Crucible of Command

Starred review from January 26, 2015
The two great opposing generals of the Civil War, who had both served in the Mexican War 15 years earlier, were largely active on different fronts and met only at Appomattox (and briefly at the White House four years later). Davis, a specialist in Civil War and Southern history, focuses on their respective military styles, largely by examining particular campaigns, though he also looks at their personalities and early achievements or failures. In the process, he draws a multi-dimensional portrait of each man, succinctly capturing their particular skills, and uncovers some little-known facts: at the Battle of Gettysburg, âLee maintained only moderate control of his army,â and âin more than a dozen instances... his orders were not obeyed,â while in May 1865, the magnanimous Grant intervened with President Andrew Johnson to save Lee from civil prosecution. Davis also examines some of the larger issues with which each man struggled, such as the growing problem of desertion near the warâs end, which hastened the demise of the Confederate Army. This meticulously researched, well-written book greatly enriches our understanding of each of these extraordinary figures and of the terrible war in which they fought. Agent: Jim Donovan, Jim Donovan Literary.

Starred review from January 1, 2015
"The cheering proved to be our folly." Thus said Robert E. Lee, chiding Southern vanity at the outbreak of the Civil War, the setting for this thoughtful study of command.Recognizing that plenty has already been written about the generals who led the Civil War on both sides, Davis (History/Virginia Tech Univ.; The Rogue Republic: How Would-Be Patriots Waged the Shortest Revolution in American History, 2011, etc.) takes an interesting approach, using secondary sources and correcting them where applicable and relying on first-person, contemporary accounts of Lee and his formidable adversary, Ulysses S. Grant. The men had met in the field in the war with Mexico but had traveled in different orbits, Grant in particular having a flair for, if not always success in, business. Both, however, inclined to the depressive and carried the burden of the literally countless men who died in their service. Lee, writes the author, was opposed to secession and, by his account, was a reluctant slaveholder; moreover, he professed that his country was Virginia, a sentiment radical South Carolinians returned by suspecting Lee of lukewarm devotion to the cause. Yet Lee was a faithful lieutenant to the Southern government, and Jefferson Davis in particular, even though his "mistrust of politicians kept him aloof from the political morass." Grant was less aloof, carefully gauging political mood swings, though Lee was no slouch, either, as when he instructed his Virginia troops in battle in Maryland to pretend "to be Marylanders holding their own ground," thus rallying their allies and evidencing "a neat bit of political and diplomatic camouflage showing Lee's subtlety in areas other than military." Indeed, one of Davis' chief contributions in this accessible, well-written study is to show how thoroughly politicized the war was-as was its aftermath, revealed by a charged but by no means unfriendly meeting the two had in 1868, when Grant was in the White House. A fresh look at the sources and a careful eye to leadership and character places this book high atop the list of recent Civil War histories.

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December 1, 2014

Davis (The Pirates Laffite) compares the experiences and leadership styles of Ulysses S. Grant (1822-85) and Robert E. Lee (1807-70) in this dual biography. Grant fought with an optimistic confidence in his ability to change the American Civil War, while Lee showed a spirit of pessimistic fatalism. Grant's confidence led him to underestimate the enemy at times but ultimately brought him victory, while Lee's fatalism ironically freed him to take incredible risks that frequently resulted in battlefield successes, but in the end, contributed to his defeat. Davis debunks many of the myths surrounding the two generals and treats both fairly. A typical chapter describes what the men did during a certain period, offers critiques of their mistakes, and praises their successes. During most of their lives--even during the Civil War--the generals had very little to do with each other; however, the comparisons between the two are helpful for understanding the general sensibilities of North and South. VERDICT Accessible to all readers, this history will appeal to anyone who enjoys comparative biography. Lee and Grant viewed the war very differently and Davis only touches on whose perspective was closer to reality. For a more rigorous assessment of the subjects at the end of the war as well as the lost cause myth, see Elizabeth Varon's Appomattox.--Michael Farrell, Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando, FL

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January 1, 2015
A well-regarded historian of the Civil War, particularly of the Confederacy, Davis compares the conflict's two most famous generals. Declaring that his work is not a dual biography of Grant and Lee, Davis casts it as a parallel portrait of their personalities and characters as men and military commanders. He relies on primary sources, such as family correspondence and Grant's and Lee's contemporaneous records. Presenting Lee as ever conscious of redeeming his family's name, which his father's scandals had tarnished, Davis securely anchors Lee to his Virginian home, slavery included. Grant, too, had a difficult father, but one who supported his son, sending him to West Point. From these hearthside influences, Davis follows their army careers, identifying command traits that the Civil War revealed. That exploration is central to Davis' sifting of their letters and reports, and it furnishes his audience with evidence to view whether Grant's repute as a capable but limited general and Lee's renown as being akin to a military genius are justified. A solid pick for the Civil War collection.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)