Last Stand in the Carolinas: The Battle of Bentonville

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Study on a Forgotten Battle!
Review: Bradley's book on the last major (and often overlooked) battle in the Civil War is a gem. Although, I am somewhat biased since I am a North Carolinian, the book has an engaging writing style and is full of superb maps.

Some Civil War books I have read were difficult to follow due to either/or the lack of maps or quality of maps depicting troop movements and the theater of operations. Not so with this title! The maps are numerous and easily clarify troop movements and the flow of battle.

Bradley also does an excellent job of describing the little known battles of Averasboro (General Hardee did a commendable job of delaying Sherman's advance) and Monroe's Crossroads (Kilpatrick was almost captured and his force ambushed).

The next time I visit the battlefields I will certainly have Bradley's book with me to serve as the ultimate guide. Bradley's writing style is technical in describing troop movements and engaging in supplying ample anecdotes on the campaign's participants. Overall, a nice balance of not being too technical (and dry) and not too basic.

The book will always be special to me since I spent my early years in Eastern North Carolina close to the battlefields. Visiting these battlefields as a little boy sparked a life-long interest in the Civil War.

Bravo, excellent job! May more such studies be written on other battles!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Study on a Forgotten Battle!
Review: Bradley's book on the last major (and often overlooked) battle in the Civil War is a gem. Although, I am somewhat biased since I am a North Carolinian, the book has an engaging writing style and is full of superb maps.

Some Civil War books I have read were difficult to follow due to either/or the lack of maps or quality of maps depicting troop movements and the theater of operations. Not so with this title! The maps are numerous and easily clarify troop movements and the flow of battle.

Bradley also does an excellent job of describing the little known battles of Averasboro (General Hardee did a commendable job of delaying Sherman's advance) and Monroe's Crossroads (Kilpatrick was almost captured and his force ambushed).

The next time I visit the battlefields I will certainly have Bradley's book with me to serve as the ultimate guide. Bradley's writing style is technical in describing troop movements and engaging in supplying ample anecdotes on the campaign's participants. Overall, a nice balance of not being too technical (and dry) and not too basic.

The book will always be special to me since I spent my early years in Eastern North Carolina close to the battlefields. Visiting these battlefields as a little boy sparked a life-long interest in the Civil War.

Bravo, excellent job! May more such studies be written on other battles!

Rating:
Summary: Yet Another CW Clone
Review: Finally the Battle of bentonville and the Campaign of the Carolinas gets the attention it deserves. Bradley has found that outstanding mix of personal ancedotes and move by move documentation of the Battle of Bentonville. Bradley takes the reader from the last organized skirmish against Sherman's army in South Carolina(Cheraw) to the climatic battle at Bentonville. In between Bradley also talks in detail of the battle of Averasboro and Monroe's Crossroads.

But the finest aspect of the book is its almost minute by minute depiction of the Battle of Bentonville. For those who do not know, Bentonville was literally the last gasp of the Confederacy to stop Major General William T. Sherman's march through the Carolinas. For nearly a day, a rag tag, mottled army of Confederates from every corner of the Confederacy had the previously unchallenged army of Sherman "on the ropes". However as the book describes so vividly, the stand of a few Federal divisions and reinforcements saves the day for the Federals. In between the vivid descriptions of the fighting, Bradley masterfully throws in personal recollections and human interest stories that are unmatched by any books on the Campaign. You will literally feel like you are rising and falling in emotion with those Johnny's and Yanks on the pages in front of you.You will literally feel like the Rebel Yell is screaming in your ears and imagine the crackle of musketry. An outstanding photo section shows the battlefield from many views and a good sized assortment of photo's of the participants. Also most importantly, the book is devoid of prejudice for either side. You will be hardpressed to find a more objective piece.. even for a subject that brings out as much emotion as Sherman's march.

Most people have read virtually nothing on the Campaign of the Carolinas. If you only read one book on this campaign... READ THIS ONE. You will not be disappointed.

Rating:
Summary: An Awesome Book on a Little-known Battle
Review: I must admit, before I read this book, all I knew about the Battle of Bentonville was that it was fought in North Carolina by Joseph E. Johnston and William T. Sherman. But this great book has opened my eyes on a little-known campaign and filled an empty hole on my book shelf.

Bradley's accounts of the battles at Monroe's Crossroads, Averasboro, and Bentonville are priceless. His writing is quick-paced, yet easy to follow. Another great part of this book are the maps, which are some of the best I have ever had the pleasure to see. Lastly, Appendix A of the book, which contains pictures of the battlefields (Averasboro and Bentonville) today, with captions. I recommend purchasing this book with Mark Moore's guide to the battlefield, which I did.

It is my opinion that no Civil War buff's library is cpmplete without this book. Get it!

Rating:
Summary: An Awesome Book on a Little-known Battle
Review: I must admit, before I read this book, all I knew about the Battle of Bentonville was that it was fought in North Carolina by Joseph E. Johnston and William T. Sherman. But this great book has opened my eyes on a little-known campaign and filled an empty hole on my book shelf.

Bradley's accounts of the battles at Monroe's Crossroads, Averasboro, and Bentonville are priceless. His writing is quick-paced, yet easy to follow. Another great part of this book are the maps, which are some of the best I have ever had the pleasure to see. Lastly, Appendix A of the book, which contains pictures of the battlefields (Averasboro and Bentonville) today, with captions. I recommend purchasing this book with Mark Moore's guide to the battlefield, which I did.

It is my opinion that no Civil War buff's library is cpmplete without this book. Get it!

Rating:
Summary: Great book about how close Sherman came to being a "goat"
Review: I've lived most of my life here in NC but didn't know how close the Civil War really came. This book helped me to understand just how close Sherman came to being defeated in his finest hour. Mixing historical facts with just a bit of human interest stories, Bradley turned a mundane "blow by blow" account into something informative and entertaining.

Great reading particularly when there are detailed maps showing the movements of the units. I wonder if Bradley will write another book about other Civil War battles.

Rating:
Summary: The Battle of Bentonville is rescued from obscurity.
Review: Mark L. Bradley's Last Stand In The Carolinas: The Battle of Bentonville could not have come at a more proper time. The terrible fighting that took place in the fields of North Carolina in March of 1865 have been long forgotten; thankfully Mr. Bradley has reminded us of the sacrifices that our ancestors endured on that sacred ground. Bentonville is a stirring reminder of the American spirit..something that was exhibited on both sides of the lines during those fateful three days in March. Mr. Bradley has written a stirring tribute to the two armies that fought in this last great battle that pitted the forces of "Uncle Billy" Sherman, against his old nemesis "Old Joe" Johnston. Mr. Bradley has written an outstanding account of the soldiers who fought this landmark battle in the waning days of the war, and he has given us a thorough look at what was going on in the minds of the Generals who led their soldiers to the killing fields of Bentonvile. Mr. Bradley has also included an outstanding photo collection of the battlefield as it appears today, something that is rarely added to most of the narratives on Civil War battles that are printed today. These photos help to give us an understanding of the terrain that each man, Union or Confederate, faced on those days in March, 1865. I heartily recommend this narrative to all students of the Civil War. The Battle of Bentonville has been neglected too long. Thankfully, Mr. Bradley has corrected that mistake, and he has provided us buffs with a truly compelling story. Special appreciation is due to Mark A. Moore. Mr. Moore's maps of the campaign are outstanding, and they help the reader understand and comprehend the many troop movements of this last major battle of the Civil War in the Eastern Theater. One final note....Mr.Bradley is working on a companion volume that brings us the story of both armies after those three horrible days of Mid-March, 1865 until the final surrender of Johnston's forces at the Bennett House in late! April. This student of the war can hardly wait until this narrative appears, and I know that the story will be just as compelling.

Rating:
Summary: Yet Another CW Clone
Review: Maybe I've read too many of these histories now but it just seems that these guys are using the same book of phrases to get to the required number of pages. It's boring. So many sound the same that if you took the author's name off the cover of a dozen books I bet most of us couldn't match them up with their works. Mr Bearss may find it a "barnburner" but I had trouble finishing it.