What do you think?
Rate this book
Civil War America
Braxton Bragg: The Most Hated Man of the Confederacy
Civil War historian Earl J. Hess presents a compelling biography of Braxton Bragg, the commander of the Confederate Army of Tennessee from the summer of 1862 to the end of 1863.
1 pages, Audio CD
Published March 1, 2021
17 people are currently reading
161 people want to read
About the author
Earl J. Hess
51 books28 followersEarl J. Hess is Stewart W. McClelland Chair in History at Lincoln Memorial University and the author of numerous books on the Civil War.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
February 11, 2018
This book explains the controversy about the Confederate General Braxton Bragg (1813-1876). Hess makes the argument that Bragg’s treatment by history has been unfair. Hess attempts a historical assessment of Bragg.
The book is well written and researched. I think that Hess has written a useful, balanced and thoughtful biography. The author has revealed new evidence on the controversial Bragg. Hess described Bragg’s failure to tell his story after the war allowing the unsubstantiated claims and criticism to go forward in history. Hess went through the claims and criticism of Bragg and looked for substantiating evidence. The key important take away I had from this book was that it is a cautionary tale for historians about simply repeating the claims of previous authors without doing proper primary research. Earl Hess is a military historian specializing in the United States Civil War.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is fourteen and a half hours. Jonathan Yen does a good job narrating the book. Yen is an actor, voice artist and audiobook narrator.
The book is well written and researched. I think that Hess has written a useful, balanced and thoughtful biography. The author has revealed new evidence on the controversial Bragg. Hess described Bragg’s failure to tell his story after the war allowing the unsubstantiated claims and criticism to go forward in history. Hess went through the claims and criticism of Bragg and looked for substantiating evidence. The key important take away I had from this book was that it is a cautionary tale for historians about simply repeating the claims of previous authors without doing proper primary research. Earl Hess is a military historian specializing in the United States Civil War.
I read this as an audiobook downloaded from Audible. The book is fourteen and a half hours. Jonathan Yen does a good job narrating the book. Yen is an actor, voice artist and audiobook narrator.
April 25, 2022
Most people think of Braxton Bragg in a negative light when it comes to the civil war. He’s considered by many a bad general, but it doesn’t stop there: He’s been accused of executing high numbers of soldiers for breaking rules, he’s accused of being a lackey for Jefferson Davis, and he is scapegoated, in my opinion, for the south’s defeat. For years, people have dismissed Bragg, and have tended to view Joseph Johnston, and others who did worse in a brighter light, as better generals. People criticize Bragg for his corps command at Shiloh, his offensive into Kentucky, his actions at Murfreesborough, his actions during the Tullahoma campaign, and they never give this man a break. After Reading Braxton Bragg: The Most Hated Man in the Confederacy, I feel this man has been wrongly judged, and misunderstood. While he did make mistakes, and had his faults, Bragg overall was not as bad a commander as people portray him, in fact, Robert E Lee committed many similar blunders, but is showered with praise.
Hess discredits the myth of Braggs executions, proving that often times he was lenient, (Also, if you research outside of this book, you’ll find that Robert E Lee, and Joseph Johnston ordered far more executions than Bragg did) but was also weighed down by his subordinate commanders such as Hardee, Longstreet, and Breckinridge. He was not a lackey for Jefferson Davis, Bragg disliked Davis before the war began; as the war reached it’s end, and after the war, Davis and Bragg did develop a friendship. Often times, it seems Braggs negative image was fostered by newspapers and journalists whom Bragg didn’t care to bother with, because he was more focused on his work as a general. Another thing that Bragg gets negativity for is his supposed “defeats” at Perryville and Stones River (Murfreesborough). To give some background, during the civil war, the public had this notion of what it termed as victories and defeats. If two armies clashed, and one retreated from the field, it was a victory for whichever army did not retreat. Bragg retreated from Perryville, and from Stones river, while at both, he battered the union army pretty good.
In my studies of the American Civil War, I generally have tried to keep an objective mindset, and not trying to form negative opinions on generals, because I still have a lot to read and learn, but I didn’t exactly see Bragg in a positive light. I was in a conversation with someone on the internet, and they talked highly about Bragg, and for a long time, I didn’t take them seriously; however, they recommended this book to me. I have heard of Earl J Hess before, and I have quite a few of his books on my Wishlist. I bought this on E-book a year back, but I had to have a physical copy, and I finally got it last week. After finishing another civil war book, I started reading this, and immediately, I felt my perceptions change about Bragg. Hess's work is not a biography, but more or less an unmasking of a truth. History lies in the heart of the debate, and people should know that historians seek to find the fundamental truth of historical events; while they test new theories with old established theories; sometimes an old, established notion about a historical event is no longer true, and it is the job of the historian to champion such a process. This is what Hess has done; he has proved that the old historical notion of Bragg being a bad commander is not true, and through his own analysis, the old historical notions cannot stand up to his.
Hess discredits the myth of Braggs executions, proving that often times he was lenient, (Also, if you research outside of this book, you’ll find that Robert E Lee, and Joseph Johnston ordered far more executions than Bragg did) but was also weighed down by his subordinate commanders such as Hardee, Longstreet, and Breckinridge. He was not a lackey for Jefferson Davis, Bragg disliked Davis before the war began; as the war reached it’s end, and after the war, Davis and Bragg did develop a friendship. Often times, it seems Braggs negative image was fostered by newspapers and journalists whom Bragg didn’t care to bother with, because he was more focused on his work as a general. Another thing that Bragg gets negativity for is his supposed “defeats” at Perryville and Stones River (Murfreesborough). To give some background, during the civil war, the public had this notion of what it termed as victories and defeats. If two armies clashed, and one retreated from the field, it was a victory for whichever army did not retreat. Bragg retreated from Perryville, and from Stones river, while at both, he battered the union army pretty good.
In my studies of the American Civil War, I generally have tried to keep an objective mindset, and not trying to form negative opinions on generals, because I still have a lot to read and learn, but I didn’t exactly see Bragg in a positive light. I was in a conversation with someone on the internet, and they talked highly about Bragg, and for a long time, I didn’t take them seriously; however, they recommended this book to me. I have heard of Earl J Hess before, and I have quite a few of his books on my Wishlist. I bought this on E-book a year back, but I had to have a physical copy, and I finally got it last week. After finishing another civil war book, I started reading this, and immediately, I felt my perceptions change about Bragg. Hess's work is not a biography, but more or less an unmasking of a truth. History lies in the heart of the debate, and people should know that historians seek to find the fundamental truth of historical events; while they test new theories with old established theories; sometimes an old, established notion about a historical event is no longer true, and it is the job of the historian to champion such a process. This is what Hess has done; he has proved that the old historical notion of Bragg being a bad commander is not true, and through his own analysis, the old historical notions cannot stand up to his.
January 2, 2024
This was a very analytical, if not overly narrative, biography of easily the most controversial Rebel general of the War Between the States.
As the subtitle suggests, Earl Hess spends a great deal of time detailing the rancorous relationships Braxton Bragg had with other Southern military commanders, his own subordinate officers, the Confederate press, politicians, and the general commons. As Hess points out, Bragg's greatest enemy was his own popular perception.
Hess does a fair job of pointing out the qualities Bragg possessed as a field commander. He was the most gifted logistician in the Confederacy, a strict but fair disciplinarian (much the same way he ran his own prewar plantation: he was often respected, but rarely loved), a detailed planner, and an able tactician.
Bragg's faults lay with his inability to temper the egos and ambitions of his often unruly subordinates. The Army of Tennessee was an incredibly hard fighting American army, and it's chequered record has been vastly overblown to the point of hyperbole in both pro Southern and overly pro Northern accounts of the conflict.
Under Bragg's tenure as field commander, the AoT recovered middle Tennessee and northern Alabama in the advance into Kentucky, and in Kentucky, the Rebel forces under Bragg and Smith won nearly all the tactical encounters, and at Perryville the AoT won an impressive tactical victory against a far larger Federal force.
The Rebel forces retreated from Kentucky to Murfreesboro, where in late December of 1862, to early January of 1863, Bragg's Army orchestrated a horrendous drubbing to Federal forces on 31st December. Although the battle ended in a draw, and the Rebels retired to Tullahoma (Greek for mud and more mud, easily my favorite Civil War era joke), the battering the Army of the Cumberland received at Stones River enforced a six month stalemate.
However, Rosecrans did, finally, begin active operations in June, with a brilliant operational maneuver that drove Bragg into northern Georgia. Bragg's Army won a smashing success at the Battle of Chickamauga there, and soon besieged the defeated AoC inside Chattanooga. Yet the bette noir of Braxton Bragg, internal bickering, and the severe losses of success at Chickamauga, doomed the Rebels to ultimate defeat at Chattanooga: Bragg's only definitive defeat during his tenure with the Army of Tennessee.
Hess even uses numerous quotes from journal entries of Bragg's rank and file to showcase that he was not the universally loathed commander modern history has painted him as. Many of the enlisted and junior officers of the AoT had a firm grasp of their strategic situation, and the troubles plaguing Southern efforts. Bragg, while not overly loved, was mostly highly respected, and his replacement with Joe Johnston was met with quite a bit of anxiety as many men wished to still serve under Bragg.
Perhaps the most enlightening aspect of the book is Bragg's tenure as Davis' chief military advisor (a position akin to a modern Chief of Staff). Bragg played a vitally important role in the success the Rebel forces had in the Bermuda Hundred Campaign, with Lee stymying Grant, and in clearing the Shenandoah and invading the North, again.
The book concludes with a brief overview of Bragg's genuinely less than stellar conduct in the 1865 North Carolina Campaign, and a look at his post war life.
Overall this was a very good book, a badly needed corrective to a highly and unfairly biased view of a complicated General who did far better than he has been given credit for. And while Hess isn't academia's best writer, he is far better than David Glantz (a superb military historian, but a truly dreadful writer...) and this book is easier to read than some of Hess's other works which can veer towards the dry as dust category.
Despite that single complaint, any work by Hess is a surefire winner and one which any military historian should have in their library.
Highly recommended.
As the subtitle suggests, Earl Hess spends a great deal of time detailing the rancorous relationships Braxton Bragg had with other Southern military commanders, his own subordinate officers, the Confederate press, politicians, and the general commons. As Hess points out, Bragg's greatest enemy was his own popular perception.
Hess does a fair job of pointing out the qualities Bragg possessed as a field commander. He was the most gifted logistician in the Confederacy, a strict but fair disciplinarian (much the same way he ran his own prewar plantation: he was often respected, but rarely loved), a detailed planner, and an able tactician.
Bragg's faults lay with his inability to temper the egos and ambitions of his often unruly subordinates. The Army of Tennessee was an incredibly hard fighting American army, and it's chequered record has been vastly overblown to the point of hyperbole in both pro Southern and overly pro Northern accounts of the conflict.
Under Bragg's tenure as field commander, the AoT recovered middle Tennessee and northern Alabama in the advance into Kentucky, and in Kentucky, the Rebel forces under Bragg and Smith won nearly all the tactical encounters, and at Perryville the AoT won an impressive tactical victory against a far larger Federal force.
The Rebel forces retreated from Kentucky to Murfreesboro, where in late December of 1862, to early January of 1863, Bragg's Army orchestrated a horrendous drubbing to Federal forces on 31st December. Although the battle ended in a draw, and the Rebels retired to Tullahoma (Greek for mud and more mud, easily my favorite Civil War era joke), the battering the Army of the Cumberland received at Stones River enforced a six month stalemate.
However, Rosecrans did, finally, begin active operations in June, with a brilliant operational maneuver that drove Bragg into northern Georgia. Bragg's Army won a smashing success at the Battle of Chickamauga there, and soon besieged the defeated AoC inside Chattanooga. Yet the bette noir of Braxton Bragg, internal bickering, and the severe losses of success at Chickamauga, doomed the Rebels to ultimate defeat at Chattanooga: Bragg's only definitive defeat during his tenure with the Army of Tennessee.
Hess even uses numerous quotes from journal entries of Bragg's rank and file to showcase that he was not the universally loathed commander modern history has painted him as. Many of the enlisted and junior officers of the AoT had a firm grasp of their strategic situation, and the troubles plaguing Southern efforts. Bragg, while not overly loved, was mostly highly respected, and his replacement with Joe Johnston was met with quite a bit of anxiety as many men wished to still serve under Bragg.
Perhaps the most enlightening aspect of the book is Bragg's tenure as Davis' chief military advisor (a position akin to a modern Chief of Staff). Bragg played a vitally important role in the success the Rebel forces had in the Bermuda Hundred Campaign, with Lee stymying Grant, and in clearing the Shenandoah and invading the North, again.
The book concludes with a brief overview of Bragg's genuinely less than stellar conduct in the 1865 North Carolina Campaign, and a look at his post war life.
Overall this was a very good book, a badly needed corrective to a highly and unfairly biased view of a complicated General who did far better than he has been given credit for. And while Hess isn't academia's best writer, he is far better than David Glantz (a superb military historian, but a truly dreadful writer...) and this book is easier to read than some of Hess's other works which can veer towards the dry as dust category.
Despite that single complaint, any work by Hess is a surefire winner and one which any military historian should have in their library.
Highly recommended.
August 28, 2016
This is a fine biography of a Confederate general who drew both praise and criticism. The subtitle is perhaps overstated: "The Most Hated Man iof the Confederacy." But he was a lightning rod for caustic comments. This volume is a judicious analysis of Bragg--noting his weaknesses--and his strengths. In that sense, it provides the reader with a balanced treatment.
In the Civil War, Bragg began as a commander of a local district. As Confederate forces began gathering for the battle at Shiloh, his forces joined the growing aggregation. Albert Sidney Johnston had overall command and P. G. T. Beauregard developed the battle plan. Bragg was given a significant role at the battle. His forces had good and not so good moments--as did many units on both sides of the sanguinary struggle.
In the aftermath of the battle, Bragg rose to command the army (then, named after the Mississippi--later The Army of Tennessee). Thereafter, he fought a series of battles--Perrysburg, Stone's River, Chickamauga, and Chattanooga. His record was mixed in battle. He was not the best commanding general--but he was far from the worst as well. The book discusses his strengths and weaknesses pretty dispassionately. Later, in the last days of the war--after having served as a military advisor to President Jefferson Davis--he returned to harness in the late battles in North Carolina.
His personal life is also described, including his marriage to Elise.
The last chapter tries to assess his role in the War. Again, a sensible and judicious account. This is a fine work on a complex general of the Confederate forces.
In the Civil War, Bragg began as a commander of a local district. As Confederate forces began gathering for the battle at Shiloh, his forces joined the growing aggregation. Albert Sidney Johnston had overall command and P. G. T. Beauregard developed the battle plan. Bragg was given a significant role at the battle. His forces had good and not so good moments--as did many units on both sides of the sanguinary struggle.
In the aftermath of the battle, Bragg rose to command the army (then, named after the Mississippi--later The Army of Tennessee). Thereafter, he fought a series of battles--Perrysburg, Stone's River, Chickamauga, and Chattanooga. His record was mixed in battle. He was not the best commanding general--but he was far from the worst as well. The book discusses his strengths and weaknesses pretty dispassionately. Later, in the last days of the war--after having served as a military advisor to President Jefferson Davis--he returned to harness in the late battles in North Carolina.
His personal life is also described, including his marriage to Elise.
The last chapter tries to assess his role in the War. Again, a sensible and judicious account. This is a fine work on a complex general of the Confederate forces.
August 24, 2016
Earl J. Hess with the effortless prose that makes reading his books so enjoyable attempts a revisionist view of Braxton Bragg's Civil War career. He makes a case up to a point. Bragg had as Hess notes generally good relations with his division (Benjamin Cheatham and Simon Bolivar Buckner were major exceptions) and brigade commanders and generally very bad relations with his corps commanders, the very officers with whom he should have had the closest and most intimate relations. Bragg simply lacked the interpersonal skills that an Army commander needed. By mishandling his officer corps he fractured the unity of his command. Beginning with the Tullahoma Campaign his ill health hobbled his performance; Hess believes that Jefferson Davis should have relieved him of the command of the Army of Tennessee following the Battle of Stones River (Murfreesboro) on health reasons alone. Bragg had a good grasp of what is now referred to as the operational level of war but not the skills and temperament needed to direct an army.
February 1, 2021
I probably would have like it more if the author didn't continuously remind us that everyone other than himself is an inept historian.
November 4, 2016
The author, Earl J. Hess, attempts to show a redeeming side of Confederate General Braxton Bragg, one who apparently had earned the title of "the most hated man of the Confederacy". I was unfamiliar with General Bragg's reputation, but according to Earl Hess, history has not been kind to General Bragg.
Hess looks at old military records, correspondence, and Civil War history to provide possible alternative explanations for several of the "failures" attributed to Bragg's leadership. It's a rather complete review of Bragg's Civil War involvement, with descriptions of what some believe were the General's good points, and what his critics feel were his bad points.
At this point in history, it's difficult to be sure if Bragg was a terrible general or a scapegoat for Confederate losses. Hess points out that in several of Bragg's military campaigns, he was under-supplied and poorly served by incompetent or insubordinate junior officers, directly leading to stalled advances against the Federal forces. Unfortunately, after reading the book, it remains unclear to me whether Bragg was unjustly blamed for a lack of success, or not. However, Hess does at least raise the possibility that General Bragg's reputation as "the most hated man of the Confederacy" may have been an injustice, and shows how hard it is to be certain of events from 150 years in the past.
Hess looks at old military records, correspondence, and Civil War history to provide possible alternative explanations for several of the "failures" attributed to Bragg's leadership. It's a rather complete review of Bragg's Civil War involvement, with descriptions of what some believe were the General's good points, and what his critics feel were his bad points.
At this point in history, it's difficult to be sure if Bragg was a terrible general or a scapegoat for Confederate losses. Hess points out that in several of Bragg's military campaigns, he was under-supplied and poorly served by incompetent or insubordinate junior officers, directly leading to stalled advances against the Federal forces. Unfortunately, after reading the book, it remains unclear to me whether Bragg was unjustly blamed for a lack of success, or not. However, Hess does at least raise the possibility that General Bragg's reputation as "the most hated man of the Confederacy" may have been an injustice, and shows how hard it is to be certain of events from 150 years in the past.
December 23, 2017
In summation: Everyone lionized Lee and hated Bragg. Poopyheads, poopyheads, POOPYHEADS!.
While Hess takes a great deal of time to flog others for not backing up their assertions, he does precious little of that himself, and his sniffy disdain for "amateur historians" can be seen from orbit.
While Hess takes a great deal of time to flog others for not backing up their assertions, he does precious little of that himself, and his sniffy disdain for "amateur historians" can be seen from orbit.
October 15, 2019
Although he has a famous military installation named after him in his home state (Fort Bragg), Braxton Bragg will get the vote from most Civil War historians for worst Confederate general. He's been much maligned in his own time and consistently over the subsequent 150+ years since the end of the American Civil War. Earl Hess undertakes the mighty task of making a case in Bragg's favor.
This book has 280 pages of main text, plus a Preface that is essentially a historiography. By the author's own admission it is not a true biography of Bragg, with one chapter covering his entire antebellum life and one chapter his postbellum life. 2/3's of the book is spent on Bragg's time as commander of the Army of Mississippi/Tennessee which is where most of his controversy stems from.
Hess gives the subject a pretty fair examination. He's not trying to argue Bragg was some unsung genius. He doesn't deny Bragg made mistakes nor that he had nasty personal feuds, some of them seemingly very petty. He failed to resign his command when he should have, both after having found his subordinates confidence in him lacking and later when his health deteriorated. Yet he was badly treated by some of his subordinates and the situation was badly handled by Jefferson Davis, his superior. Bragg was savaged in the press, often disproportionately and unfairly. Some of the worst stories about him are apocryphal or exaggerated. He had talent, had many good ideas, and was not as universally despised as history makes it seem.
The writing is pretty good. While it did feel a little tedious at times, I feel that was a problem with the subject, not the author. A reoccurring theme is that Bragg was criticized for things Lee was praised for, which is a fair point, but one perhaps that Hess overplays. Ultimately, Lee was (mostly) successful and Bragg wasn't, and that counts for a lot regardless of the reasons.
I give this a strong recommendation to people interested in Civil War history, but it doesn't seem like it has much appeal to a broader audience.
This book has 280 pages of main text, plus a Preface that is essentially a historiography. By the author's own admission it is not a true biography of Bragg, with one chapter covering his entire antebellum life and one chapter his postbellum life. 2/3's of the book is spent on Bragg's time as commander of the Army of Mississippi/Tennessee which is where most of his controversy stems from.
Hess gives the subject a pretty fair examination. He's not trying to argue Bragg was some unsung genius. He doesn't deny Bragg made mistakes nor that he had nasty personal feuds, some of them seemingly very petty. He failed to resign his command when he should have, both after having found his subordinates confidence in him lacking and later when his health deteriorated. Yet he was badly treated by some of his subordinates and the situation was badly handled by Jefferson Davis, his superior. Bragg was savaged in the press, often disproportionately and unfairly. Some of the worst stories about him are apocryphal or exaggerated. He had talent, had many good ideas, and was not as universally despised as history makes it seem.
The writing is pretty good. While it did feel a little tedious at times, I feel that was a problem with the subject, not the author. A reoccurring theme is that Bragg was criticized for things Lee was praised for, which is a fair point, but one perhaps that Hess overplays. Ultimately, Lee was (mostly) successful and Bragg wasn't, and that counts for a lot regardless of the reasons.
I give this a strong recommendation to people interested in Civil War history, but it doesn't seem like it has much appeal to a broader audience.
October 21, 2024
A reassessment that still lands in the same spot.
Imagine asking for a re-grade of a test as a kid, only to receive the same or an even lower score. That's the vibe of Hess' 2016 biography of Confederate General Braxton Bragg. It aims to present a "balanced" view, but while Bragg isn't portrayed as the sole culprit for the Confederacy's military failures, he also doesn't come off as an effective or competent general. Essentially, still a failure.
Whether being indecisive against enemies, ineffective with frequently insubordinate subordinates, or arbitrary in punishments, this "reassessment" doesn't alter the view that Bragg was prickly, conniving, ineffective, and a toxic general officer. Hess does attempt to bolster Bragg by noting that other contemporaries also faced issues at times, but this only underscores Bragg's overall shortcomings. At his best, Bragg was comparable to Lee on a bad day.
That said, Hess does well in presenting various scholarly opinions on Bragg's wartime performance and highlights his loving relationship with his wife. Ultimately, Hess is left with his subject as he is—not the Confederate scapegoat, but still a failing grade.
Imagine asking for a re-grade of a test as a kid, only to receive the same or an even lower score. That's the vibe of Hess' 2016 biography of Confederate General Braxton Bragg. It aims to present a "balanced" view, but while Bragg isn't portrayed as the sole culprit for the Confederacy's military failures, he also doesn't come off as an effective or competent general. Essentially, still a failure.
Whether being indecisive against enemies, ineffective with frequently insubordinate subordinates, or arbitrary in punishments, this "reassessment" doesn't alter the view that Bragg was prickly, conniving, ineffective, and a toxic general officer. Hess does attempt to bolster Bragg by noting that other contemporaries also faced issues at times, but this only underscores Bragg's overall shortcomings. At his best, Bragg was comparable to Lee on a bad day.
That said, Hess does well in presenting various scholarly opinions on Bragg's wartime performance and highlights his loving relationship with his wife. Ultimately, Hess is left with his subject as he is—not the Confederate scapegoat, but still a failing grade.
July 25, 2021
I enjoyed the book and it’s attempt to give a more balanced view of Bragg and his unhappy command of the Army of Tennessee. I didn’t walk away thinking Bragg has been treated unfairly and was a great general. He was a competent organizer and logistician but a terrible leader. The question is if he has been removed earlier who would have replaced him and done a better job?
August 8, 2019
Quite biased.
The author spends time in the preface denouncing other historians and authors for being biased against Bragg and for not adequately using primary sources for their assessments and conclusions about him.
Mr. Hess then does exactly the same thing however from the predisposed position of Bragg being an excellent confederate general. It's amusing that some of the sources this author uses to 'defend' Bragg are people who are not in a position to know. For example he quotes the letters of 2 different nurses, an army surgeon, several foot soldiers, newspaper reporters, random men and women who merely lived in the south.
It is well documented that the most of the Generals directly under Bragg had no confidence in him and thought he had no business being the Army commander. But this author completely disregards these views as irrelevant and then having other motives (maybe like actually winning the war and acting decisively).
I would not characterize this book as any type of biography. It does not give any meaningful civil war history and just brushes the surface with respect to things Bragg did and decisions he made. But after the limited history, it delves into an extended diatribe in the defense of decisions and actions and tries to push blame off everything that ever went wrong onto his incompetent generals who were forever plotting against him so that he would fail.
This book feels like Hess is a descendant of Bragg and is desperately trying to defend him and blame others for all Bragg's bad reputation.
If you want another perspective on Gen Bragg, this is a good choice.
The audio book was good and the narrator did well but the constant mispronounced words was distracting. I.e. Bivouac = biv-oo-ak, Rosecrans = rosa-crans etc. But the reading was engaging and not a monotone droll.
The author spends time in the preface denouncing other historians and authors for being biased against Bragg and for not adequately using primary sources for their assessments and conclusions about him.
Mr. Hess then does exactly the same thing however from the predisposed position of Bragg being an excellent confederate general. It's amusing that some of the sources this author uses to 'defend' Bragg are people who are not in a position to know. For example he quotes the letters of 2 different nurses, an army surgeon, several foot soldiers, newspaper reporters, random men and women who merely lived in the south.
It is well documented that the most of the Generals directly under Bragg had no confidence in him and thought he had no business being the Army commander. But this author completely disregards these views as irrelevant and then having other motives (maybe like actually winning the war and acting decisively).
I would not characterize this book as any type of biography. It does not give any meaningful civil war history and just brushes the surface with respect to things Bragg did and decisions he made. But after the limited history, it delves into an extended diatribe in the defense of decisions and actions and tries to push blame off everything that ever went wrong onto his incompetent generals who were forever plotting against him so that he would fail.
This book feels like Hess is a descendant of Bragg and is desperately trying to defend him and blame others for all Bragg's bad reputation.
If you want another perspective on Gen Bragg, this is a good choice.
The audio book was good and the narrator did well but the constant mispronounced words was distracting. I.e. Bivouac = biv-oo-ak, Rosecrans = rosa-crans etc. But the reading was engaging and not a monotone droll.
October 30, 2016
While I often found it a tedious read, perhaps that is due to the nature of the subject. It is certainly a sympathetic portrait and offers a significantly more supportive and understanding view of the man than those that often appear in treatments of the war in the west. Maybe Bragg had the misfortune to be part of a necessary historical need for the south to lose that war and the fates conspired against him. Hess notes that Sherman suggested Bragg would have had a better historical reputation had the fought for the Union. Indeed, I would read the conclusion to the book first and then pay attention in the body of the book to the situations discussed in the conclusion.
October 19, 2022
General Braxton Bragg, one time commander of Confederate's Army of Tennessee most (in)famously known as Confederate Army's whipping boy and scapegoat for the loss of Confederates in the Western Front, has been vilified and demonized too much in popular imagination, that comparing him to General Robert E. Lee, the supposed fallen hero of the Confederacy, is like comparing cream to excrement. Either a bloodthirsty martinet, blundering buffoon, President Davis' lackey or generally contentious person, Bragg had been called anything except good. This book seeks to unveil the layers of bad reputations that surround Bragg.
Emerging early in the war as a capable organizer and one with personal bravery, although rather lacking in strategizing, Bragg ended up making some of costly tactical victories which he failed to follow up in order to succeed strategically. A rather testy personality, he ended up making enemies needlessly, who in turn put cogs in his strategy. However, in his fights, he was always backed by his best friend President Jefferson Davis, with unfortunate implication of Bragg being labeled as President's lackey.
Throughout this book, we followed Bragg's first victory at Shiloh, then a failed campaign into Kentucky to support pro-seccessionist government there, a failure which cost him the enmity of Kentuckians serving under him, followed by a six-month standoff against Federals in Tullahoma, which after that Bragg was busied with staving off revolt of generals serving under him while besieging Federal forces at Chattanooga. Lulled by security of his position yet failed to reinforce his weakpoints, his defeat at Chattanooga was the final straw for his commandership of Army of Tennessee, leading him to be called back at President Davis' side as his Chief Military Adviser, struggling to fix bureacracy-ridden Confederate's war management.
After reading this book, I can say that history has been rather unkind to Bragg. While his dectractors loudly screamed, Bragg was also sorrounded with his own loyalists, which unfortunately kept their silent rather than helping to stave off the bad rumors. Record also showed that Army of Tennessee performed no better or worse under his successors, with even some of the veterans longed for the old days of his leadership. The author also compared Bragg's failure with Lee's. Lee was able to build a myth of invincibility, causing people to overlook his failures, while Bragg bickered with journalists and media, which did not help his cause. Overall, I find Bragg a rather tragic figure.
Emerging early in the war as a capable organizer and one with personal bravery, although rather lacking in strategizing, Bragg ended up making some of costly tactical victories which he failed to follow up in order to succeed strategically. A rather testy personality, he ended up making enemies needlessly, who in turn put cogs in his strategy. However, in his fights, he was always backed by his best friend President Jefferson Davis, with unfortunate implication of Bragg being labeled as President's lackey.
Throughout this book, we followed Bragg's first victory at Shiloh, then a failed campaign into Kentucky to support pro-seccessionist government there, a failure which cost him the enmity of Kentuckians serving under him, followed by a six-month standoff against Federals in Tullahoma, which after that Bragg was busied with staving off revolt of generals serving under him while besieging Federal forces at Chattanooga. Lulled by security of his position yet failed to reinforce his weakpoints, his defeat at Chattanooga was the final straw for his commandership of Army of Tennessee, leading him to be called back at President Davis' side as his Chief Military Adviser, struggling to fix bureacracy-ridden Confederate's war management.
After reading this book, I can say that history has been rather unkind to Bragg. While his dectractors loudly screamed, Bragg was also sorrounded with his own loyalists, which unfortunately kept their silent rather than helping to stave off the bad rumors. Record also showed that Army of Tennessee performed no better or worse under his successors, with even some of the veterans longed for the old days of his leadership. The author also compared Bragg's failure with Lee's. Lee was able to build a myth of invincibility, causing people to overlook his failures, while Bragg bickered with journalists and media, which did not help his cause. Overall, I find Bragg a rather tragic figure.
March 23, 2023
I appreciate a good biography, but I especially appreciate when an author takes on a particularly challenging subject.
Braxton Bragg is for many one of the most reviled figures of the Civil War - often drawn as a caricature - an inept general who was an especially harsh disciplinarian who executed a number of soldiers.
Hess works to unpack the narrative that has developed around Bragg and offer an unvarnished, fairer appraisal of him - working to offer a rational assessment of his strengths and weaknesses, successes and failures, and rationally examining much of the consensus that has built around him. The end result is a portrait of Bragg that gives a more nuanced assessment of him.
In my view, this biography is particularly important because Bragg played a large role in the American Civil War's Western Theater - leading the Army of the Tennessee in its Kentucky campaign in 1862, Stones River/Murfreesboro, Tullahoma Campaign, Chickamauga, and siege of Chattanooga. It is also important in my view because Bragg often elicits strong opinions and has often been caricatured.
Braxton Bragg is for many one of the most reviled figures of the Civil War - often drawn as a caricature - an inept general who was an especially harsh disciplinarian who executed a number of soldiers.
Hess works to unpack the narrative that has developed around Bragg and offer an unvarnished, fairer appraisal of him - working to offer a rational assessment of his strengths and weaknesses, successes and failures, and rationally examining much of the consensus that has built around him. The end result is a portrait of Bragg that gives a more nuanced assessment of him.
In my view, this biography is particularly important because Bragg played a large role in the American Civil War's Western Theater - leading the Army of the Tennessee in its Kentucky campaign in 1862, Stones River/Murfreesboro, Tullahoma Campaign, Chickamauga, and siege of Chattanooga. It is also important in my view because Bragg often elicits strong opinions and has often been caricatured.
September 26, 2023
After reading this book, I now have a clearer overall picture of who General Braxton Bragg was and how his successes and failures as a general and as a leader of men fit into the broader scheme of the civil war, especially as it regards the Army of Tennessee. Whew! Bragg was indeed a key figure in the Confederacy and Hess does a good job of staying historically accurate as he uses details from original documents and letters to lay out the facts and the rumors surrounding this man. He does a good job of separating what was honestly true and what was likely not. I enjoyed it. I'm not saying this is everyone's cup of tea, but I like this kind of historical fact finding. In his own words, Bragg said, "I dare not tell the truth, and I dare not tell less," when someone suggested that he write his own memoirs, and he never did, but I believe that Hess has done his legacy historical justice.
February 28, 2019
This book provided, what I consider, an even accounting of Bragg. While reading the book, it became clear to me that Bragg was not suited to command. He was unable to create a cohesive leadership team or establish an effective coalition with newspapers and politicians that were needed to foster confidence. As a tactician, at best, he was adequate. As a leader, I drew the conclusion, that he should have never been given the opportunity.
The book should be read only by people who are trying to get multiple views on Confederate leadership. If you have only a casual interest in the period, this will disappoint you.
The book should be read only by people who are trying to get multiple views on Confederate leadership. If you have only a casual interest in the period, this will disappoint you.
October 16, 2023
3.5/5
Found this to be an interesting book, although I am not sure I entirely agree with the thesis. Hess argues that Bragg has been unfairly maligned by history and this book is an attempt to correct course and present Bragg's life in a more positive light. It's just that there is overwhelming evidence that Bragg was a terrible military commander and ardent white supremacist. Hess focus' entirely on Bragg's military career, attempting show Bragg as a mostly competent army commander while heaping more than enough criticism on his subordinates. It's an interesting take, though I don't feel there's quite enough evidence to fully support the argument.
Found this to be an interesting book, although I am not sure I entirely agree with the thesis. Hess argues that Bragg has been unfairly maligned by history and this book is an attempt to correct course and present Bragg's life in a more positive light. It's just that there is overwhelming evidence that Bragg was a terrible military commander and ardent white supremacist. Hess focus' entirely on Bragg's military career, attempting show Bragg as a mostly competent army commander while heaping more than enough criticism on his subordinates. It's an interesting take, though I don't feel there's quite enough evidence to fully support the argument.
September 8, 2020
The book “Braxton Bragg: The Most Hated Man of the Confederacy” by Earl Hess, was well written and interesting. The author uses a mix of facts and opinions to analyze the life of Braxton Bragg. The book does not explain in detail Bragg’s early life, but focuses mostly on his Civil War career. The author is very knowledgeable about the Civil War, which is evident when one reads his books. The book is fantastic and teaches the reader about the life of Braxton Bragg. It is a four star book.
October 20, 2017
This book will only appeal to those who really want to know more about the details of the US Civil War. Perhaps Hess is a little too much of a Bragg defender, but I found his use of what the various historians have to say at the end of each chapter useful. What might be of interests to all is the way in which the media played a role in public opinion. Something it appears has not changed much.
December 6, 2021
Still unconvinced Bragg was misunderstood
Despite the limited evidence the author gives that Bragg really was an OK guy, he still appears to be irascible and vengeful. He appears to have been a capable tactician, but his strategic skills and his feuding with other senior officers doomed his success.
Despite the limited evidence the author gives that Bragg really was an OK guy, he still appears to be irascible and vengeful. He appears to have been a capable tactician, but his strategic skills and his feuding with other senior officers doomed his success.
Read
March 15, 2022I was interested in the book, for genealogical reasons. Being a direct descendant of the Bragg family brought me to the book. I only discovered the family link in 2021. the writer did a good job of using the personal journals to present a historical reader ,a confidence to see the many sides recorded events in history.
March 20, 2021
Bragg
An impressive read.I have long thought he was unfairly judged and wondered why Leonidas Polk wasnt relieved of command this book seems to answer my questions and supports my opinion that Bragg wasnt a buffoon nor was he Napoleon but somewhere in the middle
An impressive read.I have long thought he was unfairly judged and wondered why Leonidas Polk wasnt relieved of command this book seems to answer my questions and supports my opinion that Bragg wasnt a buffoon nor was he Napoleon but somewhere in the middle
November 16, 2017
Great read and analysis of Bragg, his effectiveness as a leader, and the impact of negative opinion as to the aforementioned.
June 13, 2020
Excellent revisionist but balanced review of Bragg’s Civil War Service.
April 3, 2021
A very balanced view.
August 1, 2021
I was pretty disappointed in this book. I thought this was more about the man, himself, and not his strategy, tactics and how he was reviewed by his generals, officers, etc. I wouldn't recommend it.
April 17, 2025
A keen analysis and abbreviated historiography of Bragg's treatment by previous writers in one tome.
June 8, 2023
This book is part biography and part defense of Bragg Generalship. Hess "Humanizes" Bragg by showing his relationship with his wife, family, and friends. And he provides a needed correction to those who painted Bragg as an incompetent or abrasive loner. Hess shows that Bragg was neither a bad man nor a bad general.
However, we're still left with the historical facts. As the AoT Commander, Bragg failed in Kentucky, lost Chattanooga and middle Tennessee, was beaten by Grant, and fought to a draw at Stone's River. His sole victory at Chickamauga cost 18,000 men and led to nothing. Further, few of his Division/Corps Commanders liked or praised him. He never created an atmosphere of "mutual trust and respect".
Its not a great record to say the least. Bragg of course, had excuses. Lee had Stonewall Jackson, Bragg was stuck with Hardee and Polk. Lee fought duds like Pope, Hooker, and Burnside. Bragg fought Sherman, Grant and Rosecrans. Bragg drew a bad hand, but he did nothing to make it better. Bragg probably should've been a Corps commander or a Chief of Staff.
The most interesting part of the book covers Bragg's life after he left the Army of Tennessee. Hess provides details on Bragg's position as Davis' Military Advisor and his post-war difficulties. He had a problems finding steady, satisfying employment. Whether in uniform or out, Bragg remained short on "people skills" and long on ego.
However, we're still left with the historical facts. As the AoT Commander, Bragg failed in Kentucky, lost Chattanooga and middle Tennessee, was beaten by Grant, and fought to a draw at Stone's River. His sole victory at Chickamauga cost 18,000 men and led to nothing. Further, few of his Division/Corps Commanders liked or praised him. He never created an atmosphere of "mutual trust and respect".
Its not a great record to say the least. Bragg of course, had excuses. Lee had Stonewall Jackson, Bragg was stuck with Hardee and Polk. Lee fought duds like Pope, Hooker, and Burnside. Bragg fought Sherman, Grant and Rosecrans. Bragg drew a bad hand, but he did nothing to make it better. Bragg probably should've been a Corps commander or a Chief of Staff.
The most interesting part of the book covers Bragg's life after he left the Army of Tennessee. Hess provides details on Bragg's position as Davis' Military Advisor and his post-war difficulties. He had a problems finding steady, satisfying employment. Whether in uniform or out, Bragg remained short on "people skills" and long on ego.
January 10, 2017
This is not a full biography of Bragg, but rather an extended narrative of his military service, weighting the good with the bad. The portrait that arises is of an uncharismatic workhorse who was unlucky enough to fight good Union generals (Rosecrans and Grant) and therefore became unpopular. Nothing succeeds like success; indeed victory made Jackson and Grant acceptable, although never popular, with their men.
Hess remains mostly fair, noting where Bragg was right and wrong, creating the first actually balanced portrayal since McWhinney. I took off a star though for the historiographical asides and his constant quoting of random opinions from the army. Neither is wrong, but they detracted from the narrative because they were not properly integrated into the text.
Hess remains mostly fair, noting where Bragg was right and wrong, creating the first actually balanced portrayal since McWhinney. I took off a star though for the historiographical asides and his constant quoting of random opinions from the army. Neither is wrong, but they detracted from the narrative because they were not properly integrated into the text.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews