This work fully measures up in quality and importance to the original four-volume Battles and Leaders of the Civil War, first published in the 1880's. Articles by such key participants as Longstreet, Sherman, Custer, Grant, and Joe Johnston make this an essential work for any Civil War collection

This trilogy very competently fills in much needed analysis and detail on the critical ACW battles of Stones River, Chickamauga and Chattanooga. Hard to believe, with the great volume of ACW material that has been generated and is still being generated, but there were really no standard, first rate treatments of these three great battles before Cozzens set to work (and there is still no standard available on the battle of Shiloh). The research, detail and accuracy are first rate (even more impressive since Mr. Cozzens is a foreign service officer and at times worked from sites as remote as Lima, Peru). The first installment - No Better Place to Die: The Battle of Stones River - is a slow start, somewhat confused and complacent (which is an odd impression, given that Stones River was equivalent to a two-day Antietam of the West). However, the next two volumes - especially the middle centerpiece - This Terrible Sound: The Battle of Chickamauga - are stellar. The right balance of commentary and description in tactics, troop movements and first person narrative is achieved to deliver great story telling and history. The incredible, depressing, star-crossed story of the Confederate Army of Tennessee is an amazing testament to the indomitable nature of the human spirit. Never were better soldiers under worse leadership. Where this work earns its Main Selection of the History Book Club and ACW classic status is in the unflinching, painfully honest portrayals of the individuals involved: Braxton Bragg is revealed to be the egotistical incompetent that he was (Bragg's only effective campaign was the offensive he launched against his own officers after his only victory); Sherman and Grant very competent but also capable of serious tactical errors; Rosecrans' collapse into despair; Longstreet's self-serving intrigues; Thomas' plodding but heroic style; all come to life in these pages. Above all, the simple hopes and desires, fears and dreams of the common soldier, moved to acts of cowardice and bravery, stupidity and inspiration, despair and hope, are documented for generations to ponder (this is where the primary research pays off - resulting in well-placed first person narrative descriptions throughout). Mr. Cozzens' has delivered a very valuable, enjoyable work deserving of attention. The art work by Keith Rocco is also a nice touch, effecting without sentimentality, historical art which contributes to the whole.

This marvelous book can safely be said to be the last word on the Apache Wars. The breadth and scope of the original accounts presented here - most drawn from obscure 19th Century sources - is remarkable. There are newspaper interviews with General George Crook, an account of the Chiricahua Apaches in captivity by Walter Reed (for whom Walter Reed Hospital is named), a visit with Cochise in his mountain stronghold by the teritorial governor of Arizona, and many, many more "you are there" accounts. Cozzens opens the work with an excellent historical overview of the Apache Wars. Indispensable to the Indian Wars affecionado!

The books tell you all neccessary information that you need for finding an Internship!

It is a very user-friendly book and give you step-by-step advice on getting the Internship which suits you most!

Don't hesitate, buy one and you will agree with what I comment!

With this book, we see artist Keith Rocco's exceptional understanding of Civil War life - on and off the battlefield, and a certain mastery of this subject in his paintings. In a style that seems to be a cross between such artists as Remington and Hopper, Rocco creates striking scenes that practically draw you into the combat... the combatants seeming to be in motion... sweeping right across the canvas.

Although there are other renowned artists in the field of Civil War/military art who may pay a bit more attention to the finite details and historical accuracies of their subjects (particularly Don Troiani), I find Rocco's work right up there with the best of his contemporaries. Passionate portrayal, and the ability to draw the viewer into a painting are as important as rendering the historically correct belt buckle or hat.

Unfortunately, this book is out of print. But do your best to find a copy - the search will be well worth it!

The writer does an excellent job writing about 2 little known, but important strategically, battles in Mississippi following Shiloh. He writes about the common soldier as well as the generals. His descriptions of the battles are as suspenseful as any adventure story...even though you know who won the battles. As well as providing details of the battles, he also writes about the strategic big picture. His characterizations of the generals are also superb.

Peter Cozzens' book interested me for the simple fact that it deals with the very important but largely 'forgotten' battles of Iuka and Corinth in September and October of 1862. My previous reading on these battles included Battles and Leaders, reports in the Official Records, and Frost's rare History of the 10th Missouri. Cozzens brings the story together in a cogent and exciting way. He does a very good job of developing the major characters, none of whom shine on close inspection, from the pompous and self-serving Rosencrans to the libertine Van Dorn. Cozzens is at his best with descriptions of the actual battles. He paints the panorama on a regimental level through the cotton fields of Iuka to the great actions around the fortress batteries at Corinth. I am in awe at the heroism and shudder at the incompetence of leadership on both sides. My only complaint, and this is minor, is that he wrongly identifies Company E of the 24th Missouri Infantry as 'Company F.' This Company was attached to the 10th Missouri, and included my ancestor Hezekiah Lucas and my ancestoral uncle, Drury Campbell, who was killed at Corinth facing another of my relatives, Rufus Yancey Powell, with the Confederate 5th Missouri in the action near Battery Powell on October 4. I am thankful that Mr. Cozzens has written a book worthy of honoring their memory.

Peter Cozzens does it again. In his series of books on the Civil War's western theater, Cozzens has shown a unique ability to convert detailed research into a gripping narrative. I put his books in the same category with those of Gordon C. Rhea-- destined to be the final word on their respective battles for some time to come. Cozzens's sheer attention to detail is amazing, and I love his direct and concise analysis of tactical decisions on the field. A must read.

This is a good account of the battle and events leading up to it. Peter Cozzens is not the best writter but he is able to do an above average job. The 3 books, taken as a group give a good account of the battles but not a very readable one.

To enjoy these books, you need an intrest in the army and/or battle! They are not bad books just hard to read.

Finally someone has explained, accessably, why the Chattanooga siege lasted so long. A brilliant cap to Peter's Middle Tennessee series. I hope he can concentrate now on Tullahoma.

Shipwreck of their Hopes is a fine finish to this very important trilogy about the key Battles in the West. While it "suffers" from the same flaws as the first two books, and does require that one actually use ones brain when reading, it more than makes up for these "flaws" by the very high level of detail.

The three books, when put together, are a comprehensive history and a definite read for anyone who wants to be able to understand the Civil War.

The author has managed to thoroughly detail every event and person that is important to this battle within this book. Yes, some parts of the book are laborious and boring, yet, the author's attention to the details of strategic placement and movement of the two armies, and the time devoted to explaining the significance of many facets of the battle, no doubt make this book the best there is about the Chickamauga campaign. Cozzens provides a number of interesting and emotion-gripping stories of the human tragedies that occurred on the battlefield. Cozzens also helps the reader understand the thinking of Bragg, Rosecrans, Thomas, Polk, and other commanders in dealing with the dissention among themselves in staging the battle and the confusion and utter chaos that takes place on the battlefield. The author includes adequate, although somewhat difficult to read, maps of the movements of the armies at various stages of the battle. In the end, the Confederate Army of the West wins, but Bragg fails to follow through to ensure a complete defeat of the Union forces. There will be times when the overwhelming details presented in this work will put you to sleep, but stick with it and you'll find every important fact worth knowing about Chickamauga contained in this book.

Cozzens tells the story of the Battle of Chickamauga at the brigade/regiment level. I would recommend that anyone reading this book have a good understanding of the battle before hand. This book presents the battle at the brigade/regiment level, sometimes at the company level. The maps are the best I've ever seen and allow the reader to follow the various actions easily. I did find it difficult at times to follow the battle at the grand tactical(corps/division)level because of the detail at brigade/regiment level being told. At times it was difficult figuring out what part of the battlefield the action was taking place in. Cozzens describes in great detail just how badly the Union Army was defeated here. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes a lot of military detail.

To those reviewers who criticized Peter Cozzens' writing: What, exactly, were you reading? Cozzens does a marvelous job of bringing history to vivid life. "This Terrible Sound" is well-written, well-organized and reveals marvelously complete research. Yes, it is detailed, but the book is 675 pages long! What did you expect? Admittedly, there are times in the middle of the book when the story is confusing, and a few photos of the participants certainly would have been welcome, but overall this is the kind of Civil War history I love. I want detail. I especially love the many quoted sources here; I want the participants to tell the story as much as possible, and Cozzens allows that. This is a big step forward from the still-good "No Better Place to Die." But read on; "The Shipwreck of their Hopes" is better yet.

Cozzens' first book about the Civil War's western theatre admittedly is easily the least compelling, but still a good read. Calling this book "bad" as another reviewer did, is just bizarre. If you're not interested in the Civil War, don't read books about it. This is, for the most part, a well-written, fine account of the Battle of Murfreesboro, or Stones River. The main problem is a sometimes-confusing rundown of troop movements, not helped by even more perplexing maps. I had a great deal of trouble figuring out just where everybody was on the battlefield. Cozzens' next two books in this "trilogy" remedy most of the problems and are big steps forward.

If you prefer fast food over meal which requires you
to sit down and relax, then you probably won't care for
this book. If you love detail, then this is the book for
you. The book is about a significant civil war battle that never got the attention it deserved. By the way, I just came from Stones River Battlefield, and if you should ever find yourself in Nashville, TN, I highly recommend visitiing this historic battlefield. It's managed by the U.S. Park Service, and they do a superb job with the visitors. It's located about 45 minutes south of Nashville by car. A visit there will give you a very good
feel for this key battle of the U.S. Civil War.

The first battle to resemble Verdun. Peter's grasp of his material consistently amazes me.