McClellan's war : the failure of moderation in the struggle for the Union /
This biography of the controversial Union general George B. McClellan examines the influences and political antecedents that shaped his behavior on the battlefield, behavior that so frustrated Lincoln and others in Washington that he was removed from his command soon after the Union loss at Antietam...
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| Author / Creator: | |
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| Format: | eBook Electronic |
| Language: | English |
| Language notes: | English. |
| Imprint: | Bloomington : Indiana University Press, ©2005. |
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| Online Access: | Click here for full text at Project MUSE |
| Summary: | This biography of the controversial Union general George B. McClellan examines the influences and political antecedents that shaped his behavior on the battlefield, behavior that so frustrated Lincoln and others in Washington that he was removed from his command soon after the Union loss at Antietam. Rather than take sides in the controversy, Ethan S. Rafuse finds in McClellan's politics and his desire to restore sectional harmony ample explanation for his actions. Rafuse sheds new light on the general who believed in the rule of reason and moderation, who sought a policy of conciliation with the South, and who wanted to manage the North's military resources in a way that would impose rational order on the battlefield. "An important book that rescues George B. McClellan's military reputation." -- Chronicles <br> <br> Bold, brash, and full of ambition, George Brinton McClellan seemed destined for greatness when he assumed command of all the Union armies before he was 35. It was not to be. Ultimately deemed a failure on the battlefield by Abraham Lincoln, he was finally dismissed from command following the bloody battle of Antietam. To better understand this fascinating, however flawed, character, Ethan S. Rafuse considers the broad and complicated political climate of the earlier 19th Century. Rather than blaming McClellan for the Union's military losses, Rafuse attempts to understand his political thinking as it affected his wartime strategy. As a result, Rafuse sheds light not only on McClellan's conduct on the battlefields of 1861-62 but also on United States politics and culture in the years leading up to the Civil War.<br> <br> "Any historian seriously interested in the period will come away from the book with useful material and a better understanding of George B. McClellan." -- Journal of Southern History <br> <br> "Exhaustively researched and lucidly written, Rafuse has done an excellent job in giving us a different perspective on 'Little Mac.'" -- Civil War History <br> <br> "Rafuse's thoughtful study of Little Mac shows just how enthralling this complex and flawed individual continues to be." -- Blue & Gray magazine |
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| Item Description: | Print version record. |
| Physical Description: | 1 online resource (xiv, 525 pages) : illustrations, maps |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 489-508) and index. |
| ISBN: | 9780253006141 0253006147 1280124423 9781280124426 9786613528285 6613528285 |
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