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Fields Of Honor : Pivotal Battles Of The Civil War
Few historians have ever captured the drama, excitement, and tragedy of the War Between the States quite like Edwin Bearss. The acclaimed "Homer of the Civil War," has won a huge, devoted following with his extraordinary battlefield tours and eloquent soliloquies about the heroes, scoundrels, and little-known moments of a conflict that still fascinates America. Antietam, Shiloh, Chickamauga, these hallowed battles and more than a dozen more come alive as never before, rich with human interest and colorful detail culled from a lifetime of study. Illustrated with detailed maps and archival images, this 448-page volume commemorates the 140th anniversary of the war's end with a unique narrative of its most critical battles, translating Bearss' inimitable delivery into print. As he guides readers from the first shots at Fort Sumter to Gettysburg's bloody fields to the dignified surrender at Appomattox, his engagingly plainspoken but expert account demonstrates why he stands beside Shelby Foote, James McPherson, and Ken Burns in the front rank of modern chroniclers of the Civil War, as the Pulitzer Prize-winning McPherson himself points out in his admiring introduction. A must for every one of America's countless Civil War and history buffs alike, this major work will stand as an important reference and enduring legacy of a great historian for generations to come.
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First published January 1, 2006
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About the author
Edwin C. Bearss
90 books24 followersA specialist in the American Civil War, Edwin Cole Bearss was employed by the National Park Service, where he worked as their chief historian from 1981 until 1994.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
December 13, 2020
Mr. Bearss is the legendary battlefield historian who has given literally countless CW battlefield tours over 100 locations. He appeared in Ken Burns's Civil War series (the bald older guy in the armchair who leans forward and has a very staccato delivery) and retired in 1995. He STILL gives tons of tours.
This book is a record of his knowledge. Hundreds of hours of tapes that document his knowledge of those battlefields from in person tours have been edited into lively and 20 page or so recounts of famous locations (battles is an accurate title but Harpers Ferry, Fort Sumter, Appomattox Court House weren't really battles in that sense). It feels like you are there with Bearss. The "tours" have been modified from a second person description to a 3rd person one (Bearss doesn't say "up on that hill, you would have seen..." as he would in person) but particularly for battlefields that the reader might have already visited, this book evokes beautifully the narrative of the battle and the conditions and topography that led to decisions and results. Modern photos and some maps help tell the story, but Bearss is the treat. I certainly enjoyed the handful of locations I could reimagine in my mind.
Truly, this is a book for the enthusiast who enjoys visiting the battlefields in person though it also serves to tell the story of the Civil War's major engagements. It also is a wonderful record of Bearss's knowledge and scholarship.
This book is a record of his knowledge. Hundreds of hours of tapes that document his knowledge of those battlefields from in person tours have been edited into lively and 20 page or so recounts of famous locations (battles is an accurate title but Harpers Ferry, Fort Sumter, Appomattox Court House weren't really battles in that sense). It feels like you are there with Bearss. The "tours" have been modified from a second person description to a 3rd person one (Bearss doesn't say "up on that hill, you would have seen..." as he would in person) but particularly for battlefields that the reader might have already visited, this book evokes beautifully the narrative of the battle and the conditions and topography that led to decisions and results. Modern photos and some maps help tell the story, but Bearss is the treat. I certainly enjoyed the handful of locations I could reimagine in my mind.
Truly, this is a book for the enthusiast who enjoys visiting the battlefields in person though it also serves to tell the story of the Civil War's major engagements. It also is a wonderful record of Bearss's knowledge and scholarship.
May 22, 2012
Mr. Bearss truly shows his expertise, but unless one is themselves something of a scholar of the Civil War this book would be very difficult to follow.
The narrative is no where near as powerful as it might be if there was better development of the characters. I know this is not fiction, but without a map to consistently refer to or the knowledge of a War College graduate this book just isn't as user friendly as other Civil War Classics -- Killer Angels, Shelby Foote's III Volume Classic etc.
The narrative is no where near as powerful as it might be if there was better development of the characters. I know this is not fiction, but without a map to consistently refer to or the knowledge of a War College graduate this book just isn't as user friendly as other Civil War Classics -- Killer Angels, Shelby Foote's III Volume Classic etc.
February 12, 2022
I enjoyed this book. It is exactly what it says it is on the book jacket a collection of battlefield tours conducted by former National Park Service Chief Historian Ed Bearss. Personally, I have visited all the major battlefields that are covered in this book, some of the battles leading up to them that are covered in brief I have not. I could see if you have not visited say the Shiloh battlefield and only have a cursory or no knowledge of the battle you would have trouble with this book. Even for me some of the troop movements were tough to follow, for instance there are multiple generals in each army with the same last name, General Anderson, Gordon, Davis for example so figuring out which is which is sometimes difficult. The same for units of states like Missouri and Maryland , the 20th Maryland was moving up, is this a Confederate or Union unit. This book is definitely tailored to the Civil War buff not a casual follower or newcomer to the Civil War.
September 26, 2021
If you ever walked a battlefield with Ed Bearss, then you can "hear" this book as you read it. The documents and interviews created for this book would be an interesting trove to go through as well.
April 11, 2024
An excellent, familiar writing style. Chocked full of details, this is not for the casual reader of history. This is for those with a moderate understanding of the politics, strategy, and warfare of the mid 19th century in America. The author has done a wonderful job of telling the stories of the key battles of the Civil War.
November 2, 2020
One of the best ways to experience past conflicts from history is to visit the battlefields. In Edwin Bearss’ Fields of Honor, readers have an opportunity to tour the American Civil War battle grounds without actually having to physically be there on the field. Civil War historian James M. McPherson offers an introduction to the book that provides background on Edwin Bearss that includes his authority on not only the subject of the Civil War in general but specifically on tours of the pivotal battles. According to McPherson, “By the time of the Civil War Centennial in the 1960’s, Ed had earned fame as the most knowledgeable Civil War historian in the National Park Service.” There is no other author better suited to provide a tour of American Civil War battlefields than Edwin Bearss.
Fields of Honor covers a lot of ground both figuratively and literally. At times, the pace of a battle can get bogged down in details of troop movements though. While including troop movement details are helpful from a researcher’s point of few, casual readers might not be as impressed with the level of detail in action between the Union and Confederate armies. Considering this book is a tour of the Civil War battle fields, one can understand the necessity to include a large amount of place names. However, relatively few maps are incorporated to help guide the reader around the area of fighting, which is surprising considering National Geographic published this title. The noticeable lack of maps in the book will cause curious readers to consult an historical atlas covering the Civil War, which regrettably could have been a major attraction of this book. Instead the absence of numerous maps is an omission that should have been remedied if not by the author or editor than by National Geographic.
Most major leaders and commanders are included in the book, but often without photos. The inclusion of photos of personalities seems arbitrary and random because some important leaders are present while others are absent. Unfortunately, there is not much depth in narrative given to all of the officers involved because the book needs to keep moving in order to include the entire Civil War. As a result, readers previously unfamiliar with all but the most famous generals might be lost at times. Despite a focus on breadth over depth in character development, the main leadership for both the Union and Confederacy do appear at various times throughout the battles, allowing readers to become familiar with names like Longstreet, Stuart, Sherman and many others.
Reading comprehension can sometimes take a back seat to maintain pace in the narrative. Due to a lack of supporting map detail and extensive inclusion of people and place names, a reader without a broad understanding of the Civil War will have to choose between understanding everything and a smooth storyline. While not every detail needs to be fully embellished, this book prevents casual readers and even amateur historians from comprehending parts of the book. Rather, sections need to be skipped or other sources consulted, which is never a positive for a book.
The use of italics is masterfully utilized to help bring the battles into focus, which makes each particular engagement easier to follow. Ideally, each battle should be read in one sitting otherwise places and people might be easily forgotten and confused. Each chapter, which usually covers one battle, can be read individually. For example, if someone is studying the Battle of Gettysburg, they can read only that battle in this book along with other books that focus on Gettysburg.
The battle descriptions are great for Civil War enthusiasts who want a knowledgeable guide like Edwin Bearss to take them on an exciting tour of the action. Readers relatively new to the Civil War can start upon and build their repertoire of understanding on the conflict via Bearss’ voice. Favorite engagements can be marked and reread or used to expand upon by reading other books that cover specific areas, campaigns, battles or commanders. Short of actually visiting the battlefields themselves, this book is the next best thing.
Fields of Honor covers a lot of ground both figuratively and literally. At times, the pace of a battle can get bogged down in details of troop movements though. While including troop movement details are helpful from a researcher’s point of few, casual readers might not be as impressed with the level of detail in action between the Union and Confederate armies. Considering this book is a tour of the Civil War battle fields, one can understand the necessity to include a large amount of place names. However, relatively few maps are incorporated to help guide the reader around the area of fighting, which is surprising considering National Geographic published this title. The noticeable lack of maps in the book will cause curious readers to consult an historical atlas covering the Civil War, which regrettably could have been a major attraction of this book. Instead the absence of numerous maps is an omission that should have been remedied if not by the author or editor than by National Geographic.
Most major leaders and commanders are included in the book, but often without photos. The inclusion of photos of personalities seems arbitrary and random because some important leaders are present while others are absent. Unfortunately, there is not much depth in narrative given to all of the officers involved because the book needs to keep moving in order to include the entire Civil War. As a result, readers previously unfamiliar with all but the most famous generals might be lost at times. Despite a focus on breadth over depth in character development, the main leadership for both the Union and Confederacy do appear at various times throughout the battles, allowing readers to become familiar with names like Longstreet, Stuart, Sherman and many others.
Reading comprehension can sometimes take a back seat to maintain pace in the narrative. Due to a lack of supporting map detail and extensive inclusion of people and place names, a reader without a broad understanding of the Civil War will have to choose between understanding everything and a smooth storyline. While not every detail needs to be fully embellished, this book prevents casual readers and even amateur historians from comprehending parts of the book. Rather, sections need to be skipped or other sources consulted, which is never a positive for a book.
The use of italics is masterfully utilized to help bring the battles into focus, which makes each particular engagement easier to follow. Ideally, each battle should be read in one sitting otherwise places and people might be easily forgotten and confused. Each chapter, which usually covers one battle, can be read individually. For example, if someone is studying the Battle of Gettysburg, they can read only that battle in this book along with other books that focus on Gettysburg.
The battle descriptions are great for Civil War enthusiasts who want a knowledgeable guide like Edwin Bearss to take them on an exciting tour of the action. Readers relatively new to the Civil War can start upon and build their repertoire of understanding on the conflict via Bearss’ voice. Favorite engagements can be marked and reread or used to expand upon by reading other books that cover specific areas, campaigns, battles or commanders. Short of actually visiting the battlefields themselves, this book is the next best thing.
November 19, 2015
I haven't read a lot of Civil War books, so maybe I'm not as qualified as others to comment on this effort by US National Park Service Historian Emeritus Edwin C. Bearss. But this is some pretty hard (and dull) reading. I was expecting to hear stories about some of the important battlefields of the Civil War, and while there are a few good nuggets in here, most of it is simply Bearss trying to describe which segment of which army moved here, followed by more descriptions of which army moved somewhere else. I really liked the maps that Rick Atkinson used in his book that described the 1944 western front of Europe (The Guns at Last Light: The War in Western Europe, 1944-1945). Bearss needs more of both those large scale (southern PA to Richmond VA) and small scale (NW of Gettysburg) maps in this book. Plus, there's just so many names and numbers that it is very difficult to keep track of who does what when. I didn't care for the Epilogue that described the finding of the ironclad Cairo. A good epilogue to me tells me what became of the men so often mentioned in the narrative.
June 29, 2017
Bearss account reads as if you're standing on the battlefield with him, tour map on hand, listening to him describe the action. You've just done a tour of the National Parks museum, watched the short film clip and studied the dioramas. Bearss is giving you the final tour before you head off to grab lunch.
That's the problem.
The book is useless to the uninitiated. The maps don't adequately match the narrative. He'll describe locations and units and commanders who are absent from the maps entirely.
This was a tremendously confusing book. What little I knew about certain battles in question helped me get through those accounts, but where I didn't know anything about them? I was totally lost. He strays constantly with sideline anecdotes on the various personalities involved in the narrative. At times he repeats himself, telling twice how Lee growled his discontent with George Pickett, whom he relieved.
His epilogue is an account of his efforts to raise the gunboat "Cairo" from the mused of the Yazoo river. An interesting story that had nothing to do with the title or theme of the book.
If you're a novice to Civil War history, avoid this one.
That's the problem.
The book is useless to the uninitiated. The maps don't adequately match the narrative. He'll describe locations and units and commanders who are absent from the maps entirely.
This was a tremendously confusing book. What little I knew about certain battles in question helped me get through those accounts, but where I didn't know anything about them? I was totally lost. He strays constantly with sideline anecdotes on the various personalities involved in the narrative. At times he repeats himself, telling twice how Lee growled his discontent with George Pickett, whom he relieved.
His epilogue is an account of his efforts to raise the gunboat "Cairo" from the mused of the Yazoo river. An interesting story that had nothing to do with the title or theme of the book.
If you're a novice to Civil War history, avoid this one.
December 28, 2012
Bearss is a true expert. Unfortunately, like many experts on the Civil War, he forgets what is important to most readers and smothers us with detail that allows him to showcase his voluminous knowledge. Do I really need to know that a specific officer went to Oberlin? What bearing does it have on what he did or didn't do? If the fact that he didn't go to West Point is supposed to tell me something, then I have no idea what it is. What about company commanders? Do they really have to be identified for me to understand the waxing and waning of fortunes on the battlefield?
I find this approach to Civil War history, even when told in Bearss folksy manner with his charming anecdotes, close to impenetrable. However, it seems to be the style one finds in a great deal of military history. Also, one one-page map per battle is really a bit skimpy, especially when some elements in the text are not noted on the map. A wealth of material is offered to the reader. Some more expert than myself about the Civil War may revel in this style of exposition. I simply find it frustrating.
I find this approach to Civil War history, even when told in Bearss folksy manner with his charming anecdotes, close to impenetrable. However, it seems to be the style one finds in a great deal of military history. Also, one one-page map per battle is really a bit skimpy, especially when some elements in the text are not noted on the map. A wealth of material is offered to the reader. Some more expert than myself about the Civil War may revel in this style of exposition. I simply find it frustrating.
February 6, 2020
This has to be one of the finest books ever written about the civil war. The author leads you through the battles beginning with Fort Sumter and looking at each of the other important battlefields. You get a look at Antietam, Shiloh, Chickamauga, Gettysburg and of course Appomattox. What a fine storyteller and historian that at times you feel like you are there at each battle though you know you are not. I found this to be an amazing book and my words do not give it the justice it disserves.
January 3, 2013
I've tried to read this book twice now, and was always thoroughly interested after the first chapter, yet after that I found myself lost. It seemed like the author was just talking a little too fast for a novice civil war fan like myself to follow along. Don't get me wrong, this book is packed with details, it's just not easy for me to read. I've read Shelby Foote's Civil War Narratives and found them a hundred times easier to follow than this.
September 29, 2011
Bearss takes you on a tour of the Civil wars major Battles. His anecdotal manor makes this an enjoyable read. Would have given it five Stars but not quite up to the caliber of Foote. Bears tends to leave out a lot of detail which makes this an easier read but leaves the reader kind of in a fog.
But Still an informative piece and worth the read
But Still an informative piece and worth the read
March 16, 2012
Great book, I really enjoyed it.
Favourite quote "Now, we all know who won at Waterloo, and it wasn't the French" on Beauregards Napoleonic approach at Shiloh.
Makes you want to learn more on the different battles. Definitely a must read. Great appetizer for further studies on the civil war battles.
Favourite quote "Now, we all know who won at Waterloo, and it wasn't the French" on Beauregards Napoleonic approach at Shiloh.
Makes you want to learn more on the different battles. Definitely a must read. Great appetizer for further studies on the civil war battles.
August 24, 2017
The last chapter, about Grant's pursuit of Lee's worn down army to Appomattox was the best part of the book, a great finish. It was exciting, detailed, and easy to follow the action. Bearss' astounding attention to detail makes this book a good and authoritative reference that was interesting and fun to read...mostly.
April 30, 2018
A book on the various battles of the Civil War. It was hard going as he concentrates on the important battles and not any of the smaller skirmishes and firefights.
I normally don't like this type of books as it is dealing only with army movements and not the individual stories every battle spawns but overall it is a great book if you are planning on visiting the battlefields.
I normally don't like this type of books as it is dealing only with army movements and not the individual stories every battle spawns but overall it is a great book if you are planning on visiting the battlefields.
June 2, 2013
An in-depth but conversational look at the pivotal battles of the American Civil War, with many interesting side notes on the various personalities and decisions made, those what-ifs that hindsight and the distance of time can provide.
January 10, 2014
I only read the chapter on Gettysburg. The book is written by a battlefield guide who knows what he is about. The chapter is a good summary of the battle, for someone who does not want to read more, or for someone who wants a short, snappy summary.
May 12, 2019
It’s like having your favorite tour guide at your elbow. Bearss, a lifelong student of the Civil War and World War II veteran, guides readers through the battles, leaders, and consequences of critical moments in the Civil War.
June 29, 2020
Had the honor of meeting the author, Edwin C. Bearss in Charleston, SC. The man is as engaging as is his book about the most significant battles of the civil war. Fields of Honor was the inspiration for met novel of historical-fiction, "The General & The Lady: A True Story of Civil Love and War."
January 24, 2021
Great level of detail
Having been to many of the sites discussed in the book, there’s a level of detail to fill in some of the gaps from being onsite. Makes me want to go back and revisits these sites.
Having been to many of the sites discussed in the book, there’s a level of detail to fill in some of the gaps from being onsite. Makes me want to go back and revisits these sites.
April 28, 2009
Key battles and unbelievable stories. A great historical read.
November 24, 2009
There is alot of stuff you can learn from this book. It talks about John Browns raid of Harpers ferry. Chase also said he would read this book which it means it must be good.
August 6, 2011
A great companion to other histories to bring these experiences to life.
May 9, 2012
Might be that reading Battle Cry of Freedom made this one pale. There is an annoying 'you are there' aspect as well.
July 7, 2016
Reading this volume brings the many battle fields of the Civil War to life. For the avid student of the War Between the States or the casual reader this is a good book.
April 15, 2015
It's ok.
You can tell that this was a transcript. Good read though. I would l ok 've to actually be visiting the parks while he interprets
You can tell that this was a transcript. Good read though. I would l ok 've to actually be visiting the parks while he interprets
May 5, 2025
A Man Of The Battlefields
In the Preface to his recent book "Fields of Honor" Ed Bearss describes himself as a "man of the battlefields" and so he is. For over fifty years, Bearss has been introducing Americans to the Civil War on the ground and in the trenches - by offering tours of both the great and the little-known battlefields of the conflict. With his booming voice, charisma, encyclopedic knowledge, love for his subject, and gift for the telling detail, Bearss is an inspiring teacher and historian indeed. Bearss is a former Chief Historian of the National Park Service, and he is familiar to many Americans who have never studied the Civil War or visited a battlefield from his appearances on PBS.
"Fields of Honor" is a collaborative effort between Bearss and the Blue and Gray Education Society, a nonprofit Civil War educational organization which sponsors tours, lectures and other efforts to teach people about the Civil War and its significance. Bearss has frequently led tours for the group. The book was prepared by transcribing tapes of the many tours Bearss has given over the years at key battlefields. The tapes were transcribed, edited, and placed into a coherent narrative, supplemented by many period photographs and maps.
The book begins in 1859, as Bearss guides the reader through John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry and its aftermath. He then narrates by year the key battles of the Civil War beginning with Fort Sumter and First Bull Run in 1861, proceeding through Shiloh and Antietam in 1862, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Vicksburg, and Chattanooga in 1863, Grant's bloody overland campaign in 1864, and Sherman's march through the Carolinas and Appomattox in 1865.
The concluding chapter of the book details the history of the ironclad "Cairo" which was sunk by a Confederate mine in the Yazoo River in 1862. Bearss discovered the Cairo while working as a historian in Vicksburg in 1956, and, after a great deal of effort, the Cairo was raised in 1965 and finally put on display at Vicksburg in the mid-1980s. Bearss takes a great deal of justifiable pride in his efforts in recovering and restoring the Cairo.
The battlefield narratives are fast-paced, informal, and full of action and story. The individuals who collated Bearss' tapes did an excellent job in keeping the oral and immediate character of Bearss' battlefield presentations. Thus, these tapes do not present a full, detailed account of the battles they describe. There is a voluminous literature on each of the individual battles discussed in this book. Further, Bearss' focus is on military activities. He spends little time on the causes of the war or on its political, social or economic impact. (Bearss does discuss Lee's surrender at Appomattox in the context of an effort towards the reconciliation of North and South. And he also frequently points out the role of African American soldiers in the battles.) Again, there is a vast and accessible literature on these matters available to interested readers.
In reading these narratives, I tried to imagine myself on the battlefields with Bearss leading a group as we moved from place to place with Bearss recounting stories of movements, encounters, and persons. There is a cumulative impact in Bearss' narratives. They convey a feel for combat. More important, Bearss conveys to his readers or listeners a sense of the historical importance of the Civil War. It was a harsh, bitter conflict fought valiantly by soldiers both North and South. The meaning of the conflict for our country remains to be determined and expanded upon by each generation of Americans. Bearss' efforts throughout the years and this book are inspiring beginnings to teach Americans to think about this crucial period in our history.
Robin Friedman
In the Preface to his recent book "Fields of Honor" Ed Bearss describes himself as a "man of the battlefields" and so he is. For over fifty years, Bearss has been introducing Americans to the Civil War on the ground and in the trenches - by offering tours of both the great and the little-known battlefields of the conflict. With his booming voice, charisma, encyclopedic knowledge, love for his subject, and gift for the telling detail, Bearss is an inspiring teacher and historian indeed. Bearss is a former Chief Historian of the National Park Service, and he is familiar to many Americans who have never studied the Civil War or visited a battlefield from his appearances on PBS.
"Fields of Honor" is a collaborative effort between Bearss and the Blue and Gray Education Society, a nonprofit Civil War educational organization which sponsors tours, lectures and other efforts to teach people about the Civil War and its significance. Bearss has frequently led tours for the group. The book was prepared by transcribing tapes of the many tours Bearss has given over the years at key battlefields. The tapes were transcribed, edited, and placed into a coherent narrative, supplemented by many period photographs and maps.
The book begins in 1859, as Bearss guides the reader through John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry and its aftermath. He then narrates by year the key battles of the Civil War beginning with Fort Sumter and First Bull Run in 1861, proceeding through Shiloh and Antietam in 1862, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Vicksburg, and Chattanooga in 1863, Grant's bloody overland campaign in 1864, and Sherman's march through the Carolinas and Appomattox in 1865.
The concluding chapter of the book details the history of the ironclad "Cairo" which was sunk by a Confederate mine in the Yazoo River in 1862. Bearss discovered the Cairo while working as a historian in Vicksburg in 1956, and, after a great deal of effort, the Cairo was raised in 1965 and finally put on display at Vicksburg in the mid-1980s. Bearss takes a great deal of justifiable pride in his efforts in recovering and restoring the Cairo.
The battlefield narratives are fast-paced, informal, and full of action and story. The individuals who collated Bearss' tapes did an excellent job in keeping the oral and immediate character of Bearss' battlefield presentations. Thus, these tapes do not present a full, detailed account of the battles they describe. There is a voluminous literature on each of the individual battles discussed in this book. Further, Bearss' focus is on military activities. He spends little time on the causes of the war or on its political, social or economic impact. (Bearss does discuss Lee's surrender at Appomattox in the context of an effort towards the reconciliation of North and South. And he also frequently points out the role of African American soldiers in the battles.) Again, there is a vast and accessible literature on these matters available to interested readers.
In reading these narratives, I tried to imagine myself on the battlefields with Bearss leading a group as we moved from place to place with Bearss recounting stories of movements, encounters, and persons. There is a cumulative impact in Bearss' narratives. They convey a feel for combat. More important, Bearss conveys to his readers or listeners a sense of the historical importance of the Civil War. It was a harsh, bitter conflict fought valiantly by soldiers both North and South. The meaning of the conflict for our country remains to be determined and expanded upon by each generation of Americans. Bearss' efforts throughout the years and this book are inspiring beginnings to teach Americans to think about this crucial period in our history.
Robin Friedman
September 14, 2024
Ed Bearss is a legend in the Civil War community. So I offer this review with as much respect as one can. In short, the premise of this book just didn’t work. Using the transcripts of tours Bearrs delivered over the years, each chapter recounted the story of a significant battle (tilting heavily toward the war in the East). Reading the text, anyone who has met or seen Bearrs can hear his voice delivering the narrative. But the text of a tour is not the same as a book.
The primary reason this did not work for me was the level of detail offered without a frame a reference for contextualizing the described action. This book needed maps, a lot of maps, more maps than the average Civil War book. Unless one had visited the different sites, probably multiple times, it was nearly impossible to truly “see” what Bearrs was describing. And even if one had been to a particular place, the detail described in the alignment of troops was difficult to hold in the mind’s eye.
An additional challenge was the back and forth between too much detail and not enough. Frequently the “tree” was expertly described without really understanding where it was in the “forest” or the “forest” was so generally described as to not see any trees.
I think the overall challenge is that this book really doesn’t know what it wants to be. Is it a good overview for the introductory student? Probably not. One would likely get a better overview from a Wikipedia entry. And the new student would most certainly be lost without a companion map. Is it helpful for the more experienced student. Not really. There are some interesting anecdotes here and there, but not enough.
It feels almost sacreligious to offer critique of something with Bearrs name. But I would have a hard time recommending this work.
The primary reason this did not work for me was the level of detail offered without a frame a reference for contextualizing the described action. This book needed maps, a lot of maps, more maps than the average Civil War book. Unless one had visited the different sites, probably multiple times, it was nearly impossible to truly “see” what Bearrs was describing. And even if one had been to a particular place, the detail described in the alignment of troops was difficult to hold in the mind’s eye.
An additional challenge was the back and forth between too much detail and not enough. Frequently the “tree” was expertly described without really understanding where it was in the “forest” or the “forest” was so generally described as to not see any trees.
I think the overall challenge is that this book really doesn’t know what it wants to be. Is it a good overview for the introductory student? Probably not. One would likely get a better overview from a Wikipedia entry. And the new student would most certainly be lost without a companion map. Is it helpful for the more experienced student. Not really. There are some interesting anecdotes here and there, but not enough.
It feels almost sacreligious to offer critique of something with Bearrs name. But I would have a hard time recommending this work.
March 27, 2023
Fields of Honor: Pivotal Battles of the Civil War
Edwin Bearss may have been the most recognizable historical park guide in America with his distinctive voice and enthusiasm for whatever topic he was presenting. This book was made by boiling down transcriptions of hundreds of hours of videotape of Bearss leading groups through various battlefields (many videos are available on YouTube). You can almost hear his voice as you read his take on various important battles from the first engagement at Manassas when the many untrained soldiers chaotically stumbled about the field until an advantage was perceived for the southern side, through the terrible meat grinder that characterized the overland campaign to the inexorable murderous tedium of the siege of Petersburg. One chapter I particularly enjoyed dealt with Sherman’s march through the Carolinas after the fall of Savannah, a part of the war that is rarely discussed.
I have had a great interest in the American Civil War since I was a kid though my perspective as a reader has changed 180 degrees from being a firm believer in what is now recognized as the myth of the Lost Cause (as the Virginia history textbooks taught me back in the 1960s) to a more accurate understanding of what the “cause” really was. The war was the ultimate tragedy of our nation. Why anyone would wish for it again is beyond my level of comprehension.
I do recommend the book.
Edwin Bearss may have been the most recognizable historical park guide in America with his distinctive voice and enthusiasm for whatever topic he was presenting. This book was made by boiling down transcriptions of hundreds of hours of videotape of Bearss leading groups through various battlefields (many videos are available on YouTube). You can almost hear his voice as you read his take on various important battles from the first engagement at Manassas when the many untrained soldiers chaotically stumbled about the field until an advantage was perceived for the southern side, through the terrible meat grinder that characterized the overland campaign to the inexorable murderous tedium of the siege of Petersburg. One chapter I particularly enjoyed dealt with Sherman’s march through the Carolinas after the fall of Savannah, a part of the war that is rarely discussed.
I have had a great interest in the American Civil War since I was a kid though my perspective as a reader has changed 180 degrees from being a firm believer in what is now recognized as the myth of the Lost Cause (as the Virginia history textbooks taught me back in the 1960s) to a more accurate understanding of what the “cause” really was. The war was the ultimate tragedy of our nation. Why anyone would wish for it again is beyond my level of comprehension.
I do recommend the book.
November 25, 2024
Tremendous source of military history, but reads much more like a tour guide on a weekday. I don’t mean to be unkind as the author actually is a tour guide and has clearly put tremendous time and energy into this work. I only wish he would’ve partnered with another author who could’ve helped him with the style and prose. At times he makes the mistake of writing the same way I can imagine he talks and it simply doesn’t translate to the page, which in turn makes readability a bit difficult.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for a purely historical and military approach to this topic and don’t mind textbook style writing, you cannot beat this book and I highly recommend it for anyone who claims to be a history bug.
On the other hand, if you’re looking for a purely historical and military approach to this topic and don’t mind textbook style writing, you cannot beat this book and I highly recommend it for anyone who claims to be a history bug.
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