Which is the best book on Shiloh?

tbuckley

Sergeant
Joined
Jul 13, 2015
My wife and I are planning a trip to Shiloh in October and I was wondering which book I should study to prepare for my visit to the battlefield? Larry Daniel's book or Wiley Sword's book??
 
Cunningham. Second best is Daniel's.

It really doesn't matter if this is your first visit. There's just too much to absorb to be concerned with details. Big picture or small bites? Small bites leans toward Cunningham. A bigger picture leans toward Daniel.

Have a good time there. Oh, have you been told that there is nowhere to stay or eat at the field? This ain't G'burg.
 
Tough call for me between Daniel and Cunningham. I'd probably lean more towards Daniel's book but I don't think you can go wrong with either one. Tim Smith also has a book on Shiloh that came out last year but I haven't had the chance to read it yet. He has a lot of knowledge on the battle so I will definitely pick it up sooner than later.


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U33Z2ZC/?tag=civilwartalkc-20
 
Cunningham. Second best is Daniel's.

It really doesn't matter if this is your first visit. There's just too much to absorb to be concerned with details. Big picture or small bites? Small bites leans toward Cunningham. A bigger picture leans toward Daniel.

Have a good time there. Oh, have you been told that there is nowhere to stay or eat at the field? This ain't G'burg.
Nowhere to stay or eat at the field sounds good to me. :smile:
 
This is a reference that not many people use, but you can get "Staff Ride Handbook for Battle of Shiloh".these are studies put out by the U.S.Army and some people think they are a bit too technical.this one is 170 pages and has about 20 maps which will help you alot.the good part is that they are free online.if you google "staff ride for shiloh" it will come up for a pdf download.amazon has it available but they charge 2.99 for it on kindle.if you have a tablet this will make a good reference to take along with you.
 
Cunningham's book was a doctoral thesis used by Rangers as a reference for years before someone thought to publish it.

Kinda dry, but chock full of details that others have overlooked. Daniel's is more fun to read but, for detail, Cunningham. Depends on what you are looking for.
 
The fog of war as seen through the eyes of the Common Soldier has always been important to me. The following thread may be of interest to you.


http://civilwartalk.com/threads/the-battle-of-shiloh-as-seen-by-a-15-year-old-boy.89900/

The Battle of Shiloh as Seen by a 15 Year Old Boy



SCAN1263_zps25df6101.jpg


One of my favorite Civil War Memoirs is Elisha Stockwell, Jr., Sees the Civil War, and I thought I would share a few passages from his writings about the Battle of Shiloh. Stockwell joined Company I, 14th Wisconsin Infantry, in 1862 when he was 15 years old. His father forbade him to go, and like any dutiful son, he promptly ran off and joined the army anyway. Stockwell saw his first combat on the second day of the Battle of Shiloh, and he paints a very vivid picture of his introduction to Civil War combat. What's amazing about this account is that it was written by Stockwell when he was 81 years old and nearly blind from cataracts. Here is his account, which I open as the 14th Wisconsin comes under fire for the first time while being held in reserve:



"I want to say, as we lay there and the shells were flying over us, my thoughts went back to my home. I thought what a foolish boy I was to run away to get into such a mess as I was in. I would have been glad to have seen my father coming after me. It is very trying to one's nerves to lay under fire and not be able to do anything in return. But as soon as we were ordered forward, the fear left me, and I went forward with a will, certain we would do them up in a hurry and have this over with.

We were going down hill when someone hit me in the back with his bayonet quite severely. As I supposed it was carelessness, I turned around to give him a piece of my mind, but there lay the poor fellow shot in the forehead. He was drawing his knees up toward his head, also his hands toward his breast, and the blood spurting from the hole in his forehead. I turned and went on...

The road was full for several rods, and I shot for the middle of the crowd and began loading. But as they were getting so close, I looked behind me to see what the rest were doing. I saw the colors going out of sight over the hill, and only two of our men in sight. As I turned to run, I heard several shout, 'Halt!,' But I knew it was the Rebs, and I hadn't any thought of obeying them. I don't think they were over six rods from me. I didn't think they might kill me, but dreaded to be taken prisoner.

The ground looked queer, as though it was boiling, but I didn't think was the cause was until afterwards. I saw a line of men to my left going the same way I was, and some ahead of me. At that instant the bullet cut across my right shoulder, and it burned like a red hot iron. My first thought was my clothes were afire, and I grabbed it with my left hand, and turned my face to the right. I saw John Rhodus behind a big tree, and laughing as though he saw something funny, which riled my temper, but I didn't have time to argue with him."

SCAN1264_zps276fa832.jpg

Elisha Stockwell, Jr.

Elisha Stockwell, Jr., Sees the Civil War is an excellent book, and there are modern editions, so it is readilyavailable. I highly recommend it.
 
The fog of war as seen through the eyes of the Common Soldier has always been important to me. The following thread may be of interest to you.


http://civilwartalk.com/threads/the-battle-of-shiloh-as-seen-by-a-15-year-old-boy.89900/

The Battle of Shiloh as Seen by a 15 Year Old Boy



SCAN1263_zps25df6101.jpg


One of my favorite Civil War Memoirs is Elisha Stockwell, Jr., Sees the Civil War, and I thought I would share a few passages from his writings about the Battle of Shiloh. Stockwell joined Company I, 14th Wisconsin Infantry, in 1862 when he was 15 years old. His father forbade him to go, and like any dutiful son, he promptly ran off and joined the army anyway. Stockwell saw his first combat on the second day of the Battle of Shiloh, and he paints a very vivid picture of his introduction to Civil War combat. What's amazing about this account is that it was written by Stockwell when he was 81 years old and nearly blind from cataracts. Here is his account, which I open as the 14th Wisconsin comes under fire for the first time while being held in reserve:



"I want to say, as we lay there and the shells were flying over us, my thoughts went back to my home. I thought what a foolish boy I was to run away to get into such a mess as I was in. I would have been glad to have seen my father coming after me. It is very trying to one's nerves to lay under fire and not be able to do anything in return. But as soon as we were ordered forward, the fear left me, and I went forward with a will, certain we would do them up in a hurry and have this over with.

We were going down hill when someone hit me in the back with his bayonet quite severely. As I supposed it was carelessness, I turned around to give him a piece of my mind, but there lay the poor fellow shot in the forehead. He was drawing his knees up toward his head, also his hands toward his breast, and the blood spurting from the hole in his forehead. I turned and went on...

The road was full for several rods, and I shot for the middle of the crowd and began loading. But as they were getting so close, I looked behind me to see what the rest were doing. I saw the colors going out of sight over the hill, and only two of our men in sight. As I turned to run, I heard several shout, 'Halt!,' But I knew it was the Rebs, and I hadn't any thought of obeying them. I don't think they were over six rods from me. I didn't think they might kill me, but dreaded to be taken prisoner.

The ground looked queer, as though it was boiling, but I didn't think was the cause was until afterwards. I saw a line of men to my left going the same way I was, and some ahead of me. At that instant the bullet cut across my right shoulder, and it burned like a red hot iron. My first thought was my clothes were afire, and I grabbed it with my left hand, and turned my face to the right. I saw John Rhodus behind a big tree, and laughing as though he saw something funny, which riled my temper, but I didn't have time to argue with him."

SCAN1264_zps276fa832.jpg

Elisha Stockwell, Jr.

Elisha Stockwell, Jr., Sees the Civil War is an excellent book, and there are modern editions, so it is readilyavailable. I highly recommend it.
That's excellent, thanks for sharing. I am adding this book to the top of my list... my gg-grandfather fought and was wounded at Shiloh with the 25th Missouri.
 
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Tough call for me between Daniel and Cunningham. I'd probably lean more towards Daniel's book but I don't think you can go wrong with either one. Tim Smith also has a book on Shiloh that came out last year but I haven't had the chance to read it yet. He has a lot of knowledge on the battle so I will definitely pick it up sooner than later.


http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U33Z2ZC/?tag=civilwartalkc-20
I'm starting the Tim Smith book on Shiloh and so far really like it... thanks for the recommendation.
 
The fog of war as seen through the eyes of the Common Soldier has always been important to me. The following thread may be of interest to you.


http://civilwartalk.com/threads/the-battle-of-shiloh-as-seen-by-a-15-year-old-boy.89900/

The Battle of Shiloh as Seen by a 15 Year Old Boy



SCAN1263_zps25df6101.jpg


One of my favorite Civil War Memoirs is Elisha Stockwell, Jr., Sees the Civil War, and I thought I would share a few passages from his writings about the Battle of Shiloh. Stockwell joined Company I, 14th Wisconsin Infantry, in 1862 when he was 15 years old. His father forbade him to go, and like any dutiful son, he promptly ran off and joined the army anyway. Stockwell saw his first combat on the second day of the Battle of Shiloh, and he paints a very vivid picture of his introduction to Civil War combat. What's amazing about this account is that it was written by Stockwell when he was 81 years old and nearly blind from cataracts. Here is his account, which I open as the 14th Wisconsin comes under fire for the first time while being held in reserve:



"I want to say, as we lay there and the shells were flying over us, my thoughts went back to my home. I thought what a foolish boy I was to run away to get into such a mess as I was in. I would have been glad to have seen my father coming after me. It is very trying to one's nerves to lay under fire and not be able to do anything in return. But as soon as we were ordered forward, the fear left me, and I went forward with a will, certain we would do them up in a hurry and have this over with.

We were going down hill when someone hit me in the back with his bayonet quite severely. As I supposed it was carelessness, I turned around to give him a piece of my mind, but there lay the poor fellow shot in the forehead. He was drawing his knees up toward his head, also his hands toward his breast, and the blood spurting from the hole in his forehead. I turned and went on...

The road was full for several rods, and I shot for the middle of the crowd and began loading. But as they were getting so close, I looked behind me to see what the rest were doing. I saw the colors going out of sight over the hill, and only two of our men in sight. As I turned to run, I heard several shout, 'Halt!,' But I knew it was the Rebs, and I hadn't any thought of obeying them. I don't think they were over six rods from me. I didn't think they might kill me, but dreaded to be taken prisoner.

The ground looked queer, as though it was boiling, but I didn't think was the cause was until afterwards. I saw a line of men to my left going the same way I was, and some ahead of me. At that instant the bullet cut across my right shoulder, and it burned like a red hot iron. My first thought was my clothes were afire, and I grabbed it with my left hand, and turned my face to the right. I saw John Rhodus behind a big tree, and laughing as though he saw something funny, which riled my temper, but I didn't have time to argue with him."

SCAN1264_zps276fa832.jpg

Elisha Stockwell, Jr.

Elisha Stockwell, Jr., Sees the Civil War is an excellent book, and there are modern editions, so it is readilyavailable. I highly recommend it.

I read this book years ago and I remember that I enjoyed it. I had a Gr. x 3 uncle in Co. C, 18th Wisconsin at Shiloh.
 
Fifteen sounds a skosh young to see the elephant. But then, that was a different time and different 15-year olds.

At 15, I was still drag-racing through the streets of Sioux Falls and flirting with the bellhops at various drive-ins on the way out of town.
 
I have two Cunningham's. The first had a displaced page. Savas made it good and corrected the booboo. Now I don't know which is which.
 
Might not be what you're looking for, but don't forget about Shelby Foote's novel Shiloh; it's a wonderful read that might help prepare the heart & soul, instead of just getting the head ready... Hope you have a wonderful trip!
I recently stumbled upon this book - need to add it to my list! thanks for the reco
 
I liked Cunningham's, although I haven't read any of the other big names. I've been thinking about Tim Smith's new book on Shiloh; his book on Champion Hill is excellent, so I was wondering how it compares?
 
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