Fresh and Specific Take

[peteanddelmar]

I have finally made arrangements to order books from Amazon.
Any other good sources?

I have read MANY things over the years but a lot of it has been older.

I would like newer (not 1902) affordable faster paced narrative biographies.

I have read about Lincoln, Grant, Sherman, Lee, Jackson, Hooker, Davis plenty!

I would like suggestions on Thomas, Meade, Cleburne, Richard Taylor and others less famous but with good stories.

Any other favorite suggestions would be appreciated.

I don't like technical writing about any subject whether it be census, ammo, small arms, farm supplies, fractional physics, or a breakdown of Northern Long Underwear.
I do like a great book about large ships and commanders or naval guns and coastal batteries.

I like very good battle narratives as long as the people are important and not just, "General so and so was on the right and General so and so was.......you know.

Sorry this is long , but I have exhausted the small libraries near me and the few decent free Kindle books and finally able to spend A LITTLE money!

Your the best folks to ask!

 

[hanna260]

Okay- Thomas: I thought Einolf's bio was pretty good and from what I've been hearing Bobrick's book is pretty much a hagiography- so go with Einolfs.

Meade: Searching for George Gordon Meade is a really wonderful book. It's a fresh take on Meade and why history has largely forgotten him.

McClellan: I don't know if you have any interest in him but I liked Sear's biography. It's more than a bit contemptuous and I think the research is a bit out-dated but it's a fast-paced, interesting read.

Rosecrans: Ditto but Frank Varney's book is about both re-evaluating him as a general and looking at a supposed smear campaign by Grant about him. This isn't really a biography but it's an interesting story all about people.

I will come back later with more suggestions!

 

[rhettbutler1865]

I have finally made arrangements to order books from Amazon.
Any other good sources?

I have read MANY things over the years but a lot of it has been older.

I would like newer (not 1902) affordable faster paced narrative biographies.

I have read about Lincoln, Grant, Sherman, Lee, Jackson, Hooker, Davis plenty!

I would like suggestions on Thomas, Meade, Cleburne, Richard Taylor and others less famous but with good stories.

Any other favorite suggestions would be appreciated.

I don't like technical writing about any subject whether it be census, ammo, small arms, farm supplies, fractional physics, or a breakdown of Northern Long Underwear.
I do like a great book about large ships and commanders or naval guns and coastal batteries.

I like very good battle narratives as long as the people are important and not just, "General so and so was on the right and General so and so was.......you know.

Sorry this is long , but I have exhausted the small libraries near me and the few decent free Kindle books and finally able to spend A LITTLE money!

Your the best folks to ask!

I know the "general on the right, so-and-so on the left" reading can get tedious. I just ordered "The Untold Civil War" by Robertson--I can't wait! I love the more personal stories, the older I get! I've had enough classroom in the past!

 

[jgoodguy]

On Amazon, buy used library books. Normally well taken care of and cheap.
Most editions have a used category. Look at the details and you will often find the description 'used library book'.

 

[AUG]

I definitely recommend Craig L. Symonds Stonewall of the West on Cleburne. It not only recounts some good stories, but gives good incite into the battles Cleburne participated in, his personality, relationship with other commanders, etc. And Symonds doesn't get bogged down in details by any means; its a pretty easy read overall. His biography on Joe Johnston is also good.

One of the only and probably the best biographies on Richard Taylor is Richard Taylor: Soldier Prince of Dixie by T. Michael Parrish.

I also recommend Tennessee's Forgotten Warriors on Frank Cheatham and his division.

 

[hanna260]

Oooh, yes Stonewall of the West. Thanks, AUG351! Meant to write that down but had to do some things.

Okay, back on Rosecrans- who is pretty fascinating- I think- probably the best actual biography written on him is The Edge of Glory. It was written back in 1999 but it's a good intro to his life and easy reading. Cozzen's trilogies of books about Stones River, Chickamauga, Chattanooga is considered the bible and talks a lot about the personalities within.

If you want a book about Longstreet, who you didn't list, I really loved Lee's Tarnished Lieutenant which combines a very fair and balanced look at his life, as well as his relationship to historiography. Jeffrey Wert's book is also considered very good, though I found it very dry- probably not what you're looking for!

I haven't read all the books I listed but I think all have good reputations and I think you'd like them from what other people say!

 

[peteanddelmar]

will come back later with more suggestions

On Amazon, buy used library books. Normally well taken care of and cheap.
Most editions have a used category. Look at the details and you will often find the description 'used library book'.

I definitely recommend Craig L. Symonds Stonewall of the West on Cleburne. It not only recounts some good stories, but gives good incite into the battles Cleburne participated in, his personality, relationship with other commanders, etc. And Symonds doesn't get bogged down in details by any means; its a pretty easy read overall. His biography on Joe Johnston is also good.

One of the only and probably the best biographies on Richard Taylor is Richard Taylor: Soldier Prince of Dixie by T. Michael Parrish.

I also recommend Tennessee's Forgotten Warriors on Frank Cheatham and his division.

Oooh, yes Stonewall of the West. Thanks, AUG351! Meant to write that down but had to do some things.

Okay, back on Rosecrans- who is pretty fascinating- I think- probably the best actual biography written on him is The Edge of Glory. It was written back in 1999 but it's a good intro to his life and easy reading. Cozzen's trilogies of books about Stones River, Chickamauga, Chattanooga is considered the bible and talks a lot about the personalities within.

If you want a book about Longstreet, who you didn't list, I really loved Lee's Tarnished Lieutenant which combines a very fair and balanced look at his life, as well as his relationship to historiography. Jeffrey Wert's book is also considered very good, though I found it very dry- probably not what you're looking for!

I haven't read all the books I listed but I think all have good reputations and I think you'd like them from what other people say!

Thanks for all this...I don't see much if any I have already read.
I hope more will weigh in.

 

[rhettbutler1865]

Oooh, yes Stonewall of the West. Thanks, AUG351! Meant to write that down but had to do some things.

Okay, back on Rosecrans- who is pretty fascinating- I think- probably the best actual biography written on him is The Edge of Glory. It was written back in 1999 but it's a good intro to his life and easy reading. Cozzen's trilogies of books about Stones River, Chickamauga, Chattanooga is considered the bible and talks a lot about the personalities within.

If you want a book about Longstreet, who you didn't list, I really loved Lee's Tarnished Lieutenant which combines a very fair and balanced look at his life, as well as his relationship to historiography. Jeffrey Wert's book is also considered very good, though I found it very dry- probably not what you're looking for!

I haven't read all the books I listed but I think all have good reputations and I think you'd like them from what other people say!

Hanna, if you had read all those books, I'd put in a special request for your immediate promotion to General! As it is, you are one in my book!

 

[rhettbutler1865]

I have finally made arrangements to order books from Amazon.
Any other good sources?

I have read MANY things over the years but a lot of it has been older.

I would like newer (not 1902) affordable faster paced narrative biographies.

I have read about Lincoln, Grant, Sherman, Lee, Jackson, Hooker, Davis plenty!

I would like suggestions on Thomas, Meade, Cleburne, Richard Taylor and others less famous but with good stories.

Any other favorite suggestions would be appreciated.

I don't like technical writing about any subject whether it be census, ammo, small arms, farm supplies, fractional physics, or a breakdown of Northern Long Underwear.
I do like a great book about large ships and commanders or naval guns and coastal batteries.

I like very good battle narratives as long as the people are important and not just, "General so and so was on the right and General so and so was.......you know.

Sorry this is long , but I have exhausted the small libraries near me and the few decent free Kindle books and finally able to spend A LITTLE money!

Your the best folks to ask!

Are you sure you don't care to read about Northern Long Underwear? Now that's funny! I'm still chuckling.

 

[rhettbutler1865]

A little more brevity here couldn't hurt!---------IMHO, of course.

 

[rhettbutler1865]

On Amazon, buy used library books. Normally well taken care of and cheap.
Most editions have a used category. Look at the details and you will often find the description 'used library book'.

Yes--I started ordering LOTS of books from Amazon since joining this board. I have now learned they don't have to be new. I display my CW sculptures, not my books...

 

[Nathanb1]

No one has mentioned...but I will....the many excellent books by Eric Wittenberg. You can check out all his books available on Amazon (and on Kindle, for sure!)....and a number are biographies.....all of them are centered on the people, and of course, he's the The Cavalry Writer! They certainly aren't dry. I have yet to read one, including his new bio of John Buford, that doesn't read like a novel. Let's face it, good research doesn't have to be boring.

You can't go wrong with his books.

 

[rhettbutler1865]

That's what

No one has mentioned...but I will....the many excellent books by Eric Wittenberg. You can check out all his books available on Amazon (and on Kindle, for sure!)....and a number are biographies.....all of them are centered on the people, and of course, he's the The Cavalry Writer! They certainly aren't dry. I have yet to read one, including his new bio of John Buford, that doesn't read like a novel. Let's face it, good research doesn't have to be boring.

You can't go wrong with his books.

That's what i like to hear!

 

[hanna260]

No one has mentioned...but I will....the many excellent books by Eric Wittenberg. You can check out all his books available on Amazon (and on Kindle, for sure!)....and a number are biographies.....all of them are centered on the people, and of course, he's the The Cavalry Writer! They certainly aren't dry. I have yet to read one, including his new bio of John Buford, that doesn't read like a novel. Let's face it, good research doesn't have to be boring.

You can't go wrong with his books.

Oh, god, thank you for mentioning them! And very true. I was going to recommend Plenty of Blame To Go Around and his bio of Sheridan.