American Civil War Game Club (ACWGC)

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by DMcCartney</i>
Also, has anyone else read John Hennessy's <i>Return to Bull Run</i>? I think its one of the finest Campaigns studies I've read.
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I have, but so many years ago I can only remember that I liked it and thought I had finally understood how SBR came about to happen!

Gen. Walter, USA
<i>The Blue Blitz</i>
3/2/VIII AoS
West Point Class of '01
[url="http://www.home.datacomm.ch/dierk.walter/2VIIIAoS/persrecord.htm"][/url]
"... and keep moving on."

At present, I am reading.....Extraordinary Circumstances: the Seven Days Battles.

Rebel Private Front and Rear, and Generals in Blue and Grey Volume 1 Blue.

I started all this with Extraordinary Circumstances, it was and so far is a Good read, but I Got distracted by my Libraries Renewal policy(no more then 1 renewal, so can have the book for no more then 4 straight weeks, and then you have to wait 24 hours before you can check it out again)so in the interim I picked up Rebel Private and Generals, I've been devoting most of my time to Generals....it's an interesting book as well.....I'm trying to get a hold of Co. Aytch. but my local library has withdrawn it, and they're supposed to be looking for it for me, so I can buy it from them, and the next closest Library has a New Copy on Order...

Lt. Jason Fitch
commanding, 4th Bde
1st Div IX Corps
Army of the Ohio

" At the end of forty-three minutes of a desperate and unequal contest, I found the enemy completely around my flanks. To prevent a useless destruction of life, or entire capture of my regiment, I gave the order to retire. I was Honored to be forced to repeat it, and even then the brave fellow complied reluctantly -- many refused" -- Colonel Bernard Mullen, commanding 35th Indiana Infantry, 1st Irish....Report of the Actions of the 35th on the Last Day at Stone's River

Last ACW book I read was on the Vicksburg Campaign and was written by Winston(?) Groom, the fellow who wrote Forrest Gump. I detected a fair number of inaccuracies and probably missed many more, but I think Groom did a pretty good job of tying the whole thing together from the start of the war through the fall of Vicksburg and Port Hudson, and in an entertaining manner. Also, a good bibliography at the end of the book.

MG Mike Mihalik
1/III/AoMiss/CSA

I just picked up John Keegan's <i>The American Civil War</i>. I enjoyed several of his books and I hope this is a good introduction to the military history of the war.

Grant's memoirs and James McPherson's <i>Battle Cry of Freedom</i> are lying on the shelf.

Fld. Lt. Tom Wight
4/3/IV/AotM/CSA

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by tomwight</i>
Grant's memoirs and James McPherson's <i>Battle Cry of Freedom</i> are lying on the shelf.
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Read those first. Worlds better than Keegan.

Gen. Walter, USA
<i>The Blue Blitz</i>
3/2/VIII AoS
West Point Class of '01
[url="http://www.home.datacomm.ch/dierk.walter/2VIIIAoS/persrecord.htm"][/url]
"... and keep moving on."

I am reading Where The South Lost The War. An Analysis of the Fort Henry - Fort Donelson Campaign February 1862 by Kendall D. Gott
I was at Fort Donelson Battlefield last year. Very good book on early part of western war.
Joe Bukal [:)]

I am currently working my way through Adkin's "The Gettysburg Companion". This one isn't a casual read but more a reference book but it has a wealth of information.

I addresses such question as how many men in a regiment actually were in the firing line? Their example is the 19th Viriginia as deployed for Pickett's Charge. The regiment had 328 men in it of which 85 were officers and non-commissioned officers leaving only 243 men in the firing line. Our games reduce cavalry for horseholders but overlook the affect of these so called "file closers" many of which were armed only with pistols. The book is full of such information on how they fought, weapons used, etc.

LG. Kennon Whitehead
Chatham Grays
1/1/III AoM (CSA)

Currently working on Grant Moves South, Bruce Catton...again. Need some new material...and see some intriguing possiblities here.

"General Sickles, this is in some respects higher ground than that to the rear, but there is still higher in front of you, and if you keep on advancing you will find constantly higher ground all the way to the mountains."
-Major General George Meade, Commanding the Army of the Potomac, July 2, 1863

Major General Rusty Hodgkiss
VIII AoS
[img][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v660/mongohuey/generalhodge.jpg[/img]

[IMG]

Just got a copy of The 10th Kentucky Volunteer Infantry in the Civil War by Dennis W. Belcher. There's never been much written about those Kentucky regiments that served on the Union side, and this book is a step in the right direction.


Maj. Gen. Jos. C. Meyer
Second Division, 14th Corps,
Army of the Cumberland

John Keegan has just released a new book: The American Civil War. I was wondering if anyone has read it and what impression it made?


Lt. Col. Neal Carney
AoO/IX/2/6

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by nealcarney</i>
<br />John Keegan has just released a new book: The American Civil War. I was wondering if anyone has read it and what impression it made?<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

I have only read a few pages, so I can't say much about it. Here is a link to a few customer reviews:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/American-Civil- ... 0091794838

Dierk Walter has a strong opinion on this book, so he must have read it.

Capt. Tom Wight
4/3/IV/AotM/CSA

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="3" face="book antiqua" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by tomwight</i>
Dierk Walter has a strong opinion on this book, so he must have read it.
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I have a strong opinion on Keegan's recent books in general. But above all, I do have a strong opinion on both McPherson's "Battle Cry of Freedom" and Grant's memoirs. Simply the two best books on the Civil War I can think of--as little as they have in common, they have that.

Gen. Walter, USA
<i>The Blue Blitz</i>
3/2/VIII AoS
West Point Class of '01
[url="http://www.home.datacomm.ch/dierk.walter/2VIIIAoS/persrecord.htm"][/url]
"... and keep moving on."

Well, that is very sound advice. Thanks again for that. Keegan's most important contribution to the studies of military history is his <i>The Face of Battle</i>, but admitted that was published back in 1976.

Capt. Tom Wight
4/3/IV/AotM/CSA

Well I'm down to the last few chapters of This Terrible Sound by Cozzen on the Battle of Chickamauga and thanks to a 30% off e-coupon from Borders I should be able to start Gettysburg July 1 by G. David Martin. After all, can you have enough Gettysburg books? [:D]

General Mark Nelms
6/3/IX/AoO
"Blackhawk Brigade"
Union Military Academy Instructor
Union Cabinet Secretary

I'm about 50 years ahead in 1914, reading The Guns of August by Barbara Tuchman - a great book so far.


General Jeff Laub
Union Chief of the Army
ACWGC Cabinet Member
http://www.geocities.com/laubster22/UnionHQ/