The Peninsula Campaign of 1862: A Military Analysis Book

A military history of McClellan's ambitious drive on Richmond and the genius and fortune by which Lee foiled it

Library Journal

Dougherty (military science, Univ. of Southern Mississippi; The Coastal War in North and South Carolina) and Moore (registrar, Lee Hall Mansion, Virginia) have compiled a scholarly yet readable analysis of the largest and most diverse offensive of the Civil War. Refreshingly, the book opens with biographical material on the political and military leaders involved in the campaign, which personalizes history for the reader. The authors give a concise overview of the campaign in "The Stage Is Set," relying on scholarly works, historical documents, and personal accounts of soldiers from diaries and letters to present a competent, balanced review of the subject. The appendixes include a guide to studying military campaigns and a list of the battlefield sites that people may visit today, illustrating the large area covered by the Peninsula campaign. There is also a useful bibliography. Although this book seeks to set itself apart as a history undertaken in terms of military doctrine, other volumes, such as Stephen W. Sears's To the Gates of Richmond and Richard Wheeler's Sword over Richmond, as well as the works of Bruce Catton and Shelby Foote, may provide more thorough coverage of the campaign. Nevertheless, the authors have established their place in the continuing research and understanding of the Civil War. Recommended for public and academic libraries, as well as high school libraries.-David Alperstein, Queens Borough P.L., Jamaica, NY Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.