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Embattled Rebel: Jefferson Davis As Commander In Chief (2014)

by James M. McPherson(Favorite Author)

3.64 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

1594204977 (ISBN13: 9781594204975)

languge

English

genre

History & Biography

publisher

Penguin Press HC, The

review 1: Civil War scholar and Pulitzer winning (“Battle Cry of Freedom” 1988) author James M McPherson has taken a fresh look at a subject with whom he is eminently familiar: the life and times of Confederate President Jefferson Davis. With open minds in short supply these days the author takes a big risk in challenging past postulations. Many still consider Davis a traitor.McPherson has methodically, without emotions written this short book. It is obvious he has conducted an enormous amount of research in preparation to write this story of Davis. This is not a biography in the traditional since as details of Davis’s life before Secession and his fate during Reconstruction are not covered. McPherson claims Davis was not an inept leader as many historians have claimed. D... moreavis was a graduate of West Point and had served in the Mexican War. The author states that the south also had problems with its Generals. He compared the tentative George B. McClellan to the backpedaling Joseph E. Johnston. While he documents that Davis made his share of mistakes and was an impolitic politician, McPherson concludes that Davis devised a credible strategy for fight the war. The South’s material and manpower handicaps are well known, but McPherson list other obstacles such as the Southerners were anything but united. The “States Rights” mantra often inhibited coordinated military tactics. The author covers the 1862 threat by Arkansas to secede from the Confederacy and in 1863 North Carolina’s leaders favored negotiations. On top of this Rebel soldiers deserted in droves.McPherson’s overall evaluation of Davis is fair-minded. He criticizes Davis but also points out some favorable points. The book’s worth a read particularly for those interested in the Civil war. I read this as an audio book downloaded from Audible. Robert Fass did a good job narrating the book.
review 2: This is McPherson's sequel to "Tried by War: Lincoln as Commander-in-chief". It is an easy read if you are familiar with Civil War military campaigns. It tends to focus on the relationships between Davis and his generals. For all of the criticism that Union generals take in historical analysis, the Confederates deserve their fair share, particularly when looking beyond Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia. less

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