Education in Violence: The Life of George H. Thomas Nad the History of the Army of the Cumberland

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Summary: Definitive biography of a great general and actions he led
Review: "Education in Violence" examines the life of the most admirable general of the Civil War and the army he led, with accuracy and literary clarity. Chapter 16 provides the best overview overview of the battle of Chickamauga in print and serves as a model of visualization of the geography and complex action occurring on a battle site. The account of Stones River is somewhat superficial by comparison, but the book's strengths make it one of the very finest volumes on 19th Century American history.

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Summary: A Fitting but Flawed Tribute
Review: General George H. Thomas deserves recognition not only for his bravery in Civil War battle but also for his brave choice to fight for the Union despite his Virginia birth. Education in Violence grants this recognition, but with a shortage of style. Francis F. McKinney's prose is often wooden and he is short on drama - his long, droning passages sometimes fail to give a sense of a battle as a whole or its significance. He doesn't answer the great question of why Thomas remained with the Union while fellow Virginians like Robert E. Lee and Joe Johnston went over to the rebel side. There is also a transparent partisanship here: Thomas and Grant were at odds, and there is no doubt which side this book favors. A recent book, The Warrior Generals by Thomas B. Buell, does a better job explaining Thomas's superb organizational abilities, his mastery at using maps in battle, and his grasp of how the technological advances of his day could tip the tide in battle. Read Education in Violence as a good source book on the General that is entirely devoted to the subject but limited in style.

Rating:
Summary: Definitive biography of a great general and actions he led
Review: George H. Thomas can be considered to be the father of the modern army. He made the most extensive use of the newest technologies, took the best care of his men, and had the best record of all of the commanding generals - not one loss - even though he was originally from Virginia and fought for the North. He was thus perceived as being a threat to the advancement of the careers some of the other generals, notably Grant and Schofield. This excellently written and documented book by Francis F. MicKinney lays bare the political cross-currents and intrigues in the military of those times and presents Grant and Sherman as they really were and not as they made themselves out to be in their memoires. This book will surprise you, regardless of your persuasion, sectional origin, and knowledge about the Civil War.

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Summary: Outstanding book on outstanding general
Review: This is easily the best account of General Thomas' life - just about everthing you ever wanted to know about his life is here, although I wish that the author had included more examples of his writing. Much more, the book is a great history of the war in the West and of how and why the Union won so decisively. The author writes very well and has an extremely broad (and opinionated) view of the war and this book was simply a great pleasure to read.