Shiloh: Confederate High Tide in the Heartland

by Steven E. Woodworth

The Battle of Shiloh was one of the most important battles of the Civil War, and it offers a particularly rich opportunity to study the ways in which different leaders reacted to unexpected challenges. Shiloh: Confederate High Tide in the Heartland provides a fascinating and fast-paced narrative history of the key campaign and battle in the Civil War's decisive western theater--the heartland of the Confederacy west of the Appalachians.



The book emphasizes the significance of contingency in evaluating the decisions of the Union and Confederate commanders, as well as the tenacity displayed by both sides, which contributed to the tremendous bloodshed of the conflict and revealed the depth of Union determination that would ultimately doom the Confederacy. Intended for Civil War enthusiasts as well as scholars of American military history, this work reveals the complex challenges and decisions of leadership and documents how the Confederacy was never as close to scoring a truly decisive victory as its forces were on the first day of the Battle of Shiloh.

Genres: American Civil War, Civil War Western Theater, Civil War, American History, Military History

216 pages, Hardcover

First published September 30, 2012

Reviews

[Daniel Woodworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I suppose I'm a bit biased. After all, I did learn to love history by listening to the author telling stories, and one of my earliest memories is walking the Shiloh battlefield with my dad explaining the battle as we went. Still, I think even an unbiased reader would be hard pressed to find a better short history of the battle than this. The story of the action is center stage, but always in the context of the battle and war as a whole.

Overall, an excellent and enjoyable account of one of the most important battles in US history.

[Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

A terrific critical survey. Woodworth's book is THE starting point for anyone wanting to understand what happened at Shiloh. He manages to pack more insightful analysis into 175 pages than other books on the battle that are twice as long.

[Jimmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good overview of the battle but also very brief. Someone who has read more detailed about Shiloh (like I have) probably won't learn much that is new about the fighting but the author did finish with a good analysis of the generals' tactical and command decisions of the campaign.