Rating: 
Summary: Not to bad
Review: This book by Mr. Leslie is not to bad, but like most liberal Yankee revisionist historians he will say one thing from one side of his mouth, and than say another with the other side of his mouth. (Much like James McPherson!) Case in point! Mr. Leslie will say that the Southerners in Kansas & Missouri were fighting for slavery, but than he will say that the slave owning population of these two states were about 1.6 to 2%! This is like saying that you & everyone you know will give up your lives,and everything that you own so that Bill Gates, & Donald Trump could remain rich. (What a joke!) The thing that gets me the most about Mr. Leslie is when he talks about the memoirs of the people who were there. If it is a Southerner that he is talking about, than this person can not be believed, and they are telling "Tall Tails!" But if it is a Yankee than "OH GOD! they are telling the gospel truth!" As I said, like most Yankee revesionist historians (and there are not many who are not!) he is a lier, will omit facts, and twist the truth to fit his lie!
Rating: 
Summary: An awesome account of life on the MO/Kan Border in the 1860s
Review: This book is a must-have for all civil war enthusiasts, as well as should be mandatory reading for history classes on our local history. As a native of the town that Quantrill formed his raiders and a civil war enthusiast, I can confirm that Edward Leslie went to great lengths in researching the towns and the terrain that the Quantrill band frequently covered. Unlike previously released books on this subject, Leslie takes an unbiased approach at describing attrocities committed by both sides of the Missouri-Kansas border. As many people cling to the idea that men such as William Quantrill, Bill Anderson and George Todd were simply murderers quenching their own thirst for blood, even General Sterling Price himself viewed the efforts of the Missouri Conferderate Guerrillas to be a necessity for the Conferderate Cause. I commend the author for conveying the facts from both sides of the border and describing this truly dark period of Missouri history
Rating:
Summary: An awesome account of life on the MO/Kan Border in the 1860s
Review: This book is a must-have for all civil war enthusiasts, as well as should be mandatory reading for history classes on our local history. As a native of the town that Quantrill formed his raiders and a civil war enthusiast, I can confirm that Edward Leslie went to great lengths in researching the towns and the terrain that the Quantrill band frequently covered. Unlike previously released books on this subject, Leslie takes an unbiased approach at describing attrocities committed by both sides of the Missouri-Kansas border. As many people cling to the idea that men such as William Quantrill, Bill Anderson and George Todd were simply murderers quenching their own thirst for blood, even General Sterling Price himself viewed the efforts of the Missouri Conferderate Guerrillas to be a necessity for the Conferderate Cause. I commend the author for conveying the facts from both sides of the border and describing this truly dark period of Missouri history
Rating:
Summary: Classic Study on Guerrilla War In the US
Review: This is a classic study in depth study into the mind of the 19th century guerrilla in the War Between the States. To understand counterinsugency of today or to understand the reasons insurgents fight, you must delve into their world.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely amazing
Review: This is a really outstanding book on the subjects not only of Quantrill but of the Civil War, the Abolition movement, the James brothers, Bloody Bill Anderson, North Central Texas, and life in mid nineteenth century America in general. You can't go wrong with this one.From start to end of epilogue is 440 pages of intense information and you will not tire of any page of it. The book is very fair and portrays how a man I thought was a base criminal when I started was just one of many, many men in a brutal surrounding. The author does not gloss over the horrific burning of Lawrence or the Baxter Springs Massacre but he also gives significant time to the Union Orders that affected Quantrell's policies and the actions undertaken by Lane and Jennison that spawned much of the Missourian animousity. From his history, real and mythic, to his life and the times it was in, to his death and (multiple) dispositions, I can't believe the author could have left anything out. In fact, I will have to go back through to try to condense the information in my head.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating coverage of a horrendous time in our history.
Review: This masterful account brings a human face to the Civil War that is usually reserved for works of historical fiction. If you've ever wondered how sane people could stand across an open field and voluntarily walk into repeated volleys of gunfire, this excellent read goes a long way in capturing the rage that ignited the War Between the States.
Rating:
Summary: Life deliveres the best stories.
Review: To write a historical book like "The True Story of William Clarke Quantrill" is not an easy job.
I can fully realize how much time Edward Leslie must have spent to do his research in order to perfectly present life of politicians, guerilla fighters, soldiers and uninvolved citizens during terrible times of Civil War on the border of Missouri and Kansas. I truly appreciate his huge effort and will say without hesitation that not quite often reader can come across such a magnificent work.
This book shows that United States of America, leading economy of the world and symbol of freedom and justice, once in the past was the scene of unimaginable brutal and fierce war. Civilians were killed, soldiers-prisoners of war executed, massacres took place and "no-quarter" manner of fighting was widely practiced. Nobody could be trusted; one never knew who is his friend or enemy.
I am not very much sure what made me to read this book almost non- stop: subject that most people like to read about - killings, war and action, or fantastic description of the era and people having enough bad luck to witness it.
No doubt, I had in my hands masterpiece of a historical book.
Rating: 
Summary: An eye-opening book.
Review: William Clarke Quantrill was and is one of the most demonized military leaders of the Civil War. While this book did not shirk from covering Quantrill's atrocities and activities, it did place them in context of the time that they occurred. Leslie does a valuable service in explaining the Missouri/Kansas situation prior to the Civil War, and in also informing the reader about the men who rode with Quantrill and the people he fought. The Border War of the late 1850's and Civil War is undoubtedly the most savage situation I am familiar with in American history. When compared with his Union contemporaries such as John Lane, Charles Dennison, and James Montgomery, Quantrill isn't a monster; rather he is one of a number of men who acted barbarically. I recommend this book to anyone who wishes to learn about the western arena of the Civil War and the Kansas/Missouri conflict. I have pro-Southern friends who would not like the brutal honesty about Southern actions in the war. On the other hand, I know Northern apologists who, after reading this book, will not be able to one-sidedly bash the South, when, as they will see, there were plenty of Northern butchers, especially at the beginning of the conflict.
Rating:
Summary: Never fully at rest
Review: William Clarke Quantrill, Confederate raider, self-proclaimed officer in the CSA, and many other things, good and ill, depending on who is speaking. Edward E. Leslie presents a well-researched biography of the guerilla who roamed the trans-Mississippi theater of the War Between the States, harrassing Union troops and worrying Confederate generals. There was a certain genius in the man followed by the James boys and Bloody Bill Anderson, and who led the infamous raid on Lawrence, Kansas. However, this is not only a story of the life of one man. Leslie also gives a good account of the cruel conditions present in that part of the country before and during the war. He relates more hatred and cruelty than in nearly all the rest of the country combined. It is even said in some quarters that the war began on the border between Kansas and Missouri. The story did not end with Quantrill's death, either. The fight over the man's bones up to today is both interesting and bizarre. At the end of the book, his bones still had not all been buried in one place. In some ways, this is the most interesting part of all. Although the organization of the book often leads to a bit of confusion, anyone interested in the border wars will enjoy it, as will many Civil War buffs. They might also enjoy the movie, "Ride with the Devil," which tells the story of young men who rode with Quantrill.
Rating:
Summary: Never fully at rest
Review: William Clarke Quantrill, Confederate raider, self-proclaimed officer in the CSA, and many other things, good and ill, depending on who is speaking. Edward E. Leslie presents a well-researched biography of the guerilla who roamed the trans-Mississippi theater of the War Between the States, harrassing Union troops and worrying Confederate generals. There was a certain genius in the man followed by the James boys and Bloody Bill Anderson, and who led the infamous raid on Lawrence, Kansas. However, this is not only a story of the life of one man. Leslie also gives a good account of the cruel conditions present in that part of the country before and during the war. He relates more hatred and cruelty than in nearly all the rest of the country combined. It is even said in some quarters that the war began on the border between Kansas and Missouri. The story did not end with Quantrill's death, either. The fight over the man's bones up to today is both interesting and bizarre. At the end of the book, his bones still had not all been buried in one place. In some ways, this is the most interesting part of all. Although the organization of the book often leads to a bit of confusion, anyone interested in the border wars will enjoy it, as will many Civil War buffs. They might also enjoy the movie, "Ride with the Devil," which tells the story of young men who rode with Quantrill.
|
