Book club selection (via Zach; session held (via Zoom) 23 August 2020).
Initially not a fan because it lacked battle detail, which I always enjoy.
But in the end the book works quite well - much more focus on personalities (North and South); that requires some summarizing, if not shortcutting, given that extensive biographies exist on most of these folks; but it feels like a good/fair overview.
Discussion of some of the political points was useful; Lincoln's need to obtain votes from the border states; the 1864 election; race issues had a certain immediacy compared to today.
The armies learning to "dig in" in a more systematic way that influenced war-making for a long time - hadn't thought of that - look at Petersburg, especially. (Side thought: relatively little large-scale war happens after Civil War that tactics (perhaps, weaponry) to defeat trenches didn't develop (Spanish-American war; Franco-Prussian war; Russo-Japanese war; Boer war); perhaps this contributes to WWI trench stagnation, slaughter. Interesting to think it was taking shape here in the Civil War.
Discussion of early Washington DC - small, yucky. Interesting; it was a fairly new city without air conditioning.
U.S. Grant - gets a fair treatment, I think. Still thinking about how interesting his memoirs are.
Sherman - he and Grant got it, in terms of modern (total) war. Soldiers facing inevitable attrition rates; property destruction, etc. Nothing glorious about it anymore, if there ever was.
Greek fire was mentioned for the second book club selection in a row (Confederate plotting here that came to naught).
But in the end the book works quite well - much more focus on personalities (North and South); that requires some summarizing, if not shortcutting, given that extensive biographies exist on most of these folks; but it feels like a good/fair overview.
Discussion of some of the political points was useful; Lincoln's need to obtain votes from the border states; the 1864 election; race issues had a certain immediacy compared to today.
The armies learning to "dig in" in a more systematic way that influenced war-making for a long time - hadn't thought of that - look at Petersburg, especially. (Side thought: relatively little large-scale war happens after Civil War that tactics (perhaps, weaponry) to defeat trenches didn't develop (Spanish-American war; Franco-Prussian war; Russo-Japanese war; Boer war); perhaps this contributes to WWI trench stagnation, slaughter. Interesting to think it was taking shape here in the Civil War.
Discussion of early Washington DC - small, yucky. Interesting; it was a fairly new city without air conditioning.
U.S. Grant - gets a fair treatment, I think. Still thinking about how interesting his memoirs are.
Sherman - he and Grant got it, in terms of modern (total) war. Soldiers facing inevitable attrition rates; property destruction, etc. Nothing glorious about it anymore, if there ever was.
Greek fire was mentioned for the second book club selection in a row (Confederate plotting here that came to naught).
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