy any maps available. Just today I received a set of the Gettysburg Map by Desjardin for The Friends of The National parks at Gettsyburg to help 'see' the field. Presently reading Pfanz's Day 2 with a online discussion group and this set will make up for the meager set of maps he included. I also have the larger size set of the Bachelder Papers (can't afford the 28 map set) Also have the Imhof book of Day 2 maps. For other battles I use the CW Atlas.
Point is, if your really interested in a battle, many times there is a work around for maps.
As for Detail, ever try reading Bearss 3 vols. on Vicksburg?? I thought the set extremly facinating, but.......make sure you have a full canteen of water when you enter its gateway. Found his set to be Necessary to tie all the parts of the complete campaign together, even with reading 8 other books on the topic before going there in June. Since then have read 2 more, and still looking for Vicks material. Dry or otherwise.
Chuck in IL.
Last I heard it's no longer in print and to buy all 3 books used costs like $150-200 dollars.
I prefer reading about the leaders of the war rather than individual combat units. I enjoy getting to know about their personality, private life, leadership style, battlefield accomplishments, and strategies. That stuff makes much more of an impression on me, the human element, rather than the faceless tactical movements of individual regiments and companies.
I am surprised at how often I am in the minority when it comes to tactical details.
Last edited by Admiral_Porter; 11-03-2005 at 11:04 PM.
I think it all depends upon what level of detail is important to you. I follow the 30th IL so anything that refers to them or the regiments they are brigaded with and/of fighting against is what appeals to me. Cozzens goes to the regimental level so I enjoy his books but I am also quite familiar with the battle to begin with. I could see if one knew very little about a battle, a regimental level book could be dry and overworked. I always thought Wiley Sword's books were a good compromise between the general and detailed. Blue Acorn Press has a number of very interesting books, the "Echoes of Battle" books that contains many images and first person sources that add greatly to the battle description(s) and sort of "sneak" the regimental level into the text and reading.
__________________ I was gratified to be able to answer promptly. I said I don't know.
-Mark Twain
{I am surprised at how often I am in the minority when it comes to tactical details.}
Depends on the groups you belong to. One of my groups does a Monday night book NFFF discussion group. Non Feint, Flank, Fight books that is. Starting the 7th we will be reading and discussion Lincoln at Gettysburg, by Gary Wills. Previous books have included Strategies of the Civil War-Military Commanders and Their Wifes. Others have included diaries and/or bios on Commanders wives, Julia, Varina, Mary Lee, and others. Also, not long ago, Uncle Tom's Cabin. I sometimes join in, if I have time to include another book into my reading schedule. Looking forward to the Lincoln/Getts sessions.
Sunday night group does more of the fighting books. These sessions are usually dominated by topic of the coming years muster, which for 2006 will be Gettysburg.
Probably after the 1s of the year we will do one by John Morgan lll on Balls Bluff and Edwards Ferry, with a promise by the author to attend our discussion.
During the rest of the wk, most any topic might come up as per questions by the members attending, and some nights are just having fun talking and comparing notes on food, movies, family, and family/friends visiting battlefields and comparing experiences.
2005 was Vicksburg, thus my extensive reading, which included several diaries, not all miliatary campaign material. And I have several left in my reading.
Some of my other yahoo discussion groups get into much more than just battles, but into the generals, politics and whatever.
If you check out my book collection you can see my reading is also quite varied in nature.
Chuck in IL.
I have only read Sword's book on Franklin/Nashville but it was excellent.
His retelling of Franklin is one of the best battle descriptions I have ever read and I would rank it up there with Alistair Horne's depiction of Verdun in The Price of Glory.
The fighting at the Carter House was rediculously intense.
Bearss Vicksburg-
Although the site might be out of date, morningsidebooks.com presently still shows the full set for $125, so you might try them.
I wanted the set anyway, but after considering Bearss's age, I figured I should get the set as soon as possible. Have a feeling that the day he passes on "over the river", there will be a huge rush for his books.
Chuck in IL.
I thought I'd let you know you're not alone in your evaluation of Cozzens. And it's not just that he provides vast amounts of detail -- he's just a mediocre writer. I've read Pfanz's "Gettysburg: The Second Day", which is quite detailed, and enjoyed it tremendously. Cozzens doesn't hold a candle to him. And you're also right on Sword and "The Price of Glory"!
I'm into the ninth chapter of 'This Terrible Sound". On hand, yes it is somewhat confusing in the details and could use a few more maps, but I ain't seen the CW book yet that didn't confuse dumb ole' me just a little bit. My 3rd Great Grandfather served at Chickamauga in 88th Indiana, Beatty's Brigade, Negley's Division under Pap Thomas. He was captured at Chickamauga and imprisoned at Richmond before being sent to Andersonville where he died 1-27-1865. Detailed accounts like Cozzen's will allow me to follow in my ancestor's footsteps at Chickamauga.
CivilWarTalk.com -
A free and friendly Civil War community. 
Linear Mode
