Donnybrook: The Battle of Bull Run, 1861 – The First Major History Using Epic Soldier Accounts of Lincoln's Virginia Campaign

by David Detzer

In April 1861, Confederate artillery blasted Fort Sumter into surrender. Within weeks, the Confederacy had established its capital at Richmond. On May 24, Lincoln ordered troops across the Potomac into Virginia, only a few miles from the Confederate military base near the hamlet of Manassas. A great battle was inevitable; whether this would end the war, as many expected, was the only question. On July 21, near a stream called Bull Run, the two forces fought from early morning until after dark in the first great battle of the Civil War. America would never be quite the same.

Donnybrook is the first major history of Bull Run to detail the battle from its origins through its aftermath. Using copious and remarkably detailed primary source mate-rial-including the recollections of hundreds of average soldiers-David Detzer has created an epic account of a defining moment in American history. This new paperback edition includes additional maps.

Genres: Civil War, History, American Civil War, American History, Civil War Eastern Theater, Nonfiction, Military History

554 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2004

Reviews

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

In chronological order, this is the third in Detzer’s three-book series about the early Civil War era. It’s the second book in the series that he actually wrote. And it’s the first in terms of how I’d rate them all.

Perhaps that’s because there’s more meat to this particular story, about the first battle of the Civil War, as compared to the other two books that covered just the run-up to the actual war. Those books, about shorter, less action-packed periods of time, could feel padded and stretched at times. And in an apparent attempt to add some pizazz to those slower-moving tales, Detzer could often be distractingly flippant and folksy in his writing. Neither is true in the case of this book - aside from an occasional casually-phrased observation, Detzer mostly avoids padding or unnecessary adornments.

The foreword alone adequately summarizes the entirety of Dissonance: The Turbulent Days Between Fort Sumter and Bull Run (which, since he wrote this book first, makes me wonder why he then decided to write Dissonance at all). The story to follow, he writes, “is intended as a cautionary tale - a glimpse of the chasm between military planning and reality."

One of the main themes of this book, then, is how, in the heat of battle - particularly the very first Civil War battle when the participants were inexperienced and no one could have foreseen how long it would go on - little went according to plan. Detzer ably describes just how much was improvised at this early stage - everything from overall strategy to practical matters such as how and where to treat the wounded.

The book is at its best when it sets the scene with engaging descriptions of geography, topography, methods of transportation, soldiers' daily life, all of which will come into play when the battle begins. Once the fighting is under way, the narrative shines when describing soldiers’ experiences and what it was like to be in combat - not just the physical experience, but mental and psychological. And also practical, as Detzer acknowledges that each and every soldier’s death left a major impact on some family somewhere, often some widow and children who were left behind to a lifetime of adversity.

What didn’t work as well for me, is that the book seems to want to be a popular history, but often reads like it aspires to be something more. This would not be a bad thing, except for the fact that Detzer often assumes a more detailed familiarity with events than many readers may actually have. The narrative incorporates something of a historiography of the battle, introducing certain scenes by considering varying versions of events, different histories that relate different stories, or conventional wisdom that may or may not be correct, before going on to dissect them all. Detzer’s goals here are laudable, but it sometimes simply distracts from the flow of the story. I often wished he would just tell the story to the best of his ability, without trying so hard to litigate or dispel other versions that many readers wouldn’t be familiar with anyway.

Since the story is told from the perspective of those on the battlefield, there’s very little of Abraham Lincoln in the book. We get a bit of the grand strategy, in terms of what the initial plan and the goals were in sending Union troops into Virginia, but only a very short epilogue about how the Union defeat affected the overall war plan, forcing Lincoln to shift gears and replace Army commander General McDowell with General McClellan. Were it not for the epilogue, the end of the battle essentially marks the end of the book, without a lot of discussion about its impact and importance.

Still, overall, the book manages to relate the story of the battle with much more engrossing detail than any general history of the Civil War as a whole. Looking back at the previous two books, chronologically speaking, they read kind of like prequels, with this book being the main event. And in reading the books in a different order than Detzer actually wrote them, I’m glad that, in doing so, I ended up saving the best for last.

[Marcus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any author attempting to write about this first major battle of American Civil War is facing some severe difficulties - not only is there a lot of myths that need to "be punched through", but also, the battle itself developed in very chaotic manner. Nevertheless, Detzer manages to deliver a very competent narrative, along with a superb analysis of why the events developed the way they did. This book is absolutely on same level as those of Sears and Cozzens. There is only one thing that stops me from giving this book highest praise and it's the maps. It's not that they aren't there, there are several. But the choice of what they depict is very odd. There are several maps available online (there is a very good set on Wikipedia), but it's a shame that such excellent work is missing necessary graphics material.

[Brian Willis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great balance of precise military information with a more popular prose based aesthetic to reach a wider audience. In this case, that's a great thing. The military historians write great books about these battles, and their research is definitive, but sometimes can be overwhelming in their attention to detail to every division. I read this book on the 150th anniversary of Bull Run trying to match to the hour by hour developments and it was immersive and fun. (I also finally visited the humbling battlefield in 2016). Probably the best book on Bull Run out there, and certainly recommended for those who want the military maneuvering and the anecdotes, though as others have noticed, the maps are primary documents and not the actual graphics one is used to in this type of book. Fortunately, there are plenty of awesome resources in addition to these maps available online. That preserves the 5 star for me. Good stuff and grippingly told. (For those more neophyte to this battle, this is where Stonewall was given his nickname, railroad supply lines played a massive role in the outcome, the first general lost his life, and several ironic anecdotes litter the circumstances of the battle). One of those Civil War battles worth examining in detail and done splendidly here.

[Michael Ryzy · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent narrative of the Battle of First Bull Run. Once again Detzer demonstrates his skill at creating a sense of history in the moment. Nothing is a foregone conclusion: the anxieties, moments of indecision and chaos are well conveyed.
His defense of Patterson's actions (or lack thereof) may raise a few eyebrows, but I found his alternative views more detailed than the typical "slow and incompetent" throwaway explanation and certainly provide some food for thought.
History Reader's Lament: More Maps!

[Rob McMonigal · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent examination of the first major battle of the Civil War.

[Kosar7480 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent summary of the events leading up to Bull Run and the battle itself. Very readable and fast moving. Only complaint is that I wish there were more maps showing the different elements of the battle.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Detzer brings an excellent finale to his three book series on the start of the civil war. While not a revealing story of little known events like the first two he provides a different take on the battle of Bull Run. Details of the battle are given within this book but it is not your typical civil war book and the lack of maps is more intentional since it really is about the political fallout and what the military on both sides learned from their encounter. From the defeat of the Union and the retreat to Washington and the rising of Civil War legends like "Stonewall" there is a little something about every side in this book. There is not an inherent bias and what is nice is the coverage of peripheral armies such as those stationed in the Shenandoah, Western Virginia and Harpers Ferry showing their impact on the battle. It is a complete overview and for those who are starting out on civil war history it is a great first book to read. For the more advanced reader of civil war history there is also plenty to gleam since the coverage goes into many areas not looked at as comprehensively by other books. Very highly recommend to those interested in this era of US History.

[Jeremy Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly well written and readable, particularly for those not seeped in military science. It made the battle relatively easy to follow. I found his explanatory asides fascinating as well.

[Gary Brecht · Rating 4 out of 5]

For several reasons, this was a good read. Firstly, it provides a thorough, well researched account of the conflict. Secondly, the author strives to paint more than a graphic picture of the battle; he attempts to convey the emotions felt by the participants and observers alike. Detzer’s research gives us a fresh look at the facts. He tells us where and why his interpretation of the battle differs from previous historians’ views. While he provides us with pertinent statistics and facts, he keeps it interesting by relating individual eye witness accounts of the events. Later, he creates an effective denouement, much like the one imagines a depressed, defeated army might experience. He does so by describing the aftermath of the battle through individual vignettes. I highly recommend this for those interested particularly in the American Civil War.

[Rich · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detzer is at his best here describing the run-up to the battle, but once the action starts, things become a bit hard to follow. While he does attempt to clear up some of the uncertainty surrounding a few of the battle's key events, Detzer reminds us several times that trying to piece together a comprehensive picture of the battle is a devilishly difficult task since the participants left conflicting narratives/timelines. I guess that's his way of being honest & lowering our expectations so we won't hold it against him if he doesn't clear up the fog of war that still hangs over the battle's narrative/timeline. That sounds like a complaint, but it's really not- this is an excellent book. Not as good as his "Allegiance," but much better than "Dissonance."

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exceptional retelling of the Battle of Bull Run, David Detzer offers an engaging account of the first major clash of the American Civil War. With a generous helping of first-person accounts, and meticulously detailed examinations of the planning on both sides of the battle, this book offers a fascinating glimpse of just how little Americans knew about the real horrors of war, to say nothing of how bloody the next four years would be. As a minor complaint, the book could have used more maps of the battle (a few period maps are included) and photos of those involved (only a few, like Jackson and McDowell, are included). Otherwise, this is a splendid piece of historical work, and should be enjoyed by Civil War students and enthusiasts alike. Recommended.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very compelling narrative and gave a clear view at both the tactical and strategic level. The biggest drawback is the lack of maps. If I hadn't just mounted a 22"x30" color map of this battlefield to wallboard, I would have been decently lost geographically, although Detzer did as well as could be expected in describing the relative locales without maps.

I'm contemplating buying this one for future re-reads. At least I finally finished reading this in time for the sesquicentennial of the battle.

[Don Cygan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detzer is by far one of my favorite history authors. His writing style is colorful and enjoyable, and his history is always framed in the greater perspective of the time (social, political, etc.), which so often, many other historians ignore. This is my personal favorite of all of his works, as it underscores the "innocence lost" theme of the first large battle of the American Civil War, and takes an unflinching look at the unrealistic expectations of the soldiers, leaders, and citizenry of both Americas in 1861.

[Hanjinax · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! I've read a lot of books on the Civil War and this is one of my favorites by a person not named Shaara. Detzer takes the details of history and weaves them into a compelling story. This is non-fiction that sometimes reads likes historical fiction as Detzer knows just how to bring the reader along. By the time you're done you'll know as much as you could ever want to know about the battle of Bull Run.

[Josh Liller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Superb writing (with amusing similes) about the first major battle of the American Civil War. It provides a good lead up to the battle, lots of details, good tangents on aspects of Civil War era military, tackles all the controversies, but perhaps best of all was just a joy to read.

My only real criticism is the HUGE lack of maps.

[Allen Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a detailed look at the events leading up to the battle, and the battle itself. Although the battle descriptions were detailed, I found myself longing for a detailed map of the battlefield in order to follow the narrative.

[Joann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is amazing in the details. I'm taking my time to absorb it all. Wish I'd read it loong before now.

[Karen]

I recently took a full-day tour of the Bull Run battlefield. I was told by the local historians that this was the best book about the battle.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting to learn the details of the battle, how the union commander made a poor decision while sick at his stomach that had great effect re: the union defeat.

[Brandon Bullock · Rating 4 out of 5]

very historically accurate in terms of where they fought and what times they fought as well as their plan of attack.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent, but needs better maps.