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Summary: The story of the Army of the Potomac under Gen. McClellan
Review: "Mr. Lincoln's Army" is the first volume in Bruce Catton's celebrated trilogy chronicling the history of the Army of the Potomac during the Civil War, one of the most exciting war narratives in literature. Catton had grown up in Michigan around men who had served in that Army and these books were his attempt "to find out about the things which the veterans never discussed." Catton relies on a host of source material to weave his tales, from autobiographies of Generals McClellan and Howard, to the correspondence of Generals Sedgwick and Meade, to dozens of soldiers' reminiscences and regimental histories, to military histories relating to specific battles, campaign, military tactics and weapons. As you read these books you are always feel that you are dealing with living literature rather than dead history. This is because Catton privileges "The Diary of an Enlisted Man" by Lawrence Van Alstyne and the history of "The 27th Indiana Volunteer Infantry in the War of the Rebellion" more than he does "McClellan's Own Story.""Mr. Lincoln's Army" covers the Army of the Potomac from its creation to the Battle of Antietam. Despite the title the central figure in the book is General George B. McClellan, the war's most paradoxical figure who gave this Army the training it needed to become a first rate military unit and who then refused to use the great army he had created. There are 6 sections to the book: (1) "Picture-Book War" actually covers the events in 1862 that led to McClellan being placed back in charge of the Army of the Potomac, setting up a rather ironic perspective for what happens both before and after that decision; (2) "The Young General" provides the background on McClellan and details his formation of the Army; (3) "The Era of Suspicion" covers the ill-fated Peninsula Campaign; (4) "An Army on the March" centers on the Second Battle of Manassas/Bull Run when the Army was under John Pope; (5) "Opportunity Knocks Three Times" begins with the great intelligence coup of the Civil War, the discovery of Lee's Special Order No. 191 and establishes how the upcoming battle was handed to McClellan on a silver plate; (6) "Never Call Retreat" tells the story of how McClellan snatched defeat--or at least a bloody tie--from the jaws of victory. Bruce Catton's books on the Civil War are eminently readable, and with his History of the Army of the Potomac he finds his perfect level, writing about the men who were the common soldiers as much if not more than he does about the generals and politicians. You certainly get the feeling his heart was in these volumes more than it was in his larger histories of the Civil War. For those who are well versed in the grand details of the war, these books provide a more intimate perspective on those great battles.
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Summary: McClellan's Army in its Glory and Sadness
Review: Around the time of the Civil War's Centennial celebration, Bruce Catton dominated Civil War writing in this country. His books still speak to the reader in a literary style that brings the feeling of the war and its participants very much alive. "Mr. Lincoln's Army" is the first of his three-part trilogy on the Army of the Potomac. Catton traces the tragic evolution of this army -- always a superb fighting force in the ranks -- from a misused and abused weapon to the anvil that finally broke the rebellion. In this book, Catton focuses on one of America's few men of Destiny -- at least until he had the opportunity to confront destiny in the face -- General George B. McClellan. McClellan picked up the pieces of the Army of the Potomac twice. First, after its inauspicious start at the First Battle of Bull Run and again after the army's route following the second tussle with the Confederacy near that same small battlefield. McClellan was good at everything in which a general had to excel except fighting. An outstanding organizer and moral builder, "Little Mac" trained the army to a professional level and instilled in it an esprit de corps that helped sustain it through disappointment and disaster. The one thing McClellan could not do, as Catton illustrates through his focus on the Peninsula Campaign and the Battle of Antietam, was use this superbly honed weapon decisively in battle. Always thinking he was outnumbered when in fact he held the advantage in forces, and lacking the inner confidence to take even good battle risks, he wasted multiple opportunities to end the war (or at least the existence of the Army of Northern Virginia) and save years of conflict and hundreds of thousands of lives. McClellan ends up as the ultimate in tragic figures, outwardly seeming so perfect for the job and bearing the loftiest of expectations as a savior, but inwardly cowed by fears and suspicions that he wasn't up to it. This book is a wonderful and evocative portrait of the spirit of the Army of the Potomac in the McClellan era. Catton's great strength is the use of anecdotes to draw the big picture and sniff out "what was in the air" at different points in time. Thus his books are not exhaustive campaign and battle portraits and are short on troop movements and deployments of particular units. He seeks to demonstrate what was actually happening when all the personalities and actors of a moment are factored together. It is a big picture look at his subject buttressed by observations, iconic stories and the unusual that allows the reader to understand the feeling that surrounded events. Thus, Catton focuses mightily on the relationship between McClellan and Lincoln's administration, his relationship and the performance of senior officers and in deciphering the motives, mindsets and chess game that seemed to envelope significant figures in the Army of the Potomac to a much greater degree than any other Union or Confederate army engaged in the conflict. As all of Catton's writings on the Civil War are, this one is a classic.
Rating:
Summary: McClellan's Army in its Glory and Sadness
Review: Around the time of the Civil War's Centennial celebration, Bruce Catton dominated Civil War writing in this country. His books still speak to the reader in a literary style that brings the feeling of the war and its participants very much alive. "Mr. Lincoln's Army" is the first of his three-part trilogy on the Army of the Potomac. Catton traces the tragic evolution of this army -- always a superb fighting force in the ranks -- from a misused and abused weapon to the anvil that finally broke the rebellion. In this book, Catton focuses on one of America's few men of Destiny -- at least until he had the opportunity to confront destiny in the face -- General George B. McClellan. McClellan picked up the pieces of the Army of the Potomac twice. First, after its inauspicious start at the First Battle of Bull Run and again after the army's route following the second tussle with the Confederacy near that same small battlefield. McClellan was good at everything in which a general had to excel except fighting. An outstanding organizer and moral builder, "Little Mac" trained the army to a professional level and instilled in it an esprit de corps that helped sustain it through disappointment and disaster. The one thing McClellan could not do, as Catton illustrates through his focus on the Peninsula Campaign and the Battle of Antietam, was use this superbly honed weapon decisively in battle. Always thinking he was outnumbered when in fact he held the advantage in forces, and lacking the inner confidence to take even good battle risks, he wasted multiple opportunities to end the war (or at least the existence of the Army of Northern Virginia) and save years of conflict and hundreds of thousands of lives. McClellan ends up as the ultimate in tragic figures, outwardly seeming so perfect for the job and bearing the loftiest of expectations as a savior, but inwardly cowed by fears and suspicions that he wasn't up to it. This book is a wonderful and evocative portrait of the spirit of the Army of the Potomac in the McClellan era. Catton's great strength is the use of anecdotes to draw the big picture and sniff out "what was in the air" at different points in time. Thus his books are not exhaustive campaign and battle portraits and are short on troop movements and deployments of particular units. He seeks to demonstrate what was actually happening when all the personalities and actors of a moment are factored together. It is a big picture look at his subject buttressed by observations, iconic stories and the unusual that allows the reader to understand the feeling that surrounded events. Thus, Catton focuses mightily on the relationship between McClellan and Lincoln's administration, his relationship and the performance of senior officers and in deciphering the motives, mindsets and chess game that seemed to envelope significant figures in the Army of the Potomac to a much greater degree than any other Union or Confederate army engaged in the conflict. As all of Catton's writings on the Civil War are, this one is a classic.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding overview of McClellan's Army
Review: As other reviewers have mentioned, Bruce Catton is considered to be one of the best authors to read if you are interested in the Civil War. Despite many recommendations from others I had not read any of Catton's books until now. Having just finished Mr. Lincoln's Army, I can finally understand why Mr. Catton has received so many accolades (to include the Pulitzer prize). This book is an outstanding introduction to General McClellan, and the Army he commanded. I truly enjoyed this book for several reasons. First, the writing style is excellent. This book is not boring history (facts, figures, hyposthesis, conclusion). Instead, Catton tells the interesting story of what happened to the Federal Army from the beginning of the war up until the battle of Antietam. The book reads more like a good novel, than a history text book. Having read many Civil War authors, I would put Catton in the top category. Secondly, Catton includes many observations and stories from the everyday soldier which add vivid details to events as they unfold. His description of the Battle of Antietam comes alive when he includes descriptions of what the men who fought actually saw and experienced. I learned a lot and gained new insight into many events which speaks volumes to the quality of this book, considering it was written back in the 1950s. Lastly, Catton stays focused on his topic and does not try to cover too much material. The book is about the Union Army, so he does not waste time getting into too many details about what was happening on the Confederate side. I enjoyed this perspective because Catton succesfully answers the question of why the Union Army could not defeat the Confederates early in the war, despite the great advantage of resources that it possessed. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Civil War. Whether you are a "Civil War Buff", or just trying to find out more about this pivotal event in American history, you will enjoy this book.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding overview of McClellan's Army
Review: As other reviewers have mentioned, Bruce Catton is considered to be one of the best authors to read if you are interested in the Civil War. Despite many recommendations from others I had not read any of Catton's books until now. Having just finished Mr. Lincoln's Army, I can finally understand why Mr. Catton has received so many accolades (to include the Pulitzer prize). This book is an outstanding introduction to General McClellan, and the Army he commanded. I truly enjoyed this book for several reasons. First, the writing style is excellent. This book is not boring history (facts, figures, hyposthesis, conclusion). Instead, Catton tells the interesting story of what happened to the Federal Army from the beginning of the war up until the battle of Antietam. The book reads more like a good novel, than a history text book. Having read many Civil War authors, I would put Catton in the top category. Secondly, Catton includes many observations and stories from the everyday soldier which add vivid details to events as they unfold. His description of the Battle of Antietam comes alive when he includes descriptions of what the men who fought actually saw and experienced. I learned a lot and gained new insight into many events which speaks volumes to the quality of this book, considering it was written back in the 1950s. Lastly, Catton stays focused on his topic and does not try to cover too much material. The book is about the Union Army, so he does not waste time getting into too many details about what was happening on the Confederate side. I enjoyed this perspective because Catton succesfully answers the question of why the Union Army could not defeat the Confederates early in the war, despite the great advantage of resources that it possessed. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Civil War. Whether you are a "Civil War Buff", or just trying to find out more about this pivotal event in American history, you will enjoy this book.
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Summary: The Great Mustering
Review: Bruce Catton is still the dean of American military historians and the Civil War. He tells his story with wit, verve, accuracy, and the feeling of having been there. Unfortunately, like other great American historians who have passed on, such as John R. Elting, Frederick P. Todd, H. Charles McBarron, and Anne Brown, we won't see his like again. In this marvelous first volume of his trilogy of the great, luckless, and hard-used Army of the Potomac, Catton tells the story of an army in search of a commander that can win with it. After the first botched attempt at First Bull Run, the army gets a commander who knows how to organize and train them, Goerge McClellan. What he cannot do, however, is lead them in combat. McClellan doesn't have the killer instinct of a true independent commander, nor does he have the requisite moral character to send the army into the fire, accept the losses needed to win, and be done with it. What he condemns his beloved army to is three years of defeats and heavy losses, punctuated by the few glorious moments, such as Gettysburg, where, despite the deficiencies of its many commanders, it fights on until final victory. This volume tells of the growing and training of the Army of the Potomac, the heartbreak of the Peninsular Campaign, and the thrown away opportunity at Second Bull Run. We meet famous units, such as the 5th New Hampshire, the immortal Iron Brigade of western regiments, the Irish Brigade under such regimental and brigade commanders as John Gibbon, Israel Richardson, Francis Barlow, Phil Kearney, and Grimes Davis. Grimly enduring, faithful to the Republic, stolid in the defense and gallant in the attack, the Army of the Potomac, repeatedly defeated and badly led at the army level, comes back time and again to face its foe. It is probably the worst led army in American history, but none have been more glorious in the sense that it never quit and gained enduring fame as the outfit that finally defeated Robert E. Lee. This book can stand alone, or with its two companion volumes, Glory Road and A Stillness at Appomattox. This is military history at its best. All are highly recommended.
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Summary: Catton Candy, volume 1.
Review: Bruce Catton is, in my opinion, the most readable author of American Civil War history. Whenever I've labored through some book I wanted to read but have struggled with, I reward myself with something he has written. This trilogy is, as all his work is, thoroughly researched and very balanced. It would be hard to detect any bias in this native Michiganer of the first half of the 20th century, though I vaguely suspect he had more sympathy for the South, if only for the "pluck" (he likes that word in fact) of their "David vs. Goliath" undertaking. In any case, this first volume delivers a very important message in a very complete way, and it's a message I had never before considered: The Army of the Potomac's loyalty to the government was never compromised, but it was fretted about in some pretty high places, perhaps not the least important of which was in the White House. So completely was this Grand Army made in the image of its creator, McClellan, that his removal gave cause for many to hold their collective breath and pray that it would remain intact and loyal to the Union once stripped of its beloved leader. That it did, and the rest, as they say, is history. McClellan is thoroughly understood by the reader of this work. He is a man of some complexity and some sympathy, diminished by his ego perhaps. Despite many lost opportunities that would have made the war much shorter and correspondingly less bloody, he was a good soldier caught between military logic and political caution. In fact, Catton points out to us that never before had there been a general of a great army of a democracy, and that that arrangement itself is tenuous at best. In the end, we understand that the Army of the Potomac was Lincoln's Army for just as long as he remained the Commander-in-Chief, and despite their love for McClellan, they always stood ready to do what was asked of them.
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Summary: War, politics, fighting and simply a classic!
Review: Catton has taken the task of reporting about the Union side of the Civil War and brought it together in a very well written, entertaining and intriguing book. Being the first book in a trilogy Catton focuses on early leadership, high morale, Washington politics and the creation of McClellan as the leader of the Army of the Potomac. Catton has brought to life the trials and hardships that the army suffered and endured during 1861 and 1862. In this text, Catton reveals Lincoln's desires for quick resolution while leadership fails or doesn't take advantage of manpower to end the war. In a constant struggle to find the right general McClellan appears to be the right person for the job although Republicans in the Whitehouse fear he may not have the heart for it as his believed to be a solid democrat, rather over cautious, misinformed and downright treasonous. Catton follows the army chronologically and brings the fighting to the forefront from Manassas to Antietam. With this we get great insight as to McClellan's motives and conflicts that express the problems of the army during the early days of the war.
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Summary: Absolutely the best writer on the American Civil War
Review: I must have spent a small fortune on books on the War Between the States. My grandfather passed on two passions: history and books. And one name is repeated over and over in my collection: Bruce Catton. There are others, who equal the superior history writing of Catton, but Bruce Catton transcends writing - he opens a door on his time machine and takes you on the amazing journey into the past.
The War Between the States was a complex chunk of American history, and saying it was fought to free the slaves is bad information. Less than 2% of the population of the South owned slaves. Many young boys in the South, who fought and gave their lives for the Confederacy had, never ever seen one. Yes, it was a factor, a rallying cry for humanity, but it was not THE single cause for the War. Even Lincoln was willing to see slavery continue - IF it meant preserving the Union. There were many causes, and Bruce Catton helps you understand them. He also brings to life the men that were vital to the conflict. Starting with this volume is an excellent point to get to know Catton and his beautiful prose. He does not tell you history, he makes you live it, down to the smallest detail. He makes it so accessible, so alive. He puts you into the mind set of Lincoln, McClellan, even the common soldier, so you understand well what drove people to these extremes, to life and death decisions.
When one reads Catton, it is like reading the words of someone who lived through the battles, the hardship. Yet, his prose reads more on par with beautiful fiction, so that you forget you are reading just plain factual history.
Bruce Catton had the enviable position of being a small boy in Michigan where so many Veterans of the War resided. They talked, telling their tales of the War Between the States, and Bruce listened. He passed on this gift, presenting us with those tales, in a form that few historical writers ever achieve.
In this volume, Catton introduces you to a Lincoln you have never known, to the handsome, dashing and well-loved 'Little Mac' General George McClellan, and their protracted struggle over the Army of the Potomac, how each wanted it run. Catton shows this single loggerhead between these powerful men likely caused the war to drag on for nearly a year longer than it would have otherwise. Two strong figures, determined the army would do as they wished. McClellan saw Lincoln as an ignorant country bumpkin, unworthy to be President. Having his eyes on being Chief of State himself, and knowing being General of the Army of the Potomac could make that dream real, he was determined not to listen to Lincoln. Lincoln saw `Little Mac' as all show and no action. He just wanted a General who would fight. Their continual maneuverings reminds one of a chess match, showing Lincoln losing patience and possessing the incisive ability to assess people, handle them. On the other side, there is Little Mac with his arrogance and gross underestimating of Lincoln, blinded by his vainglory, and more concerned with his popularity and ambitions, than what was best for the nation.
This is intended as a three-volume set with GLORY ROAD and A STILLNESS AT APPOMATTOX in that order. Historical writing at its best.
So, if you are interested in the Civil War, perhaps the films GETTYSBURG and GOD AND GENERALS make you hunger for a better understanding of why it happened, who these people were, you cannot do any better than starting your journey here.
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Summary: McClellan's Long Goodbye
Review: In many senses, Catton's immortal Potomac Army trilogy is a is a portrait as much as a history: here, we meet an army utterly besotted with its commander, the young General McClellan, yet incapable of realizing that the self-same McClellan - forever tainted by his moderate, crypto-Copperhead associations - will never bring it the victories it craves. With this army, we march through the agonies of Second Bull Run and the Seven Days, where Northern leadership utterly failed. Even in the cornfields of Antienam, the heroic climax of this instalment, McClellan's victory is incomplete. We end this book with the Emancipation Proclamation and its effective declaration of total war: after which, the army has no place for moderates.
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