The Battle of Brandy Station: North America's Largest Cavalry Battle

by Eric J Wittenberg, O. James Lighthizer (Foreword)

This Civil War history and guide examines a major turning point in cavalry combat and includes a GPS guided tour of the battlefield.   Just before dawn on June 9, 1863, Union soldiers materialized from a thick fog near the banks of Virginia's Rappahannock River to ambush sleeping Confederates. The ensuing struggle, which lasted throughout the day, was to be known as the Battle of Brandy Station—the largest cavalry battle ever fought on North American soil. These events marked a major turning point in the Civil the waning era of Confederate cavalry dominance in the East gave way to a confident and powerful Union mounted arm.   Historian Eric J. Wittenberg meticulously captures the drama and significance of these events in this fascinating volume. The GPS guided tour of the battlefield is supplemented with illustrations and maps by master cartographer Steven Stanley.

Genres: Civil War, History, American Civil War

275 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 1, 2010

Reviews

[Jack Lewis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hard to follow

I found it hard to follow the battle without an overview map that placed the small area maps. I would have preferred the author to follow a time line to describe positions and actions of troops. In spite of these comments, I found the book valuable for my research on the role Buford's orderly played in this famous cavalry battle.

[Jane Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great information on a battle I knew little about. Makes me want to investigate more.

[Tom Powers · Rating 4 out of 5]

nice read

Interesting read shows the lack of commanders on the union side except for a handful. Lack of knowing the battlefield from the union side except

[Blaine Pardoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've heard grumbles about this book but as a long time Civil War reader, I found it enjoying. Does it break new ground? Some. Is it the authoritative account of the battle? It is the best published account in 30 years - that much is for sure. Yes, I have heard that other authors have books coming out that will blow this one out of the water - but talk is cheap. I found this account to be compelling, well organized, well written and downright entertaining.

[Mark Luongo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of the Civil War Sesquicentennial Series. Most people consider Wittenberg the dean of AOP cavalry writers and his work here is creditable as both a narrative and a guide (walking/driving) to the battlefield today. I believe this book is a precursor to his larger work on the battle, "Out Flew the Sabers."