Synopses & Reviews
In this revelatory, dynamic biography, one of our finest historians, Benson Bobrick, profiles George H. Thomas, arguing that he was the greatest and most successful general of the Civil War. Because Thomas didn't live to write his memoirs, his reputation has been largely shaped by others, most notably Ulysses S. Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman, two generals with whom Thomas served and who, Bobrick says, diminished his successes in their favor in their own memoirs.
Born in Virginia, Thomas survived Nat Turner's rebellion as a boy, then studied at West Point, where Sherman was a classmate. Thomas distinguished himself in the Mexican War and then returned to West Point as an instructor. When the Civil War broke out, Thomas remained loyal to the Union, unlike fellow Virginia-born officer Robert E. Lee (among others). He compiled an outstanding record as an officer in battles at Mill Springs, Perryville, and Stones River. At the Battle of Chickamauga, Thomas, at the time a corps commander, held the center of the Union line under a ferocious assault, then rallied the troops on Horseshoe Ridge to prevent a Confederate rout of the Union army. His extraordinary performance there earned him the nickname The Rock of Chickamauga.
Promoted to command of the Army of the Cumberland, he led his army in a stunning Union victory at the Battle of Chattanooga. Thomas supported Sherman on his march through Georgia in the spring of 1864, winning an important victory at the Battle of Peachtree Creek. As Sherman continued on his March to the Sea, Thomas returned to Tennessee and in the battle of Nashville destroyed the army of Confederate General John Bell Hood. It was one of the most decisive victories of the war, and Thomas won it even as Grant was on his way to remove Thomas from his command. (When Grant discovered the magnitude of Thomas's victory, he quickly changed his mind.) Thomas died of a stroke in 1870 while still on active duty. In the entire Civil War, he never lost a battle or a movement.
Throughout his career, Thomas was methodical and careful, and always prepared. Unlike Grant at Shiloh, he was never surprised by an enemy. Unlike Sherman, he never panicked in battle but always remained calm and focused. He was derided by both men as Slow Trot Thomas, but as Bobrick shows in this brilliant biography, he was quick to analyze every situation and always knew what to do and when to do it. He was not colorful like Grant and Sherman, but he was widely admired by his peers, and some, such as Grant's favorite cavalry commander, General James H. Wilson, thought Thomas the peer of any general in either army. He was the only Union commander to destroy two Confederate armies in the field.
Although historians of the Civil War have always regarded Thomas highly, he has never captured the public imagination, perhaps because he has lacked an outstanding biographer -- until now. This informed, judicious, and lucid biography at last gives Thomas his due.
Review
"With his customary flair and keen insights, Benson Bobrick has written yet another splendid book. andlt;iandgt;Master of Warandlt;/iandgt; indispensably belongs on your Civil War bookshelf, right next to biographies of Lee, Grant, Sherman, and Stuart. Bravo!" -- Jay Winik, author of andlt;iandgt;April 1865: The Month That Saved Americaandlt;/iandgt; and andlt;iandgt;The Great Upheaval: America and the Birth of the Modern Worldandlt;/iandgt;
Review
"A strong portrait of an undervalued general." -- Kirkus Reviews
Review
"At last, Union General George Thomas has received the biography that he has deserved for more than a century. Overshadowed by fellow commanders such as Grant, Sherman, and Sheridan, Thomas was one of the North's finest generals during the Civil War. In Master of War, Benson Bobrick gives us a finely written and researched study on a soldier whose record rivals that of his more famous comrades. This book was long overdue." -- Jeffry D. Wert, author of Cavalryman of the Lost Cause
Synopsis
- A first-rate historian: Benson Bobrick is the author of several celebrated books, including The Fated Sky and Testament . His work has been hailed as "Lucid and vivid" by The New Yorker, "elegant" by The Washington Post Book World, and "engrossing...detailed and gripping" by the Chicago Tribune . And The New York Times Book Review says, "Bobrick is perhaps the most interesting historian writing in America today.."
- A fascinating biography of an underappreciated American hero: George H. Thomas was, Bobrick argues, the greatest general of the Civil War. Known as the Rock of Chickamauga, Thomas was regarded by his contemporaries as the equal of Grant and Sherman. In the entire Civil War, he never lost a battle or a movement, and he was the only Union commander to destroy two Confederate armies in the field. But Thomas never wrote a memoir and history neglected him. Until now. .
- Powerfully told and grippingly rendered: With his characteristic flair for drama and fast-paced writing, Bobrick takes readers onto the battlefields, into the smoke of gunpowder and the stench of bodies. From the parade grounds of West Point to the bloody Battle of Chattanooga, Bobrick masterfully renders every detail, right down to the buckles on Thomas's boots and the courage in his heart. Backed by scholarly research, this informed and vivid biography at last brings Thomas's tale to readers everywhere..
Synopsis
and#8226; A first-rate historian: Benson Bobrick is the author of several celebrated books, including andlt;Iandgt;The Fated Skyandlt;/Iandgt; and andlt;Iandgt;Testamentandlt;/Iandgt; . His work has been hailed as and#8220;Lucid and vividand#8221; by andlt;Iandgt;The New Yorkerandlt;/Iandgt; , and#8220;elegantand#8221; by andlt;Iandgt;The Washington Post Book Worldandlt;/Iandgt; , and and#8220;engrossingand#8230;detailed and grippingand#8221; by andlt;Iandgt; the andlt;Iandgt;Chicago Tribuneandlt;/Iandgt; . And andlt;Iandgt;The New York Times Book Reviewandlt;/Iandgt; says, and#8220;Bobrick is perhaps the most interesting historian writing in America today.and#8221;.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#8226; A fascinating biography of an underappreciated American hero: George H. Thomas was, Bobrick argues, the greatest general of the Civil War. Known as the Rock of Chickamauga, Thomas was regarded by his contemporaries as the equal of Grant and Sherman. In the entire Civil War, he never lost a battle or a movement, and he was the only Union commander to destroy two Confederate armies in the field. But Thomas never wrote a memoir and history neglected him. Until now. .andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#8226; Powerfully told and grippingly rendered: With his characteristic flair for drama and fast-paced writing, Bobrick takes readers onto the battlefields, into the smoke of gunpowder and the stench of bodies. From the parade grounds of West Point to the bloody Battle of Chattanooga, Bobrick masterfully renders every detail, right down to the buckles on Thomasand#8217;s boots and the courage in his heart. Backed by scholarly research, this informed and vivid biography at last brings Thomasand#8217;s tale to readers everywhere..
About the Author
andlt;Bandgt;Benson Bobrick andlt;/Bandgt;earned his doctorate from Columbia University and is the author of several critically acclaimed works, including andlt;iandgt;Wide as the Waters: The Story of the English Bible and the Revolution It Inspired andlt;/iandgt;andandlt;iandgt;andnbsp;Angel in the Whirlwind: The Triumph of the American Revolution.andlt;/iandgt; In 2002 he received the Literature Award of the American Academy and Institute of Arts and Letters. He and his wife, Hilary, live in Vermont.