The Class of 1846 - From West Point to Appomattox: Stonewall Jackson, George McClellan,

Zusatztext "A splendid idea! carried through with grace! style! and insight. Altogether a wonderful read." --STEPHEN E. AMBROSE "A fresh and fascinating look at an extraordinary group of men who were literally in a 'class by itself.' A rich! rewarding biography! Waugh's astounding narrative brings history to life. I read it in one sitting." --Jeff Shaara    Author of the New York Times bestseller    The Last Full Measure "Finally and tragically! brothers became enemies in America's bloodiest conflict! a progression vividly traced in The Class of 1846. . . . [Waugh] has done his homework well! and has deftly translated his findings into a . . . compelling narrative that follows the fate of that class from plebe days to Appomattox and beyond. . . . The Class of 1846 belongs on the shelf of not only Civil War buffs but also students of all military history." --The New York Times Book Review Informationen zum Autor John C. Waugh  is a veteran former newspaper correspondent and bureau chief of  The   Christian Science Monitor , who has since turned historical reporter. His writing has appeared in The   New York Times, The   Washington Post, Civil War Times Illustrated, The New Republic, The Nation , and numerous other national publications. He has served on the senior staffs of a Republican vice president and a Democratic US senator. A lifelong student of the Civil War, he is also the author of  Reelecting Lincoln , published in 1998. He and his wife, Kathleen Lively, live in Arlington, Texas. Klappentext No single group of men at West Point--or possibly any academy--has been so indelibly written into history as the class of 1846. The names are legendary: Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, George B. McClellan, Ambrose Powell Hill, Darius Nash Couch, George Edward Pickett, Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox, and George Stoneman. The class fought in three wars, produced twenty generals, and left the nation a lasting legacy of bravery, brilliance, and bloodshed. This fascinating, remarkably intimate chronicle traces the lives of these unforgettable men--their training, their personalities, and the events in which they made their names and met their fates. Drawing on letters, diaries, and personal accounts, John C. Waugh has written a collective biography of masterful proportions, as vivid and engrossing as fiction in its re-creation of these brilliant figures and their pivotal roles in American history.Late spring had come at last to western Virginia in 1842, the trees were green again on the mountains, and Gibson Butcher was going to West Point.  But Thomas J. Jackson couldn't generate much enthusiasm for his friend's good fortune.  He wished he were going instead.  He had wanted that appointment himself. Earlier in the spring, four of them had taken an informal examination at the Bailey House in Weston.  It had seemed the only fair way to see who was best qualified.  Jackson had done all right, considering his education, but not good enough.  Butcher was better at arithmetic, and everybody knew mathematics was the most important subject taught at West Point.  So it was Butcher's name that Samuel L. Hays, the district's first-term Democratic congressman, sent to the secretary of war.  It was Hay's first appointment to the military academy, and he wanted it to be right. Butcher left in late May and arrived at the steamboat landing on the Hudson River on June 3.  He was a young man of good character, well thought of and well connected in the district.  He had a quick mind, and he was ambitious.  It was believed he would do well at West Point.   But the academy wasn't what Butcher thought it would be--not at all.  When he saw what awaited him on the plain above the landing, he paled.  When he learned of all of the duties, the discipline, the marching and studying he would have to do, he started back toward the landing.  ...

Dettagli sul prodotto

• Autori: John Waugh, John C Waugh, John C. Waugh
• Editore: Ballantine
• Lingue: Inglese
• Formato: Tascabile
• Pubblicazione: 01.06.1999
• EAN: 9780345434036
• ISBN: 978-0-345-43403-6
• Pagine: 672
• Dimensioni: 140 mm x 208 mm x 36 mm
• Categorie: Saggistica > Storia > Altro; Scienze umane, arte, musica > Storia > Storia dei paesi e delle regioni