3.0
Plenty of Blame to go Around
ByPublisher Description
June 1863. The Gettysburg Campaign is in its opening hours. Harness jingles and hoofs pound as Confederate cavalryman James Ewell Brown (JEB) Stuart leads his three brigades of veteran troopers on a ride that triggers one of the Civil War's most bitter and enduring controversies. Instead of finding glory and victory-two objectives with which he was intimately familiar, Stuart reaped stinging criticism and substantial blame for one of the Confederacy's most stunning and unexpected battlefield defeats. In
, Eric J. Wittenberg and J. David Petruzzi objectively investigate the role Stuart's horsemen played in the disastrous campaign. It is the first book ever written on this important and endlessly fascinating subject.
Did the plumed cavalier disobey General Robert E. Lee's orders by stripping the army of its "eyes and ears?" Was Stuart to blame for the unexpected combat that broke out at Gettysburg on July 1? Authors Wittenberg and Petruzzi, widely recognized for their study and expertise of Civil War cavalry operations, have drawn upon a massive array of primary sources, many heretofore untapped, to fully explore Stuart's ride, its consequences, and the intense debate among participants shortly after the battle, through early post-war commentators, and among modern scholars.
The result is a richly detailed study jammed with incisive tactical commentary, new perspectives on the strategic role of the Southern cavalry, and fresh insights on every horse engagement, large and small, fought during the campaign.
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Meet readers like you in the Fable For You feed, designed to build bookish communitiesPlenty of Blame to go Around Reviews
3.0
Danielle Mizerek
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Danielle
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ShellyAnn
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“In this book, the authors detail Jeb Stuart's controversial ride around the Union army in the days before the Battle of Gettysburg. This ride, of course, has been the subject of much scrutiny - as to whether or not Stuart's actions led to the ANV's defeat at Gettysburg. The book probes the defenses and criticisms offered immediately following the war, by civil war veterans in general, and by historians in the years since the famous ride. The authors provide final conclusions as to where they place Stuart in the whole controversy - where he made his mistakes and where he was given false criticism.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I am a fairly new student to the Civil War, and had read the bare bones accounts of Stuart's ride provided in some of the one-volume Gettysburg resources (Sears, Trudeau, Guelzo). The narrative was well written and easy to follow. The author's did a great job of exploring the details of Stuart's ride without making it overly tedious. Many little details enhances my overall knowledge of the Civil War, Gettysburg and the men who rode through this story. While the authors' viewpoint was obvious from page 1, they provided some objectivity to the chain of events and explore the criticisms fairly.
The greatest joy in this book, is the variety of resources provided in the back of the book. The work is well documented with footnotes (although my Kindle edition of this book did not provide links to the said footnotes), has a complete index and bibliography along with a few extra goodies. A staff roster, order of battle can easily be referred to to help readers with the cast of cavalry that are on the field for the various skirmishes. Stuart's complete and extensive battle report is included in its entirity. The nicest surprise, was detailed driving instructions for a tour of the areas covered in Stuart's ride - including a few pictures of some of the most interesting points along the road.
An interesting read for any fan of the Civil War and the Gettysburg controversy - one more book for the pile.”
About Eric J. Wittenberg
J. David Petruzzi is an award-winning Civil War cavalry historian. He is the author of many articles for a wide variety of publications, and has written or co-authored several books including: (with Eric Wittenberg) Plenty of Blame to Go Around: Jeb Stuart's Controversial Ride to Gettysburg (Savas Beatie, 2006); (with Wittenberg and Michael F. Nugent) One Continuous Fight: The Retreat from Gettysburg and the Pursuit of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, July 4-14, 1863 (Savas Beatie, 2008); and (with Steven Stanley) The Complete Gettysburg Guide: Walking and Driving Tours of the Battlefield, Town, Cemeteries, Field Hospital Sites, and other Topics of Historical Interest (Savas Beatie, 2009), winner of the U.S. Army Historical Foundation's 2009 Distinguished Writing Award, Reference Category. With Stanley, he also produced The Complete Gettysburg Guide: Audio Driving and Walking Tour, Volume One: The Battlefield (Savas Beatie, 2010). Steven Stanley lives in Gettysburg and is a graphic artist specializing in historical map design and battlefield photography. His maps, considered among the best in historical cartography, have been a longtime staple of the Civil War Trust and have helped raise millions of dollars for the Trust through their preservation appeals and interpretation projects. Steve's maps have appeared in a wide variety of publications. Co-authored by J. David Petruzzi, Steve produced the maps and the complete design of The Complete Gettysburg Guide: Walking and Driving Tours of the Battlefield, Town, Cemeteries, Field Hospital Sites, and other Topics of Historical Interest (Savas Beatie, 2009), the winner of the U.S. Army Historical Foundation's 2009 Distinguished Writing Award, Reference Category, as well as The Complete Gettysburg Guide: Audio Driving and Walking Tour, Volume One: The Battlefield (Savas Beatie, 2010).
Other books by Eric J. Wittenberg
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