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The Civil War In The West #1
No Better Place to Die: The Battle Of Stones River
Peter Cozzens meticulously traces the chain of events as the Army of the Cumberland and the Army of Tennessee meet in Middle Tennessee on New Year's Eve 1862 in one of the bloodiest encounters of the Civil War.
A mere handful of battlefields have come to epitomize the anguish and pain of America's Civil War: Gettysburg, Shiloh, Chancellorsville, Chickamauga. Yet another name belongs on that infamous list: Stones River, the setting for Peter Cozzens's No Better Place to Die.
A mere handful of battlefields have come to epitomize the anguish and pain of America's Civil War: Gettysburg, Shiloh, Chancellorsville, Chickamauga. Yet another name belongs on that infamous list: Stones River, the setting for Peter Cozzens's No Better Place to Die.
281 pages, Hardcover
First published November 1, 1989
38 people are currently reading
425 people want to read
About the author
Peter Cozzens
44 books251 followersPeter Cozzens is the award-winning author of seventeen books on the American Civil War and the West. Cozzens is also a retired Foreign Service Officer.
His most recent book is A Brutal Reckoning: Andrew Jackson, the Creek Indians, and the Epic War for the American South (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2023). Cozzens's next book is Deadwood: Gold, Guns, and Greed in the American West (Knopf: September 2025).
Cozzens's penultimate book, Tecumseh and the Prophet: The Shawnee Brothers Who Defied a Nation, was published by Knopf in October 2020. It won the Western Writers of America Spur Award and was a finalist for the George Washington Prize.
His The Earth Is Weeping: The Epic Story of the Indian Wars for the American West was published by Alfred A. Knopf in October 2016. Amazon selected it as a Best Book of November 2016. Smithsonian Magazine chose it as one of the ten best history books of 2016. It has won multiple awards, including the Gilder-Lehrman Prize for the finest book on military history published worldwide. It also was a London Times book of the year and has been translated into several languages, including Russian and Chinese.
All of Cozzens' books have been selections of the Book of the Month Club, History Book Club, and/or the Military Book Club.
Cozzens’ This Terrible Sound: The Battle of Chickamauga and The Shipwreck of Their Hopes: The Battles for Chattanooga were both Main Selections of the History Book Club and were chosen by Civil War Magazine as two of the 100 greatest works ever written on the conflict.
The History Book Club called his five-volume Eyewitnesses to the Indian Wars "the definitive resource on the military struggle for the American West."
His Shenandoah 1862: Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign was a Choice "Outstanding Academic Title" for 2009.
He was a frequent contributor to the New York Times "Disunion" series, and he has written articles for Smithsonian Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, True West, America's Civil War, Civil War Times Illustrated, and MHQ, among other publications.
In 2002 Cozzens received the American Foreign Service Association’s highest award, given annually to one Foreign Service Officer for exemplary moral courage, integrity, and creative dissent.
Cozzens is a member of the Advisory Council of the Lincoln Prize, the Western Writers Association, the Authors' Guild, and the Army and Navy Club.
Cozzens and his wife Antonia Feldman reside in Maryland.
His most recent book is A Brutal Reckoning: Andrew Jackson, the Creek Indians, and the Epic War for the American South (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2023). Cozzens's next book is Deadwood: Gold, Guns, and Greed in the American West (Knopf: September 2025).
Cozzens's penultimate book, Tecumseh and the Prophet: The Shawnee Brothers Who Defied a Nation, was published by Knopf in October 2020. It won the Western Writers of America Spur Award and was a finalist for the George Washington Prize.
His The Earth Is Weeping: The Epic Story of the Indian Wars for the American West was published by Alfred A. Knopf in October 2016. Amazon selected it as a Best Book of November 2016. Smithsonian Magazine chose it as one of the ten best history books of 2016. It has won multiple awards, including the Gilder-Lehrman Prize for the finest book on military history published worldwide. It also was a London Times book of the year and has been translated into several languages, including Russian and Chinese.
All of Cozzens' books have been selections of the Book of the Month Club, History Book Club, and/or the Military Book Club.
Cozzens’ This Terrible Sound: The Battle of Chickamauga and The Shipwreck of Their Hopes: The Battles for Chattanooga were both Main Selections of the History Book Club and were chosen by Civil War Magazine as two of the 100 greatest works ever written on the conflict.
The History Book Club called his five-volume Eyewitnesses to the Indian Wars "the definitive resource on the military struggle for the American West."
His Shenandoah 1862: Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign was a Choice "Outstanding Academic Title" for 2009.
He was a frequent contributor to the New York Times "Disunion" series, and he has written articles for Smithsonian Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, True West, America's Civil War, Civil War Times Illustrated, and MHQ, among other publications.
In 2002 Cozzens received the American Foreign Service Association’s highest award, given annually to one Foreign Service Officer for exemplary moral courage, integrity, and creative dissent.
Cozzens is a member of the Advisory Council of the Lincoln Prize, the Western Writers Association, the Authors' Guild, and the Army and Navy Club.
Cozzens and his wife Antonia Feldman reside in Maryland.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
June 27, 2025
Stones River was one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War and started a ripple effect that would end with the defeat of the South, yet there are few books on it. Peter Cozzens' book, No Better Place to Die, is the single best book detailing and explaining the significance of this neglected battle.
December of 1862 had been a very bad month for the Union. General Burnsides and the Army of the Potomac had been horribly defeated at the Battle of Fredericksburg, and Grant and Sherman had been stopped cold in their attempt to take Vicksburg. The Union badly needed a victory, and another defeat could have been disastrous. Stones River was fought between the Union's Army of the Cumberland and the Confederate's Army of Tennessee over three days — from New Years Eve 1862 till January 2, 1863. Though the battle was considered by many to be a tactical draw, and both sides claimed victory, General Bragg and his Army of Tennessee retreated, conceding middle Tennessee to The Army of the Cumberland and the Union, and setting the stage for opening up the back door to the heart of the Confederacy. The significance of this battle was not lost on President Lincoln, who after the battle wrote to General Rosecrans, commander of the Union forces at Stones River:
”I can never forget whilst I remember anything, that... you gave us a hard-earned victory, which had there been a defeat instead, the Nation could scarcely have lived over."
Cozzens writing can be dry, but his research is meticulous and his detail is exacting. No Better Place to Die is a relatively short book (just over 200 pages), and uses many direct quotes from participants in the battle that add color to the work. It is a clear and detailed book on this important battle, and anyone who wants to seriously study the Civil War and understand how it was won in the western theater can ill afford to miss it.
December of 1862 had been a very bad month for the Union. General Burnsides and the Army of the Potomac had been horribly defeated at the Battle of Fredericksburg, and Grant and Sherman had been stopped cold in their attempt to take Vicksburg. The Union badly needed a victory, and another defeat could have been disastrous. Stones River was fought between the Union's Army of the Cumberland and the Confederate's Army of Tennessee over three days — from New Years Eve 1862 till January 2, 1863. Though the battle was considered by many to be a tactical draw, and both sides claimed victory, General Bragg and his Army of Tennessee retreated, conceding middle Tennessee to The Army of the Cumberland and the Union, and setting the stage for opening up the back door to the heart of the Confederacy. The significance of this battle was not lost on President Lincoln, who after the battle wrote to General Rosecrans, commander of the Union forces at Stones River:
”I can never forget whilst I remember anything, that... you gave us a hard-earned victory, which had there been a defeat instead, the Nation could scarcely have lived over."
Cozzens writing can be dry, but his research is meticulous and his detail is exacting. No Better Place to Die is a relatively short book (just over 200 pages), and uses many direct quotes from participants in the battle that add color to the work. It is a clear and detailed book on this important battle, and anyone who wants to seriously study the Civil War and understand how it was won in the western theater can ill afford to miss it.
June 8, 2023
Random thoughts on No Better Place to Die by Peter Cozzens:
- Cozzens makes the case that this battle helped turn the tide of the war towards the Northern states. Certainly, the Confederacy had won some recent battles and the populace in the North was losing its patience for the war effort. By holding their own in this battle - it could not be called a definitive victory on the battlefield - the Federal troops allowed the Northern newspapers and leadership to declare a victory that helped change the perception of how the war was going.
- Cozzens also posits that this campaign to protect middle Tennessee, of which this battle was a huge part, was the beginning of the end for General Bragg of the Confederacy. Bragg completely lost the confidence of his subordinates and spent more time fighting internal battles with his officers than planning battle strategy. It got worse after this battle, and Bragg became increasingly preoccupied with the complaints of his officers which took him away from how to defeat the Federal troops.
- This book also highlights two of the inherent problems that the Confederacy had to consistently battle. For one, the government in Richmond routinely accorded the army in the West second-class treatment and acted without a sound appreciation of Western problems. Jefferson Davis' focus was on the protection of Richmond, and so most of his attention was given to Lee's army. This led to the second issue: the Confederacy had an administrative system that divided the west into highly legalistic departments that the army of Tennessee was expected to defend, but from which is could draw neither food nor recruits nor equipment. Basically, the government put the Army of Tennessee in charge of defending a huge area, but did not give them enough supplies or authority to supply themselves.
- This battle, like all of the Civil War battles, illustrates the importance of intelligence and information. Generals on both sides simply didn't have enough information to make good decisions. They were constantly guessing at the size of their opponents' armies, their positions, their intentions, etc. So the Generals' personalities often dictated how they acted. If a General, or brigade leader, had any doubts or fears, they came to the forefront in the heat of battle, particularly without enough information to make a confident decision.
- Lots of detail, but not enough maps to follow along consistently. A good history of an important battle.
- Cozzens makes the case that this battle helped turn the tide of the war towards the Northern states. Certainly, the Confederacy had won some recent battles and the populace in the North was losing its patience for the war effort. By holding their own in this battle - it could not be called a definitive victory on the battlefield - the Federal troops allowed the Northern newspapers and leadership to declare a victory that helped change the perception of how the war was going.
- Cozzens also posits that this campaign to protect middle Tennessee, of which this battle was a huge part, was the beginning of the end for General Bragg of the Confederacy. Bragg completely lost the confidence of his subordinates and spent more time fighting internal battles with his officers than planning battle strategy. It got worse after this battle, and Bragg became increasingly preoccupied with the complaints of his officers which took him away from how to defeat the Federal troops.
- This book also highlights two of the inherent problems that the Confederacy had to consistently battle. For one, the government in Richmond routinely accorded the army in the West second-class treatment and acted without a sound appreciation of Western problems. Jefferson Davis' focus was on the protection of Richmond, and so most of his attention was given to Lee's army. This led to the second issue: the Confederacy had an administrative system that divided the west into highly legalistic departments that the army of Tennessee was expected to defend, but from which is could draw neither food nor recruits nor equipment. Basically, the government put the Army of Tennessee in charge of defending a huge area, but did not give them enough supplies or authority to supply themselves.
- This battle, like all of the Civil War battles, illustrates the importance of intelligence and information. Generals on both sides simply didn't have enough information to make good decisions. They were constantly guessing at the size of their opponents' armies, their positions, their intentions, etc. So the Generals' personalities often dictated how they acted. If a General, or brigade leader, had any doubts or fears, they came to the forefront in the heat of battle, particularly without enough information to make a confident decision.
- Lots of detail, but not enough maps to follow along consistently. A good history of an important battle.
May 21, 2024
You can probably find superlatives about most any major Civil War battle that make it stand out from the rest, prompting an author to justify why the battle should be better known and why you should read their book about it. In the case of the Battle of Stones River, its standout feature is that it had the highest percentage of casualties on both sides, relative to the number of people who fought there.
That, however, is not what this book focuses on. Cozzens does give the blow-by-blow of the battle, and does so succinctly in this just-over-200-page narrative. But the strength of his book is in his storytelling, his focus on the distinctive personalities involved in the battle (“in few other battles were the characters of the commanding generals so completely eccentric,” he observes) and his conclusions on why this was such an important victory for the North, but more importantly, why it turned out to be a devastating loss for the South.
Cozzens sets the scene by recapping Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg’s loss at Perryville, Kentucky and failed invasion of the state, after which he dug in in Middle Tennessee in late 1862. Bragg’s performance and personality had already left him on shaky ground - among Cozzens’ many pithy, cutting observations are that “Bragg seemed to repel men with disarming ease.”
Union forces were not in great shape either, with Gen. Don Carlos Buell having succeeded merely in driving Bragg out of Kentucky without crushing him, while the Union was also reeling from their recent defeat in Fredericksburg in the Eastern Theater. With Lincoln already committed to issuing the Emancipation Proclamation at the beginning of the year, “the administration now focused all its dwindling hopes for a victory before the new year on the army of the Cumberland,” Cozzens writes.
It was left to Buell’s replacement, Gen. William Rosecrans ("erudite, animated, indefatigable... (but) with an impulsiveness that suggested instability under pressure") to act before winter set in so Lincoln could issue the Proclamation from a position of strength.
That’s where things stand as the battle gets underway. Cozzens’ telling of the battle is efficient and easy to follow - in a book of this length, there’s not too much space taken up by detailed descriptions of troop movements and discussions of tactics and maneuvers, but I thought that was just as well.
Cozzens’ vivid descriptions of the personalities involved in his story continue to stand out, such as when he describes the late-arriving, self-aggrandizing Confederate Gen. Gideon Pillow as “ambitious, deceitful, mendacious, and - of cardinal importance to the soldiers he was about to lead - incompetent.”
When the battle ends with a Union victory, Cozzens explains how it provided a much-needed morale boost for the North. But he spends much more time discussing the impact of the loss on the South. The post-battle situation degenerated into finger-pointing among the Confederate command, as Bragg and his subordinates bickered about what went wrong and who was responsible. By this point, “the dissension sown by the twin defeats of Perryville and Stones River had all but wrecked the army (of Tennessee) from within,” Cozzens observes.
For half a year, as the bickering went on, the Confederate Army of Tennessee essentially did nothing. And when Rosecrans ultimately advanced, Bragg essentially conceded all of Middle Tennessee without a fight, setting the stage for the eventual battles for East Tennessee, which led to the Union march to Atlanta, which led to the end of the war.
Calling any Civil War battle “pivotal” or a “turning point” in the war is kind of a cliche. Cozzens never actually resorts to such a description in order to inject false drama into his story. But he doesn’t have to, as his narrative, his analysis and his conclusions make clear the importance and impact of this battle, and how it helped set the stage for everything that was to come.
That, however, is not what this book focuses on. Cozzens does give the blow-by-blow of the battle, and does so succinctly in this just-over-200-page narrative. But the strength of his book is in his storytelling, his focus on the distinctive personalities involved in the battle (“in few other battles were the characters of the commanding generals so completely eccentric,” he observes) and his conclusions on why this was such an important victory for the North, but more importantly, why it turned out to be a devastating loss for the South.
Cozzens sets the scene by recapping Confederate Gen. Braxton Bragg’s loss at Perryville, Kentucky and failed invasion of the state, after which he dug in in Middle Tennessee in late 1862. Bragg’s performance and personality had already left him on shaky ground - among Cozzens’ many pithy, cutting observations are that “Bragg seemed to repel men with disarming ease.”
Union forces were not in great shape either, with Gen. Don Carlos Buell having succeeded merely in driving Bragg out of Kentucky without crushing him, while the Union was also reeling from their recent defeat in Fredericksburg in the Eastern Theater. With Lincoln already committed to issuing the Emancipation Proclamation at the beginning of the year, “the administration now focused all its dwindling hopes for a victory before the new year on the army of the Cumberland,” Cozzens writes.
It was left to Buell’s replacement, Gen. William Rosecrans ("erudite, animated, indefatigable... (but) with an impulsiveness that suggested instability under pressure") to act before winter set in so Lincoln could issue the Proclamation from a position of strength.
That’s where things stand as the battle gets underway. Cozzens’ telling of the battle is efficient and easy to follow - in a book of this length, there’s not too much space taken up by detailed descriptions of troop movements and discussions of tactics and maneuvers, but I thought that was just as well.
Cozzens’ vivid descriptions of the personalities involved in his story continue to stand out, such as when he describes the late-arriving, self-aggrandizing Confederate Gen. Gideon Pillow as “ambitious, deceitful, mendacious, and - of cardinal importance to the soldiers he was about to lead - incompetent.”
When the battle ends with a Union victory, Cozzens explains how it provided a much-needed morale boost for the North. But he spends much more time discussing the impact of the loss on the South. The post-battle situation degenerated into finger-pointing among the Confederate command, as Bragg and his subordinates bickered about what went wrong and who was responsible. By this point, “the dissension sown by the twin defeats of Perryville and Stones River had all but wrecked the army (of Tennessee) from within,” Cozzens observes.
For half a year, as the bickering went on, the Confederate Army of Tennessee essentially did nothing. And when Rosecrans ultimately advanced, Bragg essentially conceded all of Middle Tennessee without a fight, setting the stage for the eventual battles for East Tennessee, which led to the Union march to Atlanta, which led to the end of the war.
Calling any Civil War battle “pivotal” or a “turning point” in the war is kind of a cliche. Cozzens never actually resorts to such a description in order to inject false drama into his story. But he doesn’t have to, as his narrative, his analysis and his conclusions make clear the importance and impact of this battle, and how it helped set the stage for everything that was to come.
June 21, 2010
Bring your own set of maps to augment what this book offers.
May 3, 2021
Superb Civil War study of this battle. Cozzens does great at taking the strategic and first hand accounts and putting them into a cohesive, exciting, narrative.
October 11, 2023
The banks of Stones River in Middle Tennessee was the site of a violent collision between the Union Army of the Cumberland and Confederate Army of Tennessee as 1862 turned to 1863. Yet, this conflict has received very little attention in historical writing. Cozzens is an able historian, and he provides a succinct account of the Battle of Stones River, or the Battle of Murfreeesboro from the Confederate perspective.
The eccentricities of both army commanders are discussed in detail. Bragg is portrayed in his typical stodgy, inflexible, and uncommunicative manner, while Rosecrans’ erratic energy bordering on neuroticism is equally demonstrated. There was mismanagement and poor battlefield command on both sides, but ultimately the Confederate political infighting proved the more difficult to overcome, leaving Rosecrans’ boys in blue in possession of the field of battle.
Stones River was surely a crucial battle in the campaign for the West during the Civil War, and Cozzens aptly recounts the history of this large battle.
The eccentricities of both army commanders are discussed in detail. Bragg is portrayed in his typical stodgy, inflexible, and uncommunicative manner, while Rosecrans’ erratic energy bordering on neuroticism is equally demonstrated. There was mismanagement and poor battlefield command on both sides, but ultimately the Confederate political infighting proved the more difficult to overcome, leaving Rosecrans’ boys in blue in possession of the field of battle.
Stones River was surely a crucial battle in the campaign for the West during the Civil War, and Cozzens aptly recounts the history of this large battle.
June 24, 2019
Cozzens' book is a fine, detailed account of the Battle of Stones River. While it didn't gain a decisive victory, at least Rosecrans' Army of the Cumberland didn't lose the battle, and that provided a significant success in the winter of 1862-1863 when all other Union armies faced defeat or stalemate. There are not many books available on this battle, and Cozzens' book is the standard account of this often-overlooked clash in central Tennessee.
September 5, 2022
Perchance, I have the opportunity to visit western and central Tennessee in the forthcoming months and I'm going to take the opportunity to visit Civil War battlefields that I have never seen.
On this list is Murfreesboro / Stones River, site of a three day clash starting December 31 1862 between the Army of the Cumberland under General Rosecrans and the Army of Tennessee under General Bragg.
So, I took out my copy of "No Better Place to Die" that I had read 20+ years ago and reread it.
This was Peter Cozzens' first Civil War battle narrative and he writes in the style of Stephen Sears and others where the story is centered on a battle. The book starts with the preliminary strategic situation after Perryville, then takes the reader through the maneuvering prior to the battle. The meat of the book is an hour-by-hour account of the Confederate assault that almost drove the Union army off the field. A day's rest, and then a final Confederate assault that is beaten back leading Bragg to retreat and abandon central Tennessee for good.
If you like Civil War battle histories that are filled with regiment-by-regiment details replete with hundreds of first-hand quotes from participants, this is the book for you. Chapters are tightly written and well-supported by detailed maps so you can follow the action ("now where was the 7th Indiana regiment?")
Although conventional wisdom is that Murfreesboro was a "draw" - the Confederates dominated on the battlefield but when it was over, the Union held the position, Cozzens makes a good case that it was a Confederate defeat/Union victory in that politically, it was the only one of the three December 1862 campaigns that did not end in abject Union defeat. Bragg abandoned central Tennessee.
Do I have any quibbles?
The main quibble would be the maps. Some of the maps are oriented with north to the right of the page - especially the main double-page spread depicting the forces on the morning of the battle. But most of the detailed chapter maps are oriented with north to the top of the page. And since only a portion of the battle was shown on the detailed map, it was "disorienting" to me to try and place the action, particularly when there were references to units on the flanks (not depicted on the detailed maps).
Having recently finished Chernow's "Grant", the deep character study in "Grant" made me yearn for more about Rosecrans, his wing commanders, and the same for the Bragg and his corps commanders. Cozzens doesn't ignore this, but his primary purpose was the battle. Put another way, I didn't learn anything new or profound about the main leaders.
On this list is Murfreesboro / Stones River, site of a three day clash starting December 31 1862 between the Army of the Cumberland under General Rosecrans and the Army of Tennessee under General Bragg.
So, I took out my copy of "No Better Place to Die" that I had read 20+ years ago and reread it.
This was Peter Cozzens' first Civil War battle narrative and he writes in the style of Stephen Sears and others where the story is centered on a battle. The book starts with the preliminary strategic situation after Perryville, then takes the reader through the maneuvering prior to the battle. The meat of the book is an hour-by-hour account of the Confederate assault that almost drove the Union army off the field. A day's rest, and then a final Confederate assault that is beaten back leading Bragg to retreat and abandon central Tennessee for good.
If you like Civil War battle histories that are filled with regiment-by-regiment details replete with hundreds of first-hand quotes from participants, this is the book for you. Chapters are tightly written and well-supported by detailed maps so you can follow the action ("now where was the 7th Indiana regiment?")
Although conventional wisdom is that Murfreesboro was a "draw" - the Confederates dominated on the battlefield but when it was over, the Union held the position, Cozzens makes a good case that it was a Confederate defeat/Union victory in that politically, it was the only one of the three December 1862 campaigns that did not end in abject Union defeat. Bragg abandoned central Tennessee.
Do I have any quibbles?
The main quibble would be the maps. Some of the maps are oriented with north to the right of the page - especially the main double-page spread depicting the forces on the morning of the battle. But most of the detailed chapter maps are oriented with north to the top of the page. And since only a portion of the battle was shown on the detailed map, it was "disorienting" to me to try and place the action, particularly when there were references to units on the flanks (not depicted on the detailed maps).
Having recently finished Chernow's "Grant", the deep character study in "Grant" made me yearn for more about Rosecrans, his wing commanders, and the same for the Bragg and his corps commanders. Cozzens doesn't ignore this, but his primary purpose was the battle. Put another way, I didn't learn anything new or profound about the main leaders.
May 18, 2022
I bought this book at the Stones River battlefield gift shop in 2014 and finally got around to reading it. I give it 3 stars because of the obviously well researched and detailed account. I would give it 0 stars because of the disgusting southern slant. Not a single word of the fact that it was a war to continue human bondage. Every civil war book should give how many slaves each confederate "general" owned when they are introduced. So far I've been to almost 30 battlefields and all the southern ones show the racists bias of the south. Would not recommend this book.
October 10, 2019
Solid account of this pivotal, relatively less well-known battle in central Tennessee. Had a chance to briefly visit the Stone's River National Battlefield a few weeks ago and picked this up there. Had just read Cozzen's account of Chickamauga a month or two back, so this preceded it and was one of the few mid-winter major battles (Dec. 31-Jan. 2, 1862-63). Biggest quibble is the maps which are sub-par, but it is well written and generally coherent. All these CW battle books suffer from the confusion of the actions themselves and it always makes hard reading--the awful wounds and seemingly idiotic frontal assaults. Stone's River (aka Murfreesboro) does not let down in that department. The poor South makes repeated attacks into the teeth of Union artillery positions and although having some early success due to surprise, the results are predictable. You can almost sense how seductive it was, the lure of a 'breakthrough' and a decisive victory. Yet being on the defense in the CW was almost always a better place to be and Stone's River was no exception. Union artillery seemed to be the decisive factor, they had more of it and many more chances to use it. He does not say how many artillery pieces they had but I counted 31 batteries of (6 guns each) in the OOB to 25 (4 guns) for the South and rare is the account of CSA artillery doing much while USA batteries were crucial in repulsing numerous assaults in the narrative. The other big takeaway was my continuing education on just how bad Braxton Bragg was as a general (and person). Being mostly Eastern-centric he was always stage left, but his actions on closer study are one of the major reasons the South lost. Contrasting Rosecrans and Bragg at Stone's River and is just another shining example of that. He may have been the worst major Army general in the entire CW, certainly ranks in the top 5.
November 13, 2017
I'm a huge fan of Peter Cozzens' work and have read the trilogy on the Chattanooga Campaign out of order, reading 'This Terrible Sound' and 'The Shipwreck of their Hopes' before going back to read the first book, 'No Better Place to Die.'
It has the same impeccable and detailed research. Cozzens seems to have the goods on everyone from the army commanders to the privates in the thick of things. The book has his usual wonderful narrative flow and the events leading up to the battle are clearly described while at the same time the key players' characters are well established.
Unlike the other two in the series, I wanted more maps. Certainly more of the overall position as the battle developed. I also felt we lost the army commanders, Bragg and Rosecrans, for large sections of the battle while we focused more on the brigade and division level. I wanted to know what they were up to.
I'd still hugely recommend this book. Outside of Shelby Foote, no other Civil War writer I know has such an accomplished narrative style and such deep and assured knowledge.
It has the same impeccable and detailed research. Cozzens seems to have the goods on everyone from the army commanders to the privates in the thick of things. The book has his usual wonderful narrative flow and the events leading up to the battle are clearly described while at the same time the key players' characters are well established.
Unlike the other two in the series, I wanted more maps. Certainly more of the overall position as the battle developed. I also felt we lost the army commanders, Bragg and Rosecrans, for large sections of the battle while we focused more on the brigade and division level. I wanted to know what they were up to.
I'd still hugely recommend this book. Outside of Shelby Foote, no other Civil War writer I know has such an accomplished narrative style and such deep and assured knowledge.
February 23, 2021
A decent enough account of a key and oft-overlooked Civil War battle. However, despite the usual grandiose pronouncements at the beginning of the book about how critical this particular fight was in the context of the wider war, much of the critical assessment one would expect from (for example) a Stephen Sears battle or campaign account is missing here. The maps also leave much to be desired, though I suspect that as usual the Kindle version is part of the problem.
Less importantly (though still annoying), Cozzens doesn't devote as much attention to assessing the various Union subordinate commanders as he does to the Confederates, whom he covers from the Corps to Brigade level, and the style of writing out the numbers of regiments (e.g., Thirty-Sixth Illinois rather than 36th Illinois / IL) makes many pages of the book turn into a morass of spelled out numbers.
Less importantly (though still annoying), Cozzens doesn't devote as much attention to assessing the various Union subordinate commanders as he does to the Confederates, whom he covers from the Corps to Brigade level, and the style of writing out the numbers of regiments (e.g., Thirty-Sixth Illinois rather than 36th Illinois / IL) makes many pages of the book turn into a morass of spelled out numbers.
August 16, 2021
Overall this was a solid overview of an often overlooked battle. Cozzens does a good job of setting the stage for the Stones River campaign and the relative situation among the high commands of each principal army. His descriptions of each aspect of the engagement were easy to follow.
The big complaint, as mentioned by other reviews, was the lack of maps placed at appropriate locations to follow each phase of the fighting. While some maps were included, they often were placed well before or after the events being detailed in the text. They also focused on such a small area that it became hard to follow the larger ebb and flow of the battle.
I read this before visiting the battlefield as an orientation and it did its job.
The big complaint, as mentioned by other reviews, was the lack of maps placed at appropriate locations to follow each phase of the fighting. While some maps were included, they often were placed well before or after the events being detailed in the text. They also focused on such a small area that it became hard to follow the larger ebb and flow of the battle.
I read this before visiting the battlefield as an orientation and it did its job.
November 24, 2022
I gave up on this book in the second chapter. The author writes about some guy named Bragg and some guy named Rosecrans. The author doesn’t really come right and say which side of the Civil War either is fighting for. He just writes about how these two men behave by pulling from his research resources. The writing is convoluted and confusing, and after I was getting a headache from trying to figure it all out, I gave up. There are better authors on the Civil War out there, but I had hoped to learn something about the Stones River Battle before I actually traveled there.
This author is also a southerner which may account for his bias against people from northern states. He writes about the northern characters in a negative light.
This author is also a southerner which may account for his bias against people from northern states. He writes about the northern characters in a negative light.
June 20, 2019
Extremely detailed account of the Battle of Stones River. I agree with another reader that you should have your own set of maps of how the battle played out. There are several good ones available on the internet (in color). It was not an easy read as there were so many different engagements taking place during each day, and I sometimes felt very confused about what was unfolding over the days this battle occurred. I am not all that versed in military actions and was reading this before visiting the battle site in Tennessee. Actually, I found the book made me feel how disorganized this battle seemed.
February 2, 2023
Good writing, but has some proof-reading issues, and also some issues with the maps. most glaring was the maps for Breckenridge's assault on the Federal left, which occurred in the afternoon but the maps list as occurring 12 hours earlier in the AM. One other map listed the 35th Illinois twice, when one of them should have been the 25th Illinois, and the detail maps could have had the road names written down to make following them a little easier. Also, some units mentioned in the text were not shown on the maps which made following them a little difficult.
Other than that, not a bad read.
Other than that, not a bad read.
November 5, 2025
Just not a lot of quality literature on this battle, so naturally Peter Cozzens work rises to the top. The author does a good job guiding the reader through the phases of the battle. But it is still difficult to follow along, which I suppose is a reflection of the confused nature of the event itself.
I would recommend reviewing some "big picture" maps beforehand ... coming in with a little extra contextual knowledge will help you get more value from the storytelling and personality profiles that the book excels in.
I would recommend reviewing some "big picture" maps beforehand ... coming in with a little extra contextual knowledge will help you get more value from the storytelling and personality profiles that the book excels in.
July 31, 2017
A great military history of a lesser battle from the lesser known front in the Civil War. Stones River saw the Army of the Cumberland clash with the Army of the Tennessee in the deep winter. Like many Civil War battles there are many excellent small scale stories and the book captures them well. The use of maps is appreciated, although it is helped that the battle was relatively simple compared to the multi-day fights at Chickamauga or Gettysburg.
March 29, 2022
Great book on a forgotten battle
Great military history book for people more interested in strategy and tactics then a more personal account.
I feel that the focus is a little too much on Bragg in comparison to rosecrans. Like many military history books, it can be hard to keep track of all the generals and their movements during battle.
Great military history book for people more interested in strategy and tactics then a more personal account.
I feel that the focus is a little too much on Bragg in comparison to rosecrans. Like many military history books, it can be hard to keep track of all the generals and their movements during battle.
March 14, 2022
Solid book on the often overlooked battle of Stones River. Author does a heart job of setting the scene prior to and after the battle. It could benefit from more maps, but plenty are provided throughout.
April 9, 2025
Second read thru of this the last month and it still is a great read. Cozzens has a writing style that a thoroughly enjoy and this is a relatively quick read compared to some of his other books. Probably required reading for anybody interested in The Battle of Stones River.
January 27, 2020
Cozzen writes in a story telling manner rather than a dry robust retelling of the battle.
September 2, 2020
This first volume of Cozzen’s Army of the Cumberland trilogy is a bit less accomplished Than those that followed but still an excellent read.
October 6, 2021
Good, solid description of the battle, along with decent analysis of the major players involved. As always, I wish there had been more maps to help with the narrative of the battles.
April 6, 2022
As with most battle books, more frequent maps would have helped to illustrate the flow better. Can never go wrong with another map though I'm sure page count is a limiting factor.
April 10, 2022
Got this to read prior to spinal surgery on my neck. Doctors thought the name was funny! Great book. Written in a tone not dry but living. Good read!
August 26, 2022
Well-written history of the battle of Stones River
August 6, 2024
Some great Civil War history. Highly recommended.
September 29, 2024
Very thorough account of Stones River Battle. A little dry but quite detailed. Told from a military point of view.
December 10, 2025
Great recap of the battle and its importance.
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