Rating: 
Summary: Walk a Mile in His Shoes
Review: A detailed and well documented trip through the mind of a great leader. An 18th century gentleman caught up in the burden of a 19th century conflict. Symonds shows how Johnston agonized through the days with Hood in the west, avoiding decisions that may have had a marked impact on the eventual outcome of the war in the west. Johnston's feud with Jefferson Davis is also well covered and it is clear that Johnston became so engrossed with this struggle that one cannot help but wonder if things in April, 1865, might have been very different had these two men cooperated rather than bickered with each other. Johnston's relationship with his classmate, Lee, is covered lightly, although the jealously in Johnston's heart sneaks through. The only reason I did not give the book five stars is the brief treatment of Johnston's early life - probably due to a lack of source material - and his life following the war. The treatment of this latter period seems rushed. All in all, an excellent history and an insightful look at a often unfairly maligned warrior. ...But, I'm prejudiced.
Rating:
Summary: Walk a Mile in His Shoes
Review: A detailed and well documented trip through the mind of a great leader. An 18th century gentleman caught up in the burden of a 19th century conflict. Symonds shows how Johnston agonized through the days with Hood in the west, avoiding decisions that may have had a marked impact on the eventual outcome of the war in the west. Johnston's feud with Jefferson Davis is also well covered and it is clear that Johnston became so engrossed with this struggle that one cannot help but wonder if things in April, 1865, might have been very different had these two men cooperated rather than bickered with each other. Johnston's relationship with his classmate, Lee, is covered lightly, although the jealously in Johnston's heart sneaks through. The only reason I did not give the book five stars is the brief treatment of Johnston's early life - probably due to a lack of source material - and his life following the war. The treatment of this latter period seems rushed. All in all, an excellent history and an insightful look at a often unfairly maligned warrior. ...But, I'm prejudiced.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Civil War Biography
Review: I would have to agree with the previous review. This is one of the best Civil War biographies I have read in some time and I have not seen one better on Johnston yet. The author, I believe, offers a non-baised account of this Confederate leader and writes in a style that just keeps you turning the pages. The book is well researched and very well written, it was a joy to read. I have no hesitation in recommending this book to anyone who enjoys reading a decent history book. Well done to the author.
Rating: 
Summary: misunderstood
Review: If you ever wanted to know anything about Joseph E. Johnston than this is the book to read. After finishing it you can't but feel sorry for Johnston. He spent most of the post war years trying to set the record straight as to the part he played in the war, why he attacked when he did, and why he chose not to attack, his unconsuming hate and blame for the loss of the confederacy on Davis and others but never takes blame himself for any mistakes.I found the man an interesting figure of the war but also a sad one.
Rating:
Summary: A General Who Missed the Point
Review: Joseph Johnston was the highest ranking officer in the U.S. Army to resign and 'go South.' He attained the rank of full General almost immediately. He was immensely popular with his men and most of the politicians of the Confederacy. And he was an unmitigated disaster as a Confederate commander.
The biggest flaw of this biography is that it tells you the how and why of the first three points, but totally misses the fourth. But Johnston's failure as a commander is one of the easiest things to see when reviewing his war record. Aside from First Manassas, where he won mostly by luck, his only other signifigant accomplishment was to get wounded badly in the battle of Seven Pines, thus putting Robert E. Lee in charge of the Army of Northern Virginia.
Although controversies concerning the Civil War Between the States still rage, one point everyone agrees on is the simple factual point that the Union outnumbered the Confederacy about two to one in total population, and four to one in white population. That meant the Rebel armies had to fight outnumbered and still win, as a nation and frequently in individual battles.
Johnston never grasped this simple point, though the amateur Lincoln was on record with it by the end of 1861. This is probably because Johnston was a moral coward, terrified of taking risks and constantly dodging responsibility, a point Symonds makes very well. Johnston spent the war continually whining that the entire Confederacy should be stripped of troops, so he could be reinforced. Once he had local superiority of force, he guaranteed he would win brilliant victories for the South. The fact that the North would always be able to assemble more men to oppose him than he had was something he couldn't quite grasp. Nor could he come to grips with the fact that that the Union, having put together a force that would give Johnston pause, could then the rest of their manpower superiority to invade an undefended region and remove its resources from Rebel control.
For a while Johnston was lucky in his career of Confederate general. He faced the relatively inept McDowell, and then George B. McClellan, who was even more of a moral coward than Johnston. But eventually he had to deal with Grant and Sherman, and he wasn't up to the challenge.
The fact that all this also goes right by the author of this biography is puzzling, because Symonds is otherwise very good. He has the details of Johnston's life at his fingertips, and writes well. But a really definitive biography awaits someone who understands the strategic context the Confederacy faced, and why Johnston's approach was sure to lose.
Rating:
Summary: An easy-read bio of a complex man
Review: Symonds presents a well-balanced account of Johnston the man, the soldier, and the friend and husband. This book is interesting, not overly complex and contains as much detail of Johnston's life as one would require to render an objective opinion of Johnston.Not until I read this book did I understand the impact that Johnston's leadership had on the Confederate army's achievements and set-backs during the Civil War. Johnston could be cautious in his execution of battle plans and overly sensitive to criticism of his leadership and the strategic use of his army. However, Johnston understood that winning battles against numerically superior odds required picking the right circumstances in which to use his men. Johnston's first priority as a soldier was always the well-being of his men. The book also explores in depth the antipathy that Johnston and Jefferson Davis shared toward each other, indeed for a lifetime. This biography provides an easy-to-read account of all significant events in the life of Joe Johnston.
Rating:
Summary: An easy-read bio of a complex man
Review: Symonds presents a well-balanced account of Johnston the man, the soldier, and the friend and husband. This book is interesting, not overly complex and contains as much detail of Johnston's life as one would require to render an objective opinion of Johnston. Not until I read this book did I understand the impact that Johnston's leadership had on the Confederate army's achievements and set-backs during the Civil War. Johnston could be cautious in his execution of battle plans and overly sensitive to criticism of his leadership and the strategic use of his army. However, Johnston understood that winning battles against numerically superior odds required picking the right circumstances in which to use his men. Johnston's first priority as a soldier was always the well-being of his men. The book also explores in depth the antipathy that Johnston and Jefferson Davis shared toward each other, indeed for a lifetime. This biography provides an easy-to-read account of all significant events in the life of Joe Johnston.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Civil War Bio
Review: Symonds, who also wrote a great bio of Patrick Cleburne, weaves a tremendous story of Johnston's life. This book is one of the few on Johnston and it is easily the best. This book delves into Johnston's personal life, his time in the military before the Civil War and during the war, his famous feud with Jefferson Davis, his association with Senator Louis Wigfall (a hater of Davis), and many other things. It seems Symond believes Johnston was a good general who has gotten somewhat of a bum rap, but he doesn't take sides in any battles or any of Johnston's disputes with Davis. To make a long story short, this is one of the best bios of any Confederate general and certainly the best on Johnston.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Civil War Bio
Review: Symonds, who also wrote a great bio of Patrick Cleburne, weaves a tremendous story of Johnston's life. This book is one of the few on Johnston and it is easily the best. This book delves into Johnston's personal life, his time in the military before the Civil War and during the war, his famous feud with Jefferson Davis, his association with Senator Louis Wigfall (a hater of Davis), and many other things. It seems Symond believes Johnston was a good general who has gotten somewhat of a bum rap, but he doesn't take sides in any battles or any of Johnston's disputes with Davis. To make a long story short, this is one of the best bios of any Confederate general and certainly the best on Johnston.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: This is an excellent, well written, un-biased look at the life and military carrier of Joseph E. Johnston. I now better understand Johnston's strategies, and the numerous problems between himself and President Davis. I must read to better understand the war in the western theater of operations.
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