Synopses & Reviews
Review
"Definitive - A must." Kirkus Reviews
Synopsis
The definitive account of Robert E. Lee's Chancellorsville, one of the most dramatic battles of the Civil War.
Stephen W. Sears describes the series of controversial events that define this crucial battle, including General Lee's radical decision to divide his small army--a violation of basic military rules--sending Stonewall Jackson on his famous twelve-mile march around the Union army flank.
Charging out of the Wilderness with Rebel yells, Jackson's troops destroyed one entire corps of the Union army. Lee's great victory came at great cost, however: Jackson was accidentally shot by his own troops and died eight days later. And ironically, the momentum of Lee's greatest triumph pushed him to launch an aggressive campaign that led to his greatest defeat, at Gettysburg.
Drawing on a wealth of new sources, including personal accounts by soldiers on both sides, Sears has written the authoritative book on Chancellorsville.
Synopsis
Sears describes the series of controversial events that define this crucial battle, including General Robert E. Lee's radical decision to divide his small army--a violation of basic military rules--sending Stonewall Jackson on his famous march around the Union army flank. Jackson's death--accidentally shot by one of his own soldiers--is one of the many fascinating stories included in this definitive account of the battle of Chancellorsville.
About the Author
STEPHEN W. SEARS is the author of many award-winning books on the Civil War, including Gettysburg and Landscape Turned Red. The New York Times Book Review has called him "arguably the preeminent living historian of the war's eastern theater." He is a former editor for American Heritage.