"Having entered the service of Virginia on the 19th day of April, 1861, as captain of a company of cavalry, Ashby rose by rapid promotion to the rank of brigadier-general, being in command of all the cavalry in the Army of the Valley at the time of his death, June 6, 1862. In less than fourteen months he had reached a post of distinction that has given him a noteworthy place in the history of his state and established his fame as one of the heroic characters of his time."--Preface.
From the pen of versatile Frank Cunningham, who wrote the dynamic history of General Stand Watie’s Confederate Indians, comes another stirring book on heroic phases of the Civil War. Brilliantly written, highly researched—this is the biography of a cavalry general of top significance, proud of his men and his capable horse artillery. Recreated within these pages is the vibrant figure of Turner Ashby, astride his milk-white steed, dashing across the fields and hills of Virginia—now fearless and bold—now gallant and courteous-a man revered by his own people, respected by the enemy. Turner Ashby, born October 23, 1828, of an aristocratic Virginia family at Rosebank Plantation, Fauquier County, was descended from an English family of nobility, members of which had earned fame on other fields of battle. His father was Colonel Turner Ashby, who distinguished himself during the War of 1812. His brothers, James and Richard, served the South and all three men went to their deaths for the Cause in which they believed. Ashby, forsaking home and loved ones, put the ideal of Freedom from oppression uppermost in his mind with the thought that to die “upon the altar of (his) country” for one’s beliefs was paramount. Illustrated throughout with plates, including portraits.
This Civil War history reveals the tactics and covert operations of both Union and Confederate rangers, guerilla forces, and volunteer units. The major battles of the American Civil War are well recorded. But while much has been written about the action at Shiloh and Gettysburg, far less is known about the cover operations and irregular warfare that were equally consequential. Both the Union and Confederate armies employed small forces of highly trained soldiers for special operations behind enemy lines. In Yank and Rebel Rangers, historian Robert W. Black tells this untold story of the war between the states. Skilled in infiltration, often crossing enemy lines in disguise, these warriors went deep into enemy territory, captured important personnel, disrupted lines of communication, and sowed confusion and fear. Often wearing the uniform of the enemy, they faced execution as spies if captured. Despite these risks, and in part because of them, these warriors fought and died as American rangers.
In Hitler's Thirty Days to Power, distinguished Yale historian Henry Ashby Turner makes an important and influential addition to his life-long study of Nazi Germany. Providing vivid portraits of the main players of the drama of January 1933, and using newly available documents, Turner masterfully recreates the bewildering circumstances surrounding Hitler's unexpected appointment as chancellor of Germany. The result is a work that Booklist calls “first rate … a gripping, foreboding narrative.”
During the Civil War, North Carolinian William Dorsey Pender established himself as one of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia's best young generals. He served in most of the significant engagements of the war in the eastern theater while under the command of Joseph E. Johnston at Seven Pines and Robert E. Lee from the Seven Days to Gettysburg. His most crucial contributions to Confederate success came at the battles of Second Manassas, Shepherdstown, Fredericksburg, and Chancellorsville. After an effective first day at Gettysburg, Pender was struck by a shell and disabled, necessitating his return to Virginia for what he hoped would be only an extended convalescence. Although Pender initially survived the wound, he died soon thereafter due to complications from his injury. In this thorough biography of Pender, noted Civil War historian Brian Steel Wills examines both the young general's military career and his domestic life. While Pender devoted himself to military service, he also embraced the Episcopal Church and was baptized before his command in the field. According to Wills, Pender had an insatiable quest for "glory" in both earthly and heavenly realms, and he delighted in his role as a husband and father. In Pender's voluminous correspondence with his wife, Fanny, he shared his beliefs and offered views and opinions on a vast array of subjects. In the end, Wills suggests that Pender's story captures both the idealistic promise and the despair of a war that cost the lives of many Americans and changed the nation forever.
"Having entered the service of Virginia on the 19th day of April, 1861, as captain of a company of cavalry, Ashby rose by rapid promotion to the rank of brigadier-general, being in command of all the cavalry in the Army of the Valley at the time of his death, June 6, 1862. In less than fourteen months he had reached a post of distinction that has given him a noteworthy place in the history of his state and established his fame as one of the heroic characters of his time."--Preface.
One of the most intriguing and storied episodes of the Civil War, the 1862 Shenandoah Valley Campaign has heretofore been related only from the Confederate point of view. Moving seamlessly between tactical details and analysis of strategic significance, Peter Cozzens presents a balanced, comprehensive account of a campaign that has long been romanticized but little understood. He offers new interpretations of the campaign and the reasons for Stonewall Jackson's success, demonstrates instances in which the mythology that has come to shroud the campaign has masked errors on Jackson's part, and provides the first detailed appraisal of Union leadership in the Valley Campaign, with some surprising conclusions.
