The Longest Night

The American Civil War has generally been portrayed by Hollywood as a conflict of good against evil, of humanity against barbarism. Like most wars, it wasn't as simple as that and the goodies were not always the champions of civilization that victory enabled them to claim. In this monumental study historian David J Eicher puts the story in its true context, stripping away the romance that has undermined other books about a war that 'shaped the world and its future'. There are no fanciful tales here of cavalry galloping over the hill in the nick of time; this is strictly a military analysis with due consideration of the political processes that brought war about. Eicher focuses on all the major battles such as those at Gettysburg and Chancellorsville, but he also looks at hundreds of other engagements that are often overlooked but which actually influenced the course of war to a greater extent than many realized even at the time. Of particular note is Eicher's analysis of the naval battles - a part of the American Civil War ignored altogether by some historians. In explaining strategy and the reasons for seemingly inexplicable decisions, the text draws lavishly on the letters and diaries of those who fought in the war. This gives a human dimension to the conflict, showing how it was perceived by its combatants and what they thought of orders that may at times have appeared suicidal. The book is heavy on statistics and details of weaponry and biography, but it never becomes bogged down in stultifying data. One of the most perceptive and well-researched studies on the conflict to have been written in recent years, this is an indispensable reference for anyone with an interest in American history. (Kirkus UK)