Hearts Touched by Fire

Starred review from January 1, 2011

Firsthand accounts of the bloodletting whose 150th anniversary we are about to commemorate, some of which might have saved later historians embarrassment.

In 1883, only 20 years after Gettysburg, the editors of The Century magazine commissioned a comprehensive series of articles from senior officers on both sides of the conflict, documenting great events and more modest episodes alike. For the next four years, contributions poured in, and The Century experienced a huge bump in circulation. Here, political historian Holzer (Lincoln: President-Elect, 2008, etc.) serves up a comparatively compact selection, whittling the original down to a quarter and enlisting leading historians—James McPherson, Joan Waugh, Craig Symonds and others—to provide contextual introductions and notes. The result is a model of scholarship and historical editing—though, as is proper, its greatest value is in presenting those original views. Confederate Gen. Stephen D. Lee writes of the war's stage-setting process. At the first Confederate Congress in Montgomery, Ala., many believed first that there would be no war; writes Lee, "The expectation of 'peaceable secession' was the delusion that precipitated matters in the South." One of Lee's counterparts, Jacob D. Cox, writes that the North was scarcely better prepared, though rumors of war had long been rumbling: "There had for many years been no money appropriated to buy military material or even to protect the little the State had." After the disaster at Bull Run—ably recounted by victorious Confederate generals Beauregard and Johnston—the North was better equipped and would forever remain so. Every page here is fascinating, but historians should note the firsthand accounts of Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg, which has been second-guessed ever since, but which seems all but inevitable from a you-are-there perspective. The answer to why Robert E. Lee appeared at Appomattox in a brand-new uniform, which has puzzled some historians, is also revealed. Many of the Confederate writers are sharply critical of the political conduct of the South, condemning Jefferson Davis for, in the words of one, "drift[ing], from the beginning to the end of the war." Some Union writers, for their parts, are scarcely more complimentary of their leadership.

There are few more essential books for Civil War buffs and professional historians alike. A welcome, valuable addition to the vast library devoted to the conflict.

(COPYRIGHT (2011) KIRKUS REVIEWS/NIELSEN BUSINESS MEDIA, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.)

March 15, 2011
An abridgment of an enduringly popular four-volume title published in 1887, Holzers edition consists of 63 reminiscences by officers North and Southtwo-thirds of the original contentplus introductions by heavyweight contemporary Civil War historians like James McPherson. Then, as now, the main audience-attraction is the preservation of top commanders memories before the sounding of final taps; for example, Ulysses Grants Battles articles became the core of his famous Personal Memoirs before cancer carried him off. The abundant illustrations are another draw. Meticulous productions for their time, they remain a strong asset in Holzers edition, which also augments Battles original microscopic cartography with new maps that are easier for modern readers to follow. The work will certainly enthrall the buffs, offering eyewitness vividness and palpable purpose in putting the battlefield actions of the authors, their comrades, and their enemies in the best historical light. Ned Bradfords previous single-volume Battles (1956) is still out there, so some collection developers must decide between adding Holzer and/or keeping Bradford. Whichever, they should have one for the Civil War sesquicentennial, 201115.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)