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A review by djwardell
The American Civil War: A Military History by John Keegan
4.0
Keegan's analysis of the American Civil is developed from his usual broad perspective. This viewpoint, together with Keegan's keen intellect, provide insights not readily available elsewhere to general readers.
His influence from contemporary sources is uneven: he clearly uses Grant's memoirs but ignores some of his analysis. Keegan diminishes Lee's role, by modern standards, although his thinking is closer to Grant's on this subject. As another example, he seems to have overlooked Grant's comment that much of the Confederacy's behavior was caused by the fact that, effectively as an authoritarian dictatorship, it could act out of proportion to its real economic and political strength.
Valuable and engaging, as are most Keegan books.
His influence from contemporary sources is uneven: he clearly uses Grant's memoirs but ignores some of his analysis. Keegan diminishes Lee's role, by modern standards, although his thinking is closer to Grant's on this subject. As another example, he seems to have overlooked Grant's comment that much of the Confederacy's behavior was caused by the fact that, effectively as an authoritarian dictatorship, it could act out of proportion to its real economic and political strength.
Valuable and engaging, as are most Keegan books.