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The Shipwreck of Their Hopes: The Battles for Chattanooga (Civil War Trilogy)

The Shipwreck of Their Hopes: The Battles for Chattanooga (Civil War Trilogy)

List Price: $19.95
Your Price: $13.57
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Chattanooga explained
Review: A good read and a great overview if this battle and the personalities, factors and forces involved. Certainly not one of Grant's or Sherman's Finest hours though.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Comprehensive but dry
Review: Cozzen has produced the comprehensive tome on the battle of Chattanooga. All the information you need to understand the flow of battle as well as the political intriguing that helped to shape the results is here. What is mostly lacking is a spark of life, or a sense of being there. With a few exceptions, Cozzen's battle descriptions have more of the feel of a wargame played out on a map than the chaotic, life and death struggle that it surely was. For those who have an interest in the battle, you should have this book, for reference, if for nothing else. Be aware that it is dry, and more of a book that you must work at to get to its virtues than a thrilling read. I would only recommend this book to those with a serious interest in the battle of Chattanooga, but for them, it is a must have.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Comprehensive but dry
Review: Cozzen has produced the comprehensive tome on the battle of Chattanooga. All the information you need to understand the flow of battle as well as the political intriquing that helped to shape the results is here. What is mostly lacking is a spark of life, or a sense of being there. With a few exceptions, Cozzen's battle descriptions have more of the feel of a wargame played out on a map than the chaotic, life and death struggle that it surely was. For those who have an interest in the battle, you should have this book, for reference, if for nothing else. Be aware that it is dry, and more of a book that you must work at to get to its virtues than a thrilling read. I would only recommend this book to those with a serious interest in the battle of Chattanooga, but for them, it is a must have.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Excellent Summary of the Chattanooga Campaign
Review: Cozzens' book on an overlooked battle contains excellent descriptions of the battle and how the campaign contributed to the end of the Civil War.

Cozzens does a good job of describing the battle from the point of view of both officers and the common soldier - the reader can sense the desperation of both sides as the Union Army fights starvation while the Rebel Army suffers from strained relationships between its generals.

The reasons I did not give the book a 5-star was because of the lack of maps and pictures. While I had no problem reading through the details of the battle and campaign, I would like to have seen more maps (the ones in the book are well-drawn, but too few) and illustrations (having more pictures would add a more personal touch to a well-written book).

Complaints aside, I recommend the book as the best summary of the Chattanooga Campaign!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Chattanooga Explained!
Review: Finally someone has explained, accessably, why the Chattanooga siege lasted so long. A brilliant cap to Peter's Middle Tennessee series. I hope he can concentrate now on Tullahoma.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Fine Finish
Review: Shipwreck of their Hopes is a fine finish to this very important trilogy about the key Battles in the West. While it "suffers" from the same flaws as the first two books, and does require that one actually use ones brain when reading, it more than makes up for these "flaws" by the very high level of detail.

The three books, when put together, are a comprehensive history and a definite read for anyone who wants to be able to understand the Civil War.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A good readable book
Review: This is a good account of the battle and events leading up to it. Peter Cozzens is not the best writter but he is able to do an above average job. The 3 books, taken as a group give a good account of the battles but not a very readable one.

To enjoy these books, you need an intrest in the army and/or battle! They are not bad books just hard to read.


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