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by: Earl J. Hess
List Price: $45.00Amazon.com's Price: $34.20 You Save: $10.80 (24%)Prices subject to change. Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 973.73
EAN: 9780807829318
ISBN: 0807829315
Label: The University of North Carolina Press
Manufacturer: The University of North Carolina Press
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 464
Publication Date: April 25, 2005
Publisher: The University of North Carolina Press
Release Date: April 06, 2005
Sales Rank: 157800
Studio: The University of North Carolina Press
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Editorial Review:
Product Description:
The eastern campaigns of the Civil War involved the widespread use of field fortifications, from Big Bethel and the Peninsula to Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Charleston, and Mine Run. While many of these fortifications were meant to last only as long as the battle, Earl J. Hess argues that their history is deeply significant. The Civil War saw more use of fieldworks than did any previous conflict in Western history.
Hess studies the use of fortifications by tracing the campaigns of the Army of the Potomac and the Army of Northern Virginia from April 1861 to April 1864. He considers the role of field fortifications in the defense of cities, river crossings, and railroads and in numerous battles. Blending technical aspects of construction with operational history, Hess demonstrates the crucial role these earthworks played in the success or failure of field armies. He also argues that the development of trench warfare in 1864 resulted from the shock of battle and the continued presence of the enemy within striking distance, not simply from the use of the rifle-musket, as historians have previously asserted.
Based on fieldwork at 300 battle sites and extensive research in official reports, letters, diaries, and archaeological studies, this book should become an indispensable reference for Civil War historians.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating: - Field armies, fortifications and more
A book on Civil War fortifications should be dry as the Sahara and as easy to get thru as a concrete block wall. In the hands of a lesser author that would be true! What we have is a very readable, intelligent history of the Civil War in the east with emphases on fortifications. The author chooses to follow the campaigns and discuss the use of or lack of fortifications during the campaign and in the ongoing war. This simple idea gives the reader a very good overview of the war and a very intelligent ... Read More
Rating: - An exploration of a shadowy corner of Civil War history
In popular perception of Civil War combat, entrenchments were something that came along late in the war when troops, weary of being targets when marching across open fields, took to digging in the earth to find protection. As Hess amply demonstrates in this new volume, the first of a projected trilogy, entrenchments in fact were an integral part of the Civil War landscape from the earliest months. He backs his narrative with numerous citations from official and unofficial accounts and he discusses the ... Read More
Rating: - For Expert and Civil War Buff
Dr. Hess has authored one of the most significant books in print on the use of field fortifications during the US Civil War and the relationship of these works to the actual campaigns. Although there are some other books that do include some of this information, including several excellent post-war sources from the 19th century, this book does a remarkable job of putting the subject in perspective. Many so called "Civil War" experts simply do not realize the significance of the role of field and permanent ... Read More
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