Shiloh: Bloody April

Dayton, Ohio: Morningside Bookshop, 1988. Trade Paperback. Very Good. 8x6x1. Edge wear, covers toned. 1988 Trade Paperback. xx, 519 pp. Shiloh is the first large battle of the war. This resulted in a learning experience for both sides, officers and enlisted men. These inexperience soldiers showed how brave they could be. At the sametime, they showed how important training and experience is. This horrific two-day battle shocked Americans, as they took the first step toward understanding the real price of war. The battlefield is wooded broken land. The battle is a confused affaire fought over a three-mile front. The battle lines are never a stable as units move forward or fall back. Shiloh never has the long stable battle lines of Gettysburg. In the hands of a less skilled author, the battle can quickly become incomprehensible. Sword's skill couple with an intelligent design of chapters and excellent maps keeps this from happening.