According to the introduction to this wonderful book, the editors, Gary Joiner and Timothy Smith, more or less saved O. Edward Cunningham's book from forever being a dog-eared samizdat available only to the tour guides at the Shiloh battlefield. I for one am grateful that they did. This is a terrefic book that really educates the reader about what went on during the battle of Shiloh. Cunningham has covered the battlefield, before and after the battle, in such detail that it's hard to imagine finding a better, or at least more informed, work. The research that went into the book is evident on every page. Also, thanks to the editors, a second set of research is available in the form of copius footnotes. All of this combines to make one of the most informative books on a battle in the Civil War that I've read. Unfortunately, sometimes the detail can be a bit overwhelming, more in the way that it's presented than in the sheer volume. The volume of detail is what makes the book such a wonderful read. The writing is just a tad too structural in parts and doesn't flow well. Maybe if the author had lived to publish the work himself these rough spots would have been smoothed down. Either way, this is a fantastic read and will help expert or beginner alike achieve a much higher level of understanding about this pivotal Civil War battle.

The maps were well done and helped illustrate the narrative very well. The photos in the appendix of the battle field today helped set to the scene a bit too.

Finally, and most importantly for me, I didn't detect any bias in the writing. Sometimes, especially in Civil War history, the authors bias, pro or anti whatever side he's pro or anti about, comes out in the writing. I find that can seriously detract from otherwise very good books. None of this was evident here, again, making this a book worth reading.

This is a very good book to read about one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War.The author does a very good job in his research about everything that happened those 2 days on April 1862.I especially liked to read about details regarding the soldiers, the way the fought, their strategies, the way they reacted to the chaos around them.This book should be in the shelves of all us who like to read about the Civil War.Also the book analyzes the big questions of that war. Why Beauregard didnt press his attack on the Landing? Why Halleck didnt attack Corinth when he had the chance? These questions will remain without answer but due to those situations the War was prolonged.The only thing i didnt like about the book was that the author gives you too many details that sometimes made the reading a little dry.But, otherwise, a very good book

When this book was written, it was a new vision of the battle of Shiloh. The editors considered it important enough to resurrect from the Shiloh NMP archives and bring to a wider audience. The book was very easy to read and follow. The book moved quickly through the movements and battles of the first major Union campaign in the Western Theater. The centerpiece is a detailed account of the battle of Shiloh and finally, a brief account of Halleck's capture of Corinth. Footnotes on the page with the citation were appreciated and the editors did an excellent job pointing out where they had changed the original account and why.
This book reevaluated the significance of many events at Shiloh. The author rejected the importance of traditional turning points; Hornet's Nest, Johnston's death, and correctly points out that battles are contingent and are the result of many events involving all the participants. No single event determines the outcome; it is the sum of all the actions like a series of dominos.
The editors made excellent use of numerous good maps to allow the reader to follow the campaign and the action at Shiloh. There were 18 pages of photos of the leaders (4 per page) on both sides, some familiar and others that I had not seen before. After the Order of Battle for the armies (thank you), there is a photographic tour of the Shiloh battlefield park and a map showing the location and direction of the photo. This gave the reader an excellent sense of the terrain and action.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Western Theater.

I was excited to read this book, based in no small part on the many good reviews it has received. Unfortunately, it was very disappointing. I have no doubt that the scholarship is unmatched...the editors did a fine job in not being "intrusive" while correcting mistakes and updating the various footnotes with more recent scholarship...The first few chapters were actually quite enlightening and well-written: I learned a lot about the "big picture" of the war in the West and the gathering of the armies at Shiloh.

However, the rest of the book is - in a word - *unreadable*. The title of this review gives the main problem: there is so much company-level and regimental detail on each page that it becomes a chore to slog through.

In writing a battle narrative, there is a way to combine scholarship (in which Cunningham excelled) with readibility...Stephen Sears and Gordon Rhea are expert at it...unfortunately, the late Dr. Cunningham failed in this regard.

If the publisher and editors intended only to make this research material - originally a PhD dissertation - more accessible, they succeeded admirably...if they intended it to be a readable and enjoyable account of the Battle of Shiloh, we are still waiting.

I would highly recommend this book. Being a novice at Civil War history this one opened my eyes on this little reported or storied second large battle of the War of the Rebellion. One can find many parallels on events of present day. Such as what happened to the major players (generals) after the battle. Had leaders listened to the likes of the newspaper reporters of the day (substitute NY Times for NY Herald) reporter who had an agenda (where have we seen that one?) or traitorous politicians with their own self serving agendas, the war would have turned out MUCH differently than it did! Grant and a few others would have been back benched for good along with much of the Confederate generals as well.

The personal stories even though they are a sentence long on virtually each one make the battle more personalized than any before that I have read. I really felt like I was there smelling the gun-smoke and feeling the cold rain, muddy conditions, and gut wrenching hunger for proper food on both sides!


If I had one negative comment it would be the use of Maps. The book needs better, more detailed maps in legend reference to feet-miles and naming of creeks and roads. This battlefield is MUCH smaller than I ever expected (using the internet and discussions with people who have actually been there)

Yes I recommend the book and will keep my copy as a reference for the future discussions on Shiloh.

"Shiloh" by O. Edward Cunningham is a real gem. Cunningham died a few years ago without publishing this book (it was his dissertation in the 1960s), editors Gary Joiner and Timothy Smith thought that the general public would enjoy Cunningham's work - I am very glad they decided to publish it. Cunningham (with key additions by the editors) was a great writer. Although an academic, Cunningham writes without the boring and tedious style of many in this field. The writing flows and the characters come back to life.

Since I have not read much about this battle, the introduction by Joiner and Smith is excellent for those who are not familiar with the historiography of the Battle of Shiloh. They succinctly compare the various books that have been written on the battle. They praise, rightly so, Cunningham's views that are just now being accepted.

I appreciate the detail that Cunningham goes into when describing the training for both armies (almost non-existent for some of the units) and the various firearms that were used by both armies. On that note about the detail, at the end of the book is an itemized listing of the units involved in the battle and the casualties they took. Looking at the lists, you can better understand how much punishment the units that were in the thick of the fighting endured.

Cunningham spends a good deal of time giving brief synopses of each of the major commanders present at the battle. For example, I never knew that Confederate General Albert S. Johnston was so highly regarded by his contemporaries and historians. In addition, although Union General William Sherman became one of the best generals on the Union side later in the war, he cut his teeth at the Battle of Shiloh and made several mistakes that could have cost the Union a major defeat.

Cunningham discusses the battle in the context of the entire campaign leading up to Shiloh. As mentioned above, the campaign begins with the assaults on Forts Henry and Donelson in Tennessee and ends with the Confederate evacuation of Corinth, Mississippi. Some of the Union units engaged at Shiloh were bloodied in the initial battles of the campaign.

Finally, I need to mention the abundant use of maps throughout the book. As many of you know, a good history of a battle is subpar if it does not include maps of the progression of a battle. The book includes an abundant amount of maps so that you can closely follow the battle on the maps.

Though this book doesn't go into character detail like a "Non-Fictional" version of a Jeff Shaara Novel it is superbly written. Mr. Cunningham did his research and it shows!! Look forward to more from him in the future.

"Shiloh and the Western Campaign of 1862" is the previously unpublished 1966 doctoral thesis of O. Edward Cunningham with an editorial touch up by Dr's Joiner and Smith. Dr. Cunningham was a doctoral student at the Louisiana State University of the late T. Harry Williams, author of the vastly influential work "Lincoln and His Generals". The editors are both authors of books on the Civil War in the West with Dr. Smith writing the well received "Champion Hill - Decisive Battle for Vicksburg"

The Battle of Shiloh was one of the most critical battles in American History. Some of the biggest figures of the Civil War - Grant, Sherman, Johnston, Bragg, Beauregard, Buell - they all fought there. As Grant would write in his memoirs, before Shiloh, Americans on both sides of the Mason Dixon line believed that the war could still be a short limited affair. Shiloh shattered that illusion. The two day battle saw some of the fiercest fighting of the war in which over 23,000 men were taken casualty.

Dr. Cunningham's work is a detailed history of the battle of Shiloh. The focus of the work is on the Divisions, Brigades, Regiments and the men that fought in them. . It covers in excellent detail which brigades, fought for which piece of ground, when they were fighting and what happened. In fact, the book is so crammed with details that at times it risks losing the forest for the trees with all the Colonel This of the 23rd Volunteer Infantry and Captain That of Company C, 10th Southern Infantry. Close but not quite. The work presents a clear and cogent picture of how the battle unfolded.

This is not a command study as Larry Daniel's more recent "Shiloh - The Battle That Changed the Civil War" is. While the decisions of Grant, Beauregard and Johnston are covered, they are not examined in detail. In many respects the Army Commanders are the supporting actors in this story. Once the battle was joined, Grant and Johnston were secondary to the fate of their armies. In fact, much of the Confederate Army was unaware of Johnston's death until after the battle was over. This is not to say that they are totally ignored in the work, only that they are not its emphasis.

Like all Campaign Histories, this one spends the first third of the work placing the Armies in context. The opening phases of the war, the capture of Forts Henry and Donelson, the Confederate concentration at Corinth, and the Union movement to Pittsburg Landing are all covered. What is not covered in any critical depth is Beauregard's plan for the battle and its impact on the outcome of the battle. For that you will need to read Daniel's book.

I very much enjoyed this work. Unlike so many recent books on Military History, this one came with 32 maps of the battle. Additionally the end of the book their is a photo tour of the battlefield today. Unfortunately, the maps lack any road or creek names. It would have been nice when Dr. Cunningham is discussing McClernand's position along the Purdy Road, that the Purdy Road would be indicated on the map that accompanies the text. Some times I felt like Lew Wallace, wondering which road I should follow. As for the photos I think a better use for them would be to have put the photos alongside within the chapter that discussed the battle for that particular location. The book also comes with photos of all the Generals that participated in the battle. The pictures are all taken from the "Generals in Blue" and "Generals in Grey" works. As a real fan of portraits, I would have wished that we could have had more original pictures other than the mug shots we have all seen a million times before.

Dr. Cunningham's work is much enhanced by the editing of Joiner and Smith. They have altered the original text to clean up minor historical errors, such as removing Dr. Cunningham's assertion that Grant's men erected field fortifications in the final Union defensive position. All corrections are properly footnoted at the bottom of each page. I have never read a book that has had such wonderful footnotes. They provide additional insights and a running commentary on the book. There were times when I would find myself turning the page just to see what juicy little tidbit would be there. I think in the future I will make the effort to read the footnotes just in case I am missing something.

"Shiloh and the Western Campaign of 1862" for all that it is 40 years old, and a doctoral dissertation at that, does not have a dated or arcane feel to it. It very much reminds me of the works by Peter Cozzens. Shiloh is a battle that deserves multiple serious works on it. There is room in every Civil War library for the major books on this battle. Those of Larry Daniel, Wiley Sword, James McDonough, and now Dr. Cunningham. I know my library would not be complete without it.

"Shiloh and the Western Campaign of 1862" is the previously unpublished 1966 doctoral thesis of O. Edward Cunningham with an editorial touch up by Dr's Joiner and Smith. Dr. Cunningham was a doctoral student at the Louisiana State University of the late T. Harry Williams, author of the vastly influential work "Lincoln and His Generals". The editors are both authors of books on the Civil War in the West with Dr. Smith writing the well received "Champion Hill - Decisive Battle for Vicksburg"

The Battle of Shiloh was one of the most critical battles in American History. Some of the biggest figures of the Civil War - Grant, Sherman, Johnston, Bragg, Beauregard, Buell - they all fought there. As Grant would write in his memoirs, before Shiloh, Americans on both sides of the Mason Dixon line believed that the war could still be a short limited affair. Shiloh shattered that illusion. The two day battle saw some of the fiercest fighting of the war in which over 23,000 men were taken casualty.

Dr. Cunningham's work is a detailed history of the battle of Shiloh. The focus of the work is on the Divisions, Brigades, Regiments and the men that fought in them. . It covers in excellent detail which brigades, fought for which piece of ground, when they were fighting and what happened. In fact, the book is so crammed with details that at times it risks losing the forest for the trees with all the Colonel This of the 23rd Volunteer Infantry and Captain That of Company C, 10th Southern Infantry. Close but not quite. The work presents a clear and cogent picture of how the battle unfolded.

This is not a command study as Larry Daniel's more recent "Shiloh - The Battle That Changed the Civil War" is. While the decisions of Grant, Beauregard and Johnston are covered, they are not examined in detail. In many respects the Army Commanders are the supporting actors in this story. Once the battle was joined, Grant and Johnston were secondary to the fate of their armies. In fact, much of the Confederate Army was unaware of Johnston's death until after the battle was over. This is not to say that they are totally ignored in the work, only that they are not its emphasis.

Like all Campaign Histories, this one spends the first third of the work placing the Armies in context. The opening phases of the war, the capture of Forts Henry and Donelson, the Confederate concentration at Corinth, and the Union movement to Pittsburg Landing are all covered. What is not covered in any critical depth is Beauregard's plan for the battle and its impact on the outcome of the battle. For that you will need to read Daniel's book.

I very much enjoyed this work. Unlike so many recent books on Military History, this one came with 32 maps of the battle. Additionally the end of the book their is a photo tour of the battlefield today. Unfortunately, the maps lack any road or creek names. It would have been nice when Dr. Cunningham is discussing McClernand's position along the Purdy Road, that the Purdy Road would be indicated on the map that accompanies the text. Some times I felt like Lew Wallace, wondering which road I should follow. As for the photos I think a better use for them would be to have put the photos alongside within the chapter that discussed the battle for that particular location. The book also comes with photos of all the Generals that participated in the battle. The pictures are all taken from the "Generals in Blue" and "Generals in Grey" works. As a real fan of portraits, I would have wished that we could have had more original pictures other than the mug shots we have all seen a million times before.

Dr. Cunningham's work is much enhanced by the editing of Joiner and Smith. They have altered the original text to clean up minor historical errors, such as removing Dr. Cunningham's assertion that Grant's men erected field fortifications in the final Union defensive position. All corrections are properly footnoted at the bottom of each page. I have never read a book that has had such wonderful footnotes. They provide additional insights and a running commentary on the book. There were times when I would find myself turning the page just to see what juicy little tidbit would be there. I think in the future I will make the effort to read the footnotes just in case I am missing something.

"Shiloh and the Western Campaign of 1862" for all that it is 40 years old, and a doctoral dissertation at that, does not have a dated or arcane feel to it. It very much reminds me of the works by Peter Cozzens. Shiloh is a battle that deserves multiple serious works on it. There is room in every Civil War library for the major books on this battle. Those of Larry Daniel, Wiley Sword, James McDonough, and now Dr. Cunningham. I know my library would not be complete without it.

Dr.Cunninghams over-all view of battle accounts are very accurate.Shiloh was organized chaos early in war and he defines the players and their
movements very, very well and with an interesting flair. No other author comes close,absolutley the best on Shiloh.A must read for the novice and the Civil War scholar......Frank Brazl

Battle histories are not generally easy reads; by their very nature they are a detailed account of a specific battle. Some are more detailed than others. By and large battle histories are not, and should not be "quick reads." They do tend to be somewhat dry and tedious reading. Not so with O. Edward Cunningham's "Shiloh and the Western Campaign of 1862."

Written as a doctoral dissertation in the 1960's Cunningham's manuscript remained unpublished for nearly forty years, though it has not been forgotten. The manuscript, a copy of which was housed in the library of the Shiloh National Military Park, has been consulted by armature and professional historians alike. Now thanks to the efforts of editors, Timothy B. Smith and Gary D. Joiner, the manuscript has at long last been published by Savas Beatie Publishing Company.

Cunningham's writing is a joy to read, his narrative flows with ease, and as editors Smith and Joiner, only needed to step in to update new information which has come to light during the 40 years since Cunningham wrote his dissertation or to clarify points here and there where Cunningham's narrative needed a little help... needless to say those times were few and far between.

For a forty year old manuscript, Dr. Cunningham's work seems surprisingly fresh and vibrant; the writing does not date itself. The book contains many new ideas, and different approaches to interpreting and understanding this first, major, catastrophic battle of the American Civil War. For instance, Cunningham deemphasizes the importance of the fight at The Hornet's Nest while shifting the spotlight to the fighting at the crossroads on the west side of the field.

Not only is Dr. Cunningham's narrative, a history of the Battle of Shiloh, but also the whole western campaign from the Confederate Army's invasion of Kentucky & Grant's twin victories and Forts Henry & Donnellson to Shiloh, Corinth and beyond.

Mr. Joiner has drawn over 30 maps to assist the reader in following the action, and there many period photographs and even a photographic tour of the battlefield as it exists to day. Cunningham's notes are true footnotes, located at the bottom of the page, allowing you to quickly look down to see where his information came from without having to thumb to the back of the book which scores an A+ in my grade book.

Being a Savas Beatie publication, "Shiloh and the Western Campaign of 1862" is a quality volume, printed in a nice easy to read font, on acid free paper, and the artwork on the dust jacket is just gorgeous. This book was a great read and I am proud to list this among the titles in my collection.

Probably the new standard for Shiloh. With the new maps, it will give the reader a feeling and presence of the field. With T. Harry Williams fingerprints on this material, it was well researched and well documented.

I was particularly interested in getting a detailed account of the battle of Shiloh (or Pittsburgh Landing as it was often called in the North) as a relative of mine was killed in that battle. Although the book goes into great detail about the units involved in the battle and the names of the various officers, I found the book to be somewhat disappointing overall. Even the listing of military units and officers often tended to interrupt the "flow" of events. It was almost as if the concentration on all the "trees" tended to obscure the view of the "forest." Compounding this problem were the maps. I am a "map person" and when I saw the number of maps included in this book I was delighted at first, only to be disappointed as I tried to use them in following and understanding the battle. Many units of the armies mentioned in the book were not identified on the maps, and many features of the battlefield (such as the names of roads and creeks) referred to in the text were also omitted from the maps. This made them very difficult to use in following the narrative which was a frustrating disappointment to me.

The first account of the battle that I ever read was from a book called "My Days and Nights on the Battlefield" (published in 1864) by Charles Carleton Coffin who was a newspaper correspondent for the Boston Journal. Called by some "the Ernie Pyle of his era," Coffin was the only correspondent to serve throughout the Civil War from 1st Bull Run to Appomattox. Coffin was not present during the battle of Shiloh, but arrived shortly after, interviewed many of the participants and examined the battlefield. Another of my disappointments in "Shiloh and the Western Campaign of 1862" is that, although the book has footnotes galore, documenting the information given, Coffin's fine description and analysis of the battle is not referenced at all. Admittedly, that is perhaps only a personal disappointment, but in a book offering such detailed documentation, this omission is difficult to understand.

I'm making this review sound too negative, I believe. Overall, I think it was a worthwhile read and I don't hesitate in recommending it. My criticisms are rather personal and reflect some frustrations - especially in regard to the incomplete details of the maps - that I experienced in reading it. Another thing I liked about the book was the inclusion of photographs of many of the officers on both sides. It's probably not a book that I will read again, at least not in its entirety, but for any true Civil War buff it is certainly worth reading. I read it shortly after finishing "Twilight at Little Round Top" and "Grant and Sherman: The Friendship That Won the War" so this book probably suffered somewhat in comparison.

We've been waiting for this release for a while now...it only took a few decades! This lost history provides a unique balance to this classic fight that will enable all students of Shiloh to get a fresh perspective on the course of this important Civil War battle. Reading it will make you want to visit the battlefield again even if you have been before, just to see what you missed before reading this book.

Fans of Sherman will especially want this special history of one of his earliest and best fights. This book is an easy read, and well compliments the several other fine books on this battle...you won't be dissappointed.

Clair Conzelman

In the 1960's O. Edward Cunningham completed his Ph.D. at Louisiana State University with "Shiloh and the Western Campaign of 1862". While unpublished, this paper did not gather dust lying forgotten in a desk drawer. Shiloh experts, park rangers, professional and amateur historians knew about this rich source of information. For years, they have consulted it and developed their ideas from it. While not a secret, the public did not have easy access to the manuscript and many never knew it existed.

Forty years after being submitted Dr. Cunningham's manuscript is available to the public. This is not a dated, stuffy dissertation that only historians will be able to read. The writing is crisp, informative and stands with the best of battle histories. His style is as easy to read as Sears, Wittenberg or Woodworth. His views on the battle were ahead of the times and are just now finding acceptance. To complement his writing, Gary Joiner & Timothy Smith do an outstanding job editing the book. Both are accomplished historians with extensive knowledge of the subject. Their editing extends and explains Dr. Cummingham's work without changing his ideas. This results in a much stronger, more accurate book that combines the strength of the three men into a single informative volume. The editor's are very careful to document their changes and to supply reasons for them. In addition, they point out the differences in Cunningham's ideas and the standard battle story. Sword's "Shiloh, Bloody April", Daniel's "Shiloh the Battle that Changed the Civil War" and McDonough "Shiloh - In Hell before Night" were all written after this book. The editor's document the differences between these books in an extensive set of special footnotes. This effort provides the reader with a series of references and reminders while following this version of the battle.

This is more than a battle history. The battle of Shiloh is the major part of the book but is not treated as an isolated event. We see Shiloh as part of a logical sequence beginning with Grant's attacks on the river forts and ending with the evacuation of Corinth. Politics, national, local and military influence the story. While they are not covered in detail, we have enough to understand the part they play. The book's examination of the two armies is something that I have not seen elsewhere. The standard "green armies" paragraphs are dropped and replaced with detailed evaluations. This section contains a series of word portraits of the major commanders with comments on their good and bad points. Coupled with a close examination of the training, equipment and experience of the men in ranks this produces some startling comparisons of the two armies. Having read the Shiloh books mentioned, I do not recall anything of this detail about the armies.

A second unique item is the time spent on how the Union camp at Pittsburg Landing comes into being, giving the reader an understanding of site selection and the haphazard nature of the camp. The author avoids the "dig or drill" question, concentrating on what happened and not trying to assign blame.

The heart of the book is the Battle of Shiloh. Over 250 pages cover the approach, the fighting and the aftermath. How different is the history of the battle in this book? Dr. Cunningham was very careful in documenting what he wrote. He counted fewer attacks on the Hornet's Nest, less cannon on Ruggles' line and a slower battler than we are used to. In addition, he moves some of the emphasis to the West side of the field where Sherman and McClernand fight. This produces a more balanced view of the battle and a shift away from Prentiss in The Hornet's Nest as the focal point of the first day. Additionally, the Confederates have a much harder time of it. The bad weather, the long march, lack of food, poor weapons and loss of command & control take a greater toll and slow them more. This with the fighting on the western side of the field makes the Hornet's Nest more logical, understandable and less of the central theme. The question could Grant's last line be broken and did Buell save Grant, are dealt with in an intelligent and evenhanded manner. The editors do an outstand job of placing the other books about Shiloh in the overall answer to these questions.

Action during the night and the second day's fighting are well covered. The emphasis is on what is happening, not on what history feels should have happened. This is a refreshing change and avoids much of the blame game some authors are determined to play. After reading the detailed treatment of the first day, you will have a better appreciation for why things happened as they did. The coverage of the retreat and pursuit is sufficient to convey what happened. Halleck's advance on Corinth and the Confederate response complete the history.

Footnotes are on the page where I feel they should be. The author's and the editor's footnotes are easy to identify. The editor's footnotes cover any changes they made to the original book and provide information about the author's views and the current ideas on Shiloh. Appendices cover the organization of the two armies, casualties and a photo tour of Shiloh. The photo tour is 22 pictures from the park with a map locating them n the field. A bibliography and index complete the book.

This is a Savas Beatie publication meaning a high quality book with maps, maps and more maps. They seem to be the only publishing house that understands military history cannot be done with out maps. The list of maps is three pages long, meaning that the reader is never far from one. At critical points in the battle, the maps are about seven pages apart. Maps add value expand our understanding of the battle, make it easier to follow the fighting and increased our enjoyment of the book.