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Shiloh, 1862
A main selection in History Book-of-the-Month Club and alternate selection in Military Book-of-the-Month Club.
In the spring of 1862, many Americans still believed that the Civil War, "would be over by Christmas." The previous summer in Virginia, Bull Run, with nearly 5,000 casualties, had been shocking, but suddenly came word from a far away place in the wildernesses of So...more
In the spring of 1862, many Americans still believed that the Civil War, "would be over by Christmas." The previous summer in Virginia, Bull Run, with nearly 5,000 casualties, had been shocking, but suddenly came word from a far away place in the wildernesses of So...more
Hardcover, 448 pages
Published
March 20th 2012
by National Geographic
(first published January 1st 2012)
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Until Sunday, April 6th, 1862 the Union and Confederate forces had fought several battles but neither side had an inkling of how much blood would be demanded to rid our country of the scourge of slavery. After Shiloh, the butcher’s bill would become clear. The nation will pay dearly. From a Union colonel who fought on that day:
In his diary, Camm had written, “April 6th. Began with a bright, beautiful morning. The trees were budding, the birds were singing but none of us dreamed what a dark and...more
In his diary, Camm had written, “April 6th. Began with a bright, beautiful morning. The trees were budding, the birds were singing but none of us dreamed what a dark and...more
I've read several of Groom's histories and I really like his writing style. Very informative, but most if not all civil war buffs probably won't learn much new. I like way he uses the memoirs and diaries of several people (both low and high ranking) as the backbone of the story and I think it is very effective, for me at least. Also Groom doesn't just tell the story of those two days in April, he traces how both Armies got there. The actual descriptions of the battle don't start until about 1/3...more
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What I like about this book is how accessible it is. I am no expert on the American Civil War yet within hours I was into this book and roaring through. I give a lot of credit to the author for making such an important battle accessible to someone like me, whose interest in such a horrific battle has grown over the last few months.
Shiloh is one of the most important battle of the Civil war and it is easy to see how close the Confederates came to a complete victory from reading this. It is also...more
Shiloh is one of the most important battle of the Civil war and it is easy to see how close the Confederates came to a complete victory from reading this. It is also...more
A number of good accounts of the bloody battle at Shiloh in the Civil War have been written. Authors whose books I have read and appreciated include: Larry Daniels, Wiley Sword, and Edward Cunningham. Do we need another book on the subject? I think that Winston Croom's book, "Shiloh 1862," makes its own contribution. It is not so much the original insights into the battle, but the literate rendering of the story and the human side of the battle that Croom describes.
First, the book is literate an...more
First, the book is literate an...more
an extremely well written account of what was the bloodiest battle in American history, up to that point. More Americans died in that battle than in all of America's previous wars combined, and more than had died in the Civil War up to that point. Unfortunately, Antietam eventually took that honor, which it retains to this day.
The book is intended for a general audience, rather than for died in the wool Civil War buffs. So, there's a great deal of effort into providing context to the battle and...more
The book is intended for a general audience, rather than for died in the wool Civil War buffs. So, there's a great deal of effort into providing context to the battle and...more
Apr 20, 2012
Donna
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Civil War buffs
Shelves:
history-civil-war
Being a Civil War buff, I'll read almost anything new that is published on the various battles. Groom's book takes a new look at the battle of Shiloh fought in April 1862--the first big battle of the Civil War. While primarily a military focus, Groom makes good use of diaries, letters and post-war memoirs to give life to individuals on the battle field. The intertwined emotions of fear and bravado come across clearly as men who have never been in battle before must look the enemy in the eye as h...more
May 06, 2012
Mike
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Anyone
Recommended to Mike by:
Jake Reiss, Owner, The Alabama Booksmith, Homewood, Al
Shiloh, 1862: Winston Groom's history of the battle of Shiloh
The Hornet's Nest,
"War means fightin'. Fightin' means killin'."--Nathan Bedford Forrest
I'll be the first to admit as much of it as I have read, some military histories can be duller than dishwater. There are authors of that vast genre that I avoid for that reason. But Winston Groom doesn't fall into that category.
Although I first came to appreciate Groom as a novelist, I've come to admire him more as a historian. Shiloh, 1862 is his f...more
The Hornet's Nest,
"War means fightin'. Fightin' means killin'."--Nathan Bedford Forrest
I'll be the first to admit as much of it as I have read, some military histories can be duller than dishwater. There are authors of that vast genre that I avoid for that reason. But Winston Groom doesn't fall into that category.
Although I first came to appreciate Groom as a novelist, I've come to admire him more as a historian. Shiloh, 1862 is his f...more
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I read this after reading a civil mystery ("Call Each River Jordan") that started at the battle of Shiloh (or Pittsburgh Landing). The graphic descriptions of the battle in the fiction book got me very curious about Shiloh...was it really as horrible as that? And what about the descriptions of Grant, Sherman, and Beauregard? I was not disappointed by Groom's history of Shiloh. There was a good review of Grant's history leading up to the battle and absolutely fantastic battle maps, showing the st...more
Shiloh 1862 is a good, relatively light introduction to the devastating Civil War battle of April 1862. Groom uses anecdotes, individual family expriences, and narrative history to flesh-out the events of the 2-day battle-- as well as those preceding and following the aftermath. He manages to convey the confusion of those days particularly well, when the ordered columns and text-book theories of "how a battle should be fought" were thrown to the four winds. The descriptions of the geography and...more
I read this book while actually visting the Shiloh (& Ford Donelson) battlegrounds last spring. The book does an excellent job of explaining the many details of such a large and fierce battle - it was easy to imagine how the scene must have looked in 1862. The battleground is well-preserved as it is far away from any cities and the I was able to get a pretty good understanding of how the battle unfolded and how Grant managed to turn a potential defeat into a Union victory. Winston Groom puts...more
Not much that new here. However,those who are new to Civil War history will appreciate the coverage of the Cairo-Columbus-Fort Henry-Fort Donelson narrative. Also, the story of of Sherman's "craziness" is well-told. I did enjoy the epilogue--it's good to know that Nathan Bedford Forrest died young. And, now that I think about it, Groom raised some important issues about A.S. Johnston. Folk history is that R.E. Lee was God's gift to war; in the spring of 1862--prior to the Seven Days--maybe it wa...more
It's unfair to call this "The Civil War for Dummies" but, really, the author made it that easy to understand. As a non-Civil War buff who gets lost if it isn't Gettysburg or Atlanta, this book was a real treat. I was continuously astounded by how unprepared and bungling both sides were in this early battle in the West. Somehow it made the fight between brothers, families and friends even more poignant. I'm still lost when it comes to armaments but that wasn't an impediment to understanding the a...more
Another outstanding history by Winston Groom. His style, which combines the results of meticulous research with the personal accounts participants, makes for riveting reading. He brings to life the unfathomable carnage and incredable courage displayed by the participants on both sides at the Battle of Shiloh as few writers could. I spent two tours as an infantryman in Vietnam and yet I cannot even imagine what these solders went through. I experienced nothing even remotely like it. One comes awa...more
This is a good book on the Battle of Shiloh, the first really big battle of the Civil War. Winston Groom describes the campaign leading up to the battle [Forts Henry & Donelson, etc.] and all the major players on both sides. He also includes descriptions from the fighting men, both Blue and Gray. At the end we get a game of What If and a section on what happened to many of the soldiers who survived the battle. All around a very good description of the battle if you're not familiar with it. I...more
Excellent book of a Civil War battle I knew very little about. The author's first book, Vicksburg 1863 was outstanding and in his second book Shiloh 1862, He didn't disappoint. The battle of Shiloh had the most casualties-23,741 combined. 1,754 Union dead, 8,408 wounded, and 2,885 missing or captured. Totaling 13,047 on the Union side. The Confederate casualties were 1,723 killed, 8,012 wounded, and 959 missing or captured. Totaling 10,694. That was more in a single battle than all of America's...more
I still consider myself a novice when it comes to the Civil War, especially if it isn't Gettysburg. I enjoyed the broad strokes the author gave to the narrative, and find myself wanting more detail about the planning, the movements of forces, and the details of the terrain involved. I enjoyed the use of letters and diaries from men and women of various levels of interaction in the actual fight. It was good to compare a general's view to the private's to the local landowner. Each, obviously have...more
The latest book on Shiloh should be a grand slam. Groom is a good writer and I really enjoyed one of his previous Civil War nonfiction books, Shrouds of Glory: From Atlanta to Nashville--The Last Great Campaign of the Civil War. Further, Groom is working off an impressive bibliography including all the major works up till now about the battle (Cunningham, Sword, Daniel, McDonough).
The result isn't bad, but it is disappointing. I've heard complaints that there is no definitive book about Shiloh a...more
The result isn't bad, but it is disappointing. I've heard complaints that there is no definitive book about Shiloh a...more
I love it so far. Shows how war weeds out the posers by the end. Unforunately, alot of people need to die to figure out who is doing the job for the prestige and who actually knows what they are doing.
Ok...civil war battle books are hard to follow when they get into the action because you have no frame of reference as to where everyone is relative to each other.
You get wounded you die back then. And they chop of your limbs to try and save you. A person can be standing next to you one minute and...more
Ok...civil war battle books are hard to follow when they get into the action because you have no frame of reference as to where everyone is relative to each other.
You get wounded you die back then. And they chop of your limbs to try and save you. A person can be standing next to you one minute and...more
Excellent recounting of this crucial battle in the Western front in the Civil War. The author gives us the horror and tragedy from a soldier's viewpoint while putting the larger framework of strategy in perspective. The maps are very helpful in showing how this battle fit in with Grant's success and how important this fight was for the CSA. The ebb and flow of the two day fight is depicted well and adds to one's insight of the struggle.
The human experience, imagination, and language is not sufficient to describe for others what it must be like to be in battle. Winston Groom comes as close as possible in his history of the battle of Shiloh. The book appears to be well researched yet reads like an action novel.
One of the best books on the Civil War that I have ever read. Groom does an excellent job of describing the Battle of Shiloh in great detail while weaving in numerous firsthand accounts of the fighting. I look forward to reading Groom's other Civil War books.
This book's author also wrote the book "Forrest Gump" so it reads smoothly. He uses a lot of civilian stories to make it more than just a boring history book. Although like 80% of the book covers the first days fighting, and then the second days fighting only gets a partial chapter.
A Well written account of the battle with comments from people who were there. In most cases the past, future and relationships of those participants are given. It gives a wider view of the period and the effects of the conflict.
I gave it four stars because this is one of those cases where I thought, "I care nothing about learning about the Civil War," but I came away having learned something and enjoying the experience (as much as you can enjoy rabid slaughter). So many names, and that hindered me, but overall enlightening.
Enjoyable, but meandering account of not just the battle of Shiloh, but the entire campaign. Fails to capture the drama and tension of the battle, especially the fight at the Hornet's Nest, but does deliver an general overall understanding of the battle.
Aug 24, 2012
Diane
marked it as to-read
From CS Monitor: Full of evocative stories – plus helpful maps and fascinating photos – "Shiloh 1862" is the perfect Civil War battle book for those who don't read Civil War battle books.
For Civil War geeks like me. A very readable description of the first major battle of the civil war which was a prelude for what was to come. Very well done.
A page-turner from front to back. Groom provides an engaging rendition of one of the bloodiest battles of the war.
Groom tells the story not only from the view of the officer, but leans heavily upon the stories if previously unknown actors.
Groom's Shiloh should become standard reading on the subject.
The maps and diagrams help to make the battlefield understandable.
A great "entry-level" book on Shiloh, but veteran Civil War readers will enjoy it as well.
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is an American novelist and non-fiction writer, best known for his book Forrest Gump, which was adapted into a film in 1994. Groom was born in Washington, D.C., but grew up in Mobile, Alabama where he attended University Military School (now known as UMS-Wright Preparatory School). He attended the University of Alabama, where he was a member of Delta Tau Delta and the Army ROTC, and graduated in 1...more
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