Embattled Rebel: Jefferson Davis as Commander in Chief
Written by James M. McPherson
Narrated by Robert Fass
3.5/5
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About this audiobook
History has not been kind to Jefferson Davis. Many Americans of his own time and in later generations considered him an incompetent leader, not to mention a traitor. Not so, argues James M. McPherson. In Embattled Rebel, McPherson shows us that Davis might have been on the wrong side of history, but that it is too easy to diminish him because of his cause's failure. Gravely ill throughout much of the Civil War, Davis nevertheless shaped and articulated the principal policy of the Confederacy-the quest for independent nationhood-with clarity and force. He exercised a tenacious hands-on influence in the shaping of military strategy, and his close relationship with Robert E. Lee was one of the most effective military-civilian partnerships in history.
Lucid and concise, Embattled Rebel presents a fresh perspective on the Civil War as seen from the desk of the South's commander in chief.
James M. McPherson
James M. McPherson taught U.S. history at Princeton University for forty-two years and is author of more than a dozen books on the era of the Civil War. His books have won a Pulitzer Prize and two Lincoln Prizes.
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Reviews for Embattled Rebel
50 ratings7 reviews
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5This was a very short introduction to the political and military life of Jefferson Davis during the Civil War. It was at best an introduction, and does not provide any real in-depth analysis of Davis or his decisions. I have not read very much about Davis, but I still did not feel like I learned anything new about him. I always enjoy McPherson's writing style, but this feels like a book he just put together real quick to cash in on his name.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Pretty fair book about the civil war with a few perspectives of Jefferson Davis thrown in. A s with the book on Lincoln, McPherson organizes the book around five functions performed or overseen by Davis in his capacity as Commander-in-Chief: the formulation of policy, national strategy, military strategy, operations, and tactics. Some comparisons are made with Lincoln, but just a few. Most of the content was repeat of other civil war stories, and yes, I know the background must be told. But,more on Davis himself wold have been nice. The book is ALL about Davis' actions during the Civil war...only a sentence is devoted to post war time and maybe a paragraph on the pre war period of his life. Nothing is said about family. Sickly as he was, mentioned many times.
- Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5A good, very readable look at Jefferson Davis's role as a Confederate military leader. Prior to reading this, I had not realized how involved Davis was in Confederate military affairs - he not only selected the generals, but also visited and consulted with many in-person, sometimes countered their orders, and faced censure for his choices and strategy. This book also provides an excellent overview of the Southern war effort, discussing supply problems, the issue of black soldiers, and various diplomatic efforts to conclude the war.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5As always, a quality effort by McPherson. Davis was and is one of the most misunderstood figures in the Civil War and always suffers in comparison to Lincoln; as anyone would. This is a somewhat more charitable view of the Confederate president as it addresses the overwhelming tasks he faced in dealing with the daunting administrative problems confronting the Confederacy and the personality conflicts among politicians and generals. McPherson also quite properly notes that Davis made matters worse by being a micro-manager with a very thin skin who easily took affront to minor slights. He also suffered from chronic health problems that affected his already difficult disposition.
Must-read for Civil War aficionados. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Being an analysis of President Davis of the CSA's performance as commander-in chief. This book is a pleasure to read; it is clearly written, jargon-free, and objective. The main pitfall threatening books which treat of strategy or grand strategy in this or any other war is to deteriorate into short histories of the war, and McPherson admittedly drives the tractor a little close to this ditch at times, especially early in the book. However, his analysis tightens as the book proceeds, and he includes a great deal of information which is difficult to find elsewhere; I was particularly impressed with his treatment of logistics and diplomacy. At the outset, the author states that he feels that Davis' military reputation needs to be upgraded, but had I not read the statement I would not have noticed an agenda: his comments seemed always to be judicious and equanimous. He is critical at times and certainly gives over a great deal of space to the colorful vitriol produced by Davis' critics in politics and the press. This is a worthwhile book.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5McPherson gives a very shallow view of Jefferson Davis as leader of the Confederacy. Though it goes into detail in his dealings with some of his generals, his actual statesmanship and internal politicking are very rarely covered. For being s such a pillar of Civil War writing McPherson did a very job of covering an important character within it.
- Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Embattled Rebel is a shallow look at the Confederate president, Jeff Davis. Davis’ early years in Mississippi, his time at West Point, marriages and service in Congress are not covered. Also almost entirely skipped over is Davis’ incarceration after the war and how he spent the last twenty four years of his life. Instead the focus of the book is entirely on Davis’ actions during the civil war. The major battles are covered as are his relationships with his most famous generals and staff. However, because so much of Davis’ personal history is entirely omitted the reader never gets a real feel for who he was as a person and what his motivations were. While not exactly a bad book, Embattled Rebel his hardly more informative on its subject then a Wikipedia entry.