Here’s what Elizabeth Varon has to say about my latest book, The Civil War in the East. I’ll soon have something to say about her latest book on Appomattox.
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Crossroads 
A truly enjoyable book. Apart from the challenging interpretations it contained, it was nice to read a book that concisely told a sprawling story.
I’m not sure that the “omissions” qualify as such given that the view taken by this well-done book is from 35,000 feet. But a good review nevertheless. Instead of an equivalent book for the western theater, however, here’s one for your next project (haven’t found any takers yet) – we need a good unit history of the federal artillery in the West (or at least one of the 2 main federal armies out that way) along the lines of Wise, Naisawald, and Daniel. A major gap. Surely you have the time 🙂
I really have to agree with Brooks on Grant’s leadership being a turning point. I think Grant understood the importance of campaign planning with a strategic goal of winning the war. The other commanders seemed to have been held captive by the Napoleonic concept of battle winning; winning great battles would decide a war. This was not the case and still is not the case. The ability to field huge armies and fight with an industrialized war machine changed the nature of warfare and the Civil War was one of the first ones to show this. Add in the size of North America and the need to wage war on multiple fronts and you can begin to understand just why Grant’s leadership was so important.
I find it interesting how WWI was fought and how the armies still wanted a great climatic battle to determine who won a war. Then look at WWII and see how the Allies basically took notes from Grant on thinking strategically to stretch an enemy’s ability to fight to the point where they could no longer maintain either a superiority or a stalemate. Thinking in the larger concept of war shows Grant to be a true game changer in the art of warfare.
There are also those of us who are eagerly awaiting the second volume of Dr. Simpson’s biography of Grant.
I finally purchased my copy a few weeks ago when I saw it at the Gettysburg Visitor Center & Museum Bookstore. It’s in the queue to be read.
I bought this book not long after it came out. I haven’t finished reading it yet. 😛
I have a major issue with anyone trying to support the notion that the Eastern Theater was more important than the West. After all, Lincoln himself said “Vicksburg is the Key.” If David Porter said it, it must be true, right?