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Picking my way through this one. Dense and very good.

Started the audible recording today!

Very enthralling style

I enjoy the shifting perspectives of this book. It has engrossing prose intermingled with battlefield anecdotes. This is the first time I feel like I’ve had the Battle of Shiloh explained in a way that’s both understandable and engaging. Great maps too.

Been chipping away at this one as it’s my least favorite battle, but the movements and anecdotes from May 31-June 1 are some of the best of the Overland Campaign so far. Bullets pulled out of men’s skulls who live to say the surgeon’s pliers slipped off the first time until he “got a firm grip” and yanked out the ball. Warren, Wright, and Hancock are slugging it out while Burnside is seemingly asleep.

“In addition, many of the highest officials of the State competed with one another, in the interest of their own political popularity, in the most violent denunciations of such persons or groups, thus arousing the passions of ordinary citizens who look to their public officials for counsel and direction.”

“Hitler was a simple soldier, like millions of others, only he had a feeling for masses of people, and he could speak with passion. The people didn’t pay attention to the Party program as such. They went to the meetings just to hear something new, anything new. They were desperate about the economic situation, a ‘New Germany’ sounded good to them; but from a deep or broad point of view they saw nothing…”

James Polk was a miserable cuss

Grant commands his presence and orders action with so few words. It’s pretty awesome.