How the South Could Have Won the Civil War: the Fatal Errors That Led to Confederate Defeat by Bevin Alexander

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Excellent book; highly recommended. The author has given a very convincing overview that draws you into the period and the choices of generals, presidents, and other leaders that led to the South's eventual defeat. This reshaped my view of Robert E. Lee: he was a great field commander (far superior to most of his Northern counterparts) but with an antiquated and deeply flawed notion of how to win an 1860's war. Grant was not much better, but he had many more men to follow him. By contrast, Stonewall Jackson (and to some extent, the Union general Sherman) appreciated the importance of manuevers, foremost his defend, then flank attack, which won battles but did not convert Lee.



After the war, Lee was one of the greatest influencers for peace with the North, in example and precept. He may have been, in the long run, the greatest single contributor to the solidarity of the United States today.



The book does dig into technical details of battles, and the maps, while a big help, could have been well complimented with some photos. Really, someone needs to do an interactive 3d map where you can place armies (and equipment) of variable size, but I won't hold that against Mr. Alexander.



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