Book Description
Sustainable design has made great strides in recent years; unfortunately, it still falls short of fully integrating nature into our built environment. Through a groundbreaking new paradigm of "restorative environmental design," award-winning author Stephen R. Kellert proposes a new architectural model of sustainability.
In Building For Life, Kellert examines the fundamental interconnectedness of people and nature, and how the loss of this connection results in a diminished quality of life.
This thoughtful new work illustrates how architects and designers can use simple methods to address our innate needs for contact with nature. Through the use of natural lighting, ventilation, and materials, as well as more unexpected methodologies-the use of metaphor, perspective, enticement, and symbol-architects can greatly enhance our daily lives. These design techniques foster intellectual development, relaxation, and physical and emotional well-being. In the works of architects like Frank Lloyd Wright, Eero Saarinen, Cesar Pelli, Norman Foster, and Michael Hopkins, Kellert sees the success of these strategies and presents models for moving forward. Ultimately, Kellert views our fractured relationship with nature as a design problem rather than an unavoidable aspect of modern life, and he proposes many practical and creative solutions for cultivating a more rewarding experience of nature in our built environment.
Customer Reviews:
Disappointed.......2007-03-12
I had hoped that Kellert would explore all the different ways that Biophilia might interact with the environmental design process with a view to uncovering new possibilities both in the built AND conceptual stages. Unfortunately the book just slowly scoops an uninspired selection of well-trodden sustainable practices into the Biophilia fold. I'm afraid I feel that the book is written too much in the cautious, repetitive & tautological style of Academic Sociology and is unable to take any vigorous conceptual jumps into new territory. The point of such leaps is to make connections with reasonably well-founded research in another field with a view to invigorating understanding (and design) on both sides of the jump. Kellert's association with Edward O. Wilson had led me to expect such daring, which drives every wonderful page of the latter's masterful "Consilience". Hildebrand's "origins of architectural pleasure" does at least bravely gather together many fields of study to create a new benchmark for linking basic epigenetic rules of human nature with architecture. I am hoping for a book that looks around for ways that architecture may explore the positive (rather than remedial) use of human nature in design. Maybe Kellert can write volume two in a more consistently pioneering form.
Great contribution to green building.......2005-12-09
I truly enjoyed this book. One thing that frustrates me about new environmental standards for buildings, like LEED, is the fact that designers and builders are not taking more cues from natural systems when they are planning the actual construction of these buildings.
Kellert's book shows how to take green building to a new level--how we as designers and builders can bring nature into the design process, using simple things like natural lighting, finish details insired by flora and fauna. You don't have to be an architect or designer or planner to read this book, either; it's really straightforward and readable, and I found it genuinely inspiring.
I only wish that more people considered how we can respect nature through our constructed environment, instead of only being concerned about how to protect open space or save endagered species or things like that.
If you read one book about architecture this year, read this!
Book Description
Shoujo manga is one of the most popular styles of Japanese animation, featuring the most recognizable characters in manga-seen everywhere in comics, books, toys, television, film, and video. Since shoujo is based on stories that focus on peer pressure, romance, and friendship, it initially appealed to young females, but today more and more boys are attracted to this genre, which inevitably includes young male heroes. Best-selling author Christopher Hart once again reveals the secrets and techniques that go into building all the basics of the shoujo style-the big eyes, the miniscule noses, and the cute or angst-ridden expressions. Teen body language is explored. In addition, artists learn to draw teen clothing styles and also different character types, from school kids and cuddly creatures and cute pets to heartthrobs.
Customer Reviews:
ANOTHER RATHER INSPIRATIONAL AND HELPFUL WORK........2007-09-15
While this book was quite helpful in my case, I suspect that it would not be suitable for the absolute beginner. A bit of expierence is probably needed to glean the full benefits of this work. Now that being said, I feel there is a great amount that can be learned from this books. As with all of Christopher Hart's book, it is quite detailed and their is an abundance of text to go along with the actual drawing and coloring. The techniques Hart illustrates actually work. I like to work on individual aspects of figures, isolating different areas such as eyes, mouth, nose, etc. This works well for me and with this work, the author has given us plenty of information. No one book can do it all and the serious student of this art form will want many. This is just another valuable work to add to your collection. I find that young folk, in particular, like this one and actually do quite well with it. I do highly recommend this one.
ehh.......2007-05-13
I book this book as a set with another one thinking i would use it. But after going threw it a few times haven't used it or cracked it open since. It's just about glamorizing you drawings up. Not very informative.
Terrific Anime Drawings.......2007-04-27
This book is a class act. Bought for my son who is quite an accomplished anime artist. He enjoys all the books written by Christopher Hart. I enjoyed looking through the pages and seeing the ideas for my aspiring artist. Would buy additional books from this author.
One of Chris Hart's better items.......2006-12-17
All art books are faced with striking a balance between how much space to devote to 'the basics' ( figure ,perspective, shading, color theory ,etc) and the specific aspects of a narrowly focused subject. (what are the proportions of a typical manga 'bisho' boy? What is a good creative process for designing a tranforming mecha?).
This title winds up with four stars because of what it DOESN'T try to do. It doesn't try to take you from stick figures to Masamune Shirow in one book like his first two titles. And yes this IS a lousy book for beginners, because beginners need a focus on 'the basics' and 'the basics' are worth a lot more than one book.
This book is for intermediate+ amatuer artist who want a solid sourcebook for the design elements of the shoujo manga genre. Even a professional aritst who wanted a 'instant expert' guide would find it useful.
As for the quality of the art in the book, yeah, they don't do it like Clamp, but that may be to the good. If they did, the relative beginners might be a bit intimidated! I find the style of the books art give the whole thing an air of 'Hey I can do that', which makes you want to wade right in. Especially since they show a lont of the art with the multi-stage construction drawings with it.
So I would say the book is well worth it. As long as you know what it's trying to do.
Helpful .......2006-08-11
IT SHOULD BE THREE INSTEAD OF FIVE STARS, MY MISTAKE.
With everything there are always pros and cons this book is no exception.
The pros is that it goes through about every little thing that you can thing of. From facial angles to foreshortening (which I had no idea how to do before I purchased this book. It also helped with shadows and clothing folds.
It contains a section on the beloved chibis and it covers male characters. It even had Bishies(beautifully drawn male characters)
Some of the art work is great!
The cons are that it doesn't go into great detail and a few of the pictures look like they were done by a first grader.
All in all I like this book very much and for a 144 pages it's a steal.
Book Description
Written strictly from a photographer's point of view, 88 Secrets to Photoshop for Photographers, contains dozens of stand-alone nuggets of practical information from tips and tricks to hard-core, hands-on advice for Photoshop users. Photoshop guru Scott Bourne covers basic and intermediate Photoshop secrets by providing a unique approach to Photoshop instruction.
Customer Reviews:
88 Secrets to Photoshop for Photographers.......2005-06-03
The book "88 Secrets to Photoshop for Photographers" is packed with helpful tips, from customizing program windows, to shortcuts, to image editing techniques, and more! Not only did I find the information presented valuable, but the explanations helped me understand why I should use a certain approach - key to integrating the new techniques into my current workflow. These tips are easy-to-read and sure to help beginner to intermediate Photoshop users make even better use of this powerful program.
88 secrets to photoshop for photographers.......2005-05-21
Scott Bourne's 88 Secrets to Photoshop has been a valuable tool for me to quickly advance my Photoshop techniques. The sharpening secerts are worth the price alone.
88 Secrets is a super quick reference guide packed with info. I also like the compact size of the book so it easily fits into my camera bag.
Looking forward to the next edition. Joseph Walsh
Customer Reviews:
Editorial cartoons on the eve of the first Persian Gulf War.......2003-03-28
Well, the cover of the "Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year, 1991" is certainly timely. It has Saddam Hussein declaring than his government is digging it to stay and then shows him standing in the grave his men are digging for their nation. This volume offers more than 330 editorial cartoons from the year 1990, which included not only the prelude to the (first) Gulf War but also the political upheavals in the Soviet Union and eastern Europe, and the continuing efforts to control the growing budget deficit in the United States that would end up being pivotal in the next Presidential election.
The work of over 170 editorial cartoonists in the United States and Canada are found in this volume edited by Charles Brooks. The continuing circus in Washington, D.C. is a constant source of inspiration, whether you are talking the Bush Administration or the Congress. But the volume begins with the Persian Gulf Conflict, taking jabs at both the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait and President Bush's attempt to do something about it. My favorite cartoon is from Jim Borgman of the Cincinnati Enquirer, which shows Saddam with a noose around his neck from a newly planted young tree labeled "Blockade" while Bush, all dressed up in military garb, says, "Now we wait..." It is hard not to look at these cartoons and now be overwhelmed by the irony that a dozen years later history is repeating itself.
Actually, there are more cartoons devoted to the efforts at political reform in the Soviet Union during 1990 as the country's economic deterioration threatened to undermine the "perestroika" of Mikhail Gorbachev. Meanwhile, Boris Yeltsin was elected head of the Russian Republic. Perhaps the greatest irony of looking back at these editorial cartoons is that Saddam Hussein is still in power (as I write this) and Mikhail Gorbachev is a historical footnote.
Other important topics from that year were the appointment of David Souter as Bush's "stealth nominee" to the Supreme Court, the trial of Washington, D.C. Mayor Marion Barry on drug possession, the U.S. Census, the National Endowment of the Arts controversies, Pete Rose being convinced by filing false income tax records, and the deaths of Jim Henson and Ryan White. I always enjoy these works down memory lane because I find editorial cartoons do a better job of crystalizing the issues that defined the time than photographs or articles.
Book Description
"A lyrical meditation on faith, love, mortality, and the redemptive power of storytelling."—Alice McDermott
In this extraordinary book, Dan Barry sings, to startling and profound effect, the song of his life. Beginning with his boyhood, he weaves the rhythms of Long Island and Ireland—his mother's birthplace—to tell the story of an unforgettable American family. From his comic recollections of an Archie Bunker-like neighborhood to his account of working in the nation's most august newsroom, Barry writes so crisply that he makes us feel his life's emotions, be it the thrill of playing for a Little League team called The Ducks; the indignities of being a freshman on the school bus; the struggles of working as a small-town, New England reporter; the galvanizing fear of facing a life-threatening illness; or the spiritual calm that comes from just shooting baskets. Funny, explosive, and almost existentially compassionate, Barry's song has its own stalwart beauty, a single melody teased out of the American fabric. Here is the voice of an authentic American writer.
Customer Reviews:
Great read.......2007-08-08
This is a great book, especially if you are Irish-American. I couldn't put it down. After this, read All Souls, Easter Rising, Castle of the Fynns... Slices of life about growing up Irish in American in the 1960's and 1970's....
Vivid and real.......2006-11-01
Anyone who reads Dan Barry's regular columns in the NYTimes will welcome his memoir first as if from a friend and buddy. Barry has given us, however, an extraordinary and, yes, radiant account of a man who would tell stories. He grew up in a haze of cigarette smoke, beer, and his father's howls of agony from migraine, but also with his mother's stories, his father's songs, and his siblings' affections. He traces his own journey to high school (casual boy torture on the school bus); St Bonaventure University (where he discovered you could make a job of tellling stories) to his early career in Rhode Island and then at the Times. He loves baseball, his mother dies, he and his beloved struggle first to conceive and then to adopt a child. He is diagnosed, and survives, a gaspingly terrible bout of cancer. Memoirs come by the handful, but Barry's is so vividly sketched, all the protagonists so fully present on the page, the prose so wickedly sure and sweet, that his sings close and real as a heartbeat. Wonderful.
Living Write.......2006-04-03
As with all fine Irish writers, there's a poet's heart in Dan Barry.
Pull Me Up, A Memoir is Barry's masterful landscape of his life and family, wondrously painted with words poignant with pain and breathtaking in beauty. Never mind that the setting is the same Long Island I grew up in, nor the fact that this Irish-American love song calls to my own heritage, nor even the fact that there are personal connections I can trace to many of the people and places he writes about. The soul of Barry's story is its firm grip on universal human fears and foibles, how he captures the heart-piercing trials of childhood, youth, illness, addiction, and family.
Any reader who ever felt alone or insecure as a teenager, grew up with a sick parent, or whose family struggled with monthly bills will cherish the emotional depths to which Barry dives to harvest the treasures of his past. A truly rewarding read.
Kathy Carroll
http://www.oneclearcall.blogspot.com/
Wanted more.......2005-04-22
When I finished reading Dan Barry's book, I was hungry for more, but not so much on the same topic. Instead I wanted to find another book with narrative so well-written it would inspire me to fill my leisure time with nothing but reading. Sadly, there aren't many books that do that.
This one did. Perhaps it's my own connection to growing up in the same era, though I'm a bit younger. Maybe it's because we're both journalists, though books by journalists don't always merit reading sprints.
For me I think what astounded me was Barry's ability to be honest, allowing us to see the weaknesses of the people in the book and see those people as human, rather than evil (with a couple exceptions). As a reporter Barry has seen some amazing things, but that's not the focus of his book. Those things are sidelights in a story about family and about growing up. That takes amazing skill. I'm glad Barry lived long enough to tell us about it. In another 40 years or so, I'll be excited to read the sequel.
Beautiful.......2004-09-03
This is the best memoir I have ever read, beautifully written. While my Irish family is very different, I loved reading about his. I'm recommending the book to everyone.
Average customer rating:
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Man with a mission, Pele
Larry Adler
Manufacturer: distributed by Childrens Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
 General
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ASIN: 0817201432 |
Customer Reviews:
Methylation is the key.......2000-08-14
Like the previous 4 reviewers, I believe this book to be the most comprehensive and succinct text on the methylation process that occurs in your body and the needed diet and supplements that will enhance this process. I first read about this book at a site where I purchase my own supplements, iHerb. They have always given me dependable information (which I often double check via other sites) as well as dependable service and products. But back to Cooney's book. Methyl Magic isn't really a magic trick. He explains the process of methylation and how that is important to your overall health. Cooney knows his stuff.
methyl magic.......2000-01-27
i gave this book 5 stars rank, but i do have a little comment that i will give it to you later. this topic is a very important to know both for therapists, and the general public, because it is explaining how the molecules of our body are feeding themselves, and what is the role of specific nutrients in the very much importent role of methylation in the body.it is also explain the roll of homocysteine in a basic, plus the advanced stages through proper methylatin. my little comment is that vitamin c in a dose of at least a few grams a day - wil increase the nutrients of methylation that discused and described in this book.you probably wonder what am i talking about?,then buy and read that book and you will understand. except from that it is a superb book that is explaining a very important issue that the public should know about it.
A straightforward biology class for the masses!.......1999-07-07
Dr. Cooney has written a book covering in-depth human physiology in a manner that is easy to read and understand by the average person. While some may think Cooney's information is a rehash of current nutritional thinking, it is another side of the perspective to healthy living. In essence, it dovetails nicely with what the other "experts" are saying. Cooney's perspective brings forth the operational aspect of exactly what is happening inside the human body in a down to earth way. It's a sort of biology class for the masses that not only makes sense, but helps everyone to make lifestyle choices that can benefit everyone from day one.
Methylation should be the next word on the street!.......1999-06-01
Old vitamins get a breath of fresh air in this compelling book on nutrition. If you need to be motivated to eat right and take vitamins, this will do it. It presents the B-vitamins and more in a newly publicized theory called methylation. Bill Lawren has managed to move from the "feel good" stuff of the "Zone" (Barry Sears) to the science of "Methyl Magic" (Craig Cooney) without losing a beat. The new diagnostic tests to verify the results of the program are a very nice touch. The only criticism is with the title: Considering that Dr. Cooney lays out how methylation acts -- it hardly seems magical by the end of the book! In the end, however, Dr. Cooney documents many studies which show that his program is destined to reduce the incidence of all the major killers.. I just don't know why this is not major news.
A must read for the health enthusiast.......1999-05-22
I commend Dr. Cooney for taking the time to inform the public about how important optimum methylation is to our everyday well-being and how it affects our general aging process. He has succeeded in explaining a rather complicated biochemical process in understandable terms. Many people are aware of the dangers of high plasma homocysteine, but few people outside of academia have been exposed to the other metabolic problems poor methylation creates. I have been practicing commercial animal nutrition for nearly 20 years and have been aware of the power diets formulated for optimum methylation have on general animal health and well-being. Thanks to Dr. Cooney, humans may now benefit from this knowledge. Anyone interested in improving their health should read this book.
Book Description
The 1862 battle of Pea Ridge in northwestern Arkansas was one of the largest Civil War engagements fought on the western frontier, and it dramatically altered the balance of power in the Trans-Mississippi. This study of the battle is based on research in archives from Connecticut to California and includes a pioneering study of the terrain of the sprawling battlefield, as well as an examination of soldiers' personal experiences, the use of Native American troops, and the role of Pea Ridge in regional folklore.
Customer Reviews:
Clearly written, compelling to read, opens a new page........2007-09-18
This book is a model for clarity in histories of the Civil War. The author describes troop movements and strategic decisions in an accessible manner. The meaning of the Pea Ridge campaign is made clear. In this book, you can follow the battlefield and get a sense of where people were at any given moment.
The South lost the West in this battle; the battle pre-saged many of the tactical innovations of the Civil War. This "sideline" battle is revealed as more important than most realize, an early indication that western battles would yield Union victories.
Shedding light on an overlooked battle.......2007-07-28
Even among Civil War buffs, Pea Ridge is pretty much a forgotten battle. Shea's book remedies that with clear, readable and moving narrative and keen analysis of the largest Civil War battle fought in Arkansas (and depending on which numbers you believe, the largest fought west of the Mississippi). Even more importantly, the book provides compelling reasons why Pea Ridge should NOT be a forgotten battle. He also spotlights the brilliant performance of Samuel Curtis, perhaps the Union's most underrated general, as well as the less-than-brilliant work of Confederate General Earl Van Dorn, who had all of Jeb Stuart's style but not of his skills.
A battle from obscurity..........2007-07-14
Many Civil War buffs, and most casual readers of Civil War history, have more than a parochial understanding of this pivotal battle. When Curtis's northern troops entered NW Arkanasas, during the winter of 1862, they knew they were facing a strong enemy.
Earl Van Dorn, recently promoted to commander of the Army of The West, had assembled a strong army and was anxious for success against Curtis's troops. He believed that he could defeat him and launch an overland campaign, against Union held St. Louis, ensuring his lasting fame. He was unprepared for what he would find with Curtis.
Curtis had entrenched his army, along Little Sugar Creek, which rests south of Pea Ridge Tavern along the Telegraph Rd. As the Rebels were wintering in the Boston Mountains, south of his position, Curtis had little worry about Rebels hitting him from the North. Fortunately, Brig General, Franz Sigel, detached from Curtis's army, and at Bentonville, was defeated, and pushed back to Curtis's position and alerted him of trouble in his rear.
Van Dorn's ingenious plan revolved around splitting his army, to traverse Elk Horn mountain, with troops under Ben McCullough taking the Ford Rd, to the mountain's south side, and his troops, commanded by Sterling Price around the north side. They would meet on the Telegraph Rd, north of Curtis's army and push them into Little Sugar Creek - blocking their means of retreat to Missouri. While conceptually, this plan was sound, in reality, the timing proved difficult and Union troops under Osterhaus and Jefferson C Davis, caught McCollough's rebels in the open. Battle followed in, and around Leetown. While the rebels were able to open the battle, their organization fell apart after brigadier generals Ben McCullough and McIntosh were killed on the field. Command of this sector fell to the next general in line, Albert Pike. Pike was leading the Civil War's first brigade of Indians, and was not up to the task. The union forces pushed them NE towards Elkhorn tavern.
Meanwhile, east of Leetown, Van Dorn's main body, unleashed a spectacular attack against Curtis's Union forces at Elkhorn Tavern. The rebels pushed Curtis's troops 1/2 mile south, along the Telegraph Rd. Even with the routing of the portion of his army, now being led by Pike, Van Dorn slept that night, confident that his troops would push Curtis's army into the Little Sugar Creek. This was the mistake that lost him the battle.
The next morning, after assembling his new battle line, Curtis's opened the day with the largest artillery barrage of the Civil War (up to that point). This artillery barrage caught Van Dorn's confederates unprepared. In the excitement of the previous day's victory, Van Dorn had not called up his supply train. Essentially, caught up against the east edge of Elkhorn Mountain, and in the open south of Elkhorn Tavern, Van Dorn's troops had almost no artillery ammunition, and very little ammunition for his infantry. Van Dorn was forced to retreat, east along Huntsville Rd.
Over the coming months, Curtis would pursue Van Dorn's army across north, and north central Arkansas. His victory would assure the Union, that Missouri would stay in the Union.
This book was extremely well written and easy to read. Shea did a remarkable job putting his text into easily visualized format. I was even more impressed with this book after visiting the battlefield, and using his maps, and pictures, to explore the battlefield (if you are interested in viewing my pictures of the Pea Ridge battle field, please email me at michael.noirot@gmail.com).
I highly recommend this book to all Civil War buffs. It will put the battles, west of the Mississippi, into proper perspective.
Michael Noirot
Saint Louis, Missouri
The Gettysburg of the West.......2007-03-16
Authors William Shea and Earl Hess tell the story of the campaign and battle of Pea Ridge, which is sometimes grandly called the Gettysburg of the West. The Union Army of the Southwest, commanded by Brig. Gen. Samuel Curtis numbered fewer than 11,000 soldiers, the same size as a single division in the Army of the Potomac at that time. Yet, while the vast legions of Army of the Potomac hovered uncertainly near Washington DC in February 1862, Curtis launched a winter campaign that took his small army clear across the Ozark Plateau and into northwestern Arkansas.
There, Union soldiers from Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Iowa and loyal Missouri met an equally tough set of Confederates from Texas, Arkansas and Missouri. It was one of the few times in the Civil War that the Northern soldiers were outnumbered. But in the subsequent battle of Pea Ridge in early March 1862, the 16,000-man Confederate Army of the West went down to defeat.
According to the authors, bad luck, uninspired leadership and Maj. Gen. Earl Van Dorn's many outrageous blunders negated the Southern army's numerical advantage. On the Northern side, Curtis and three of his four division commanders maneuvered their soldiers with skill. Even Curtis' erratic second-in-command, Brig. Gen. Franz Sigel supervised a decisive artillery bombardment on the second day of the battle. Three Yankee brigade commanders showed courage and initiative, but at least one unit commander had a yellow streak.
The book devotes a chapter and a map to the preliminary operation in which the Confederates missed capturing a Union detachment that Sigel had carelessly exposed. The March 7 fights at Leetown and Elkhorn, and the March 8 battle at Elkhorn are explained in detail with maps. The Army of the Southwest's later march to Helena, Arkansas is sketched out more briefly. A concluding chapter ably critiques the strategy and tactics of both sides. There is an Order of Battle and extensive footnotes.
Compare this book with Shelby Foote's short account of Pea Ridge in his splendid "The Civil War -- A Narrative." Foote was a great historian, but it sounds like a different battle. To take only one example, Foote says Van Dorn's two pronged attack was planned. Yet Shea and Hess note that the attack was improvised after the Confederate flank march fell badly behind schedule. This is typical of the kind of detail that the authors add to the history of this battle.
My only criticism is a lack of information on weaponry. Except for one Illinois unit, it is not clear whether Union infantry and cavalry units carried rifled muskets, smoothbores, carbines or Colt revolving rifles. The Order of Battle contains detailed data about the type of cannons in each artillery battery, but in one case the text contradicts the OB. For the Pea Ridge battle and campaign, this book is a keeper, despite my quibbling about weapons.
Great description of a key campaign.......2006-11-05
Pea Ridge: Civil War Campaign in the West, authored by William Shea and Earl Hess, is a well done work describing one of the most important battles in the Trans-Mississippi theater. This Union victory ensured that Missouri would be Union territory; it also provided a spearhead for attacks further South (e.g., Arkansas). Compared with the Eastern Theater and the Western Theater, the Trans-Mississippi experienced fewer major battles; after Pea Ridge, the Confederacy lost a lot of "steam" in that district.
The battle itself resulted from a campaign headed by Union General Benjamin Curtis and Confederate General Earl Van Dorn, colorful but not the most competent Army general in the Confederacy. Other generals in the engagement were, on the Confederate side, Sterling Price, Ben McCulloch, and Albert Pike, and, for the Union, Franz Sigel (with one of his very few halfway competent campaigns of the Civil War), Alexander Asboth, and Peter Osterhaus. The Confederate side was burdened with more questionable leadership.
Van Dorn was able to maneuver his army behind the Union defensive position at Pea Ridge (or Elkhorn Tavern). In the battle that followed, Curtis was able to turn his army around, with the rear becoming the front. It was a stunning display of generalship under pressure. The Confederate attack was designed to be two pronged. On the right, initial advances were successful. Then, a leadership crisis. The charismatic Confederate general, Ben McCulloch, was cut down early and died, and chaos set in on his side of the battle. On the other front, advancing up the Telegraph Road from the North, Van Dorn attacked Curtis' position and made some headway. However, as the situation on the Confederate right (and Union left) stabilized, Curtis was able to release more troops to defend against Van Dorn's assault.
By the next morning, the Confederates were fought out. And, in a display of stupefying incompetence, the Confederate Army had not brought up the supply trains and, thus, was low on food and ammunition. The Union attack the next morning, featuring competent generalship from Sigel (well worth mentioning, given the paucity of such days in the war for him), led to a general defeat of the southerners.
The resulting retreat back to Arkansas was disheartening to Van Dorn's army. The end result: the Union solidified its hold on Missouri, turned back a major assault by a large force, and reduced the ability of the Confederate Trans-Mississippi forces to mount a major attack for some time. It is too much to say that this was the Gettysburg of the Trans-Mississippi, but it was a major Union victory. This battle is not as well known as others, but it warrants attention by those interested in the Civil War.
Average customer rating:
- Well written, but too brief
- A well written analysis of little known Civil War battles.
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War in the West: Pea Ridge and Prairie Grove (Civil War Campaigns & Commanders Series)
William L. Shea
Manufacturer: Not Avail
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
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General
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ASIN: 1893114295 |
Book Description
Early 1862. Union forces under Maj. Gen. Samuel R. Curtis drive Confederate forces led by Brig. Gen. Sterling Price out of Missouri and into Arkansas. The Confederates, now representing combined forces under Gen. Earl Van Dorn, Commander of the Trans-Mississippi District, counter-attack and strike Curtis's isolated Union army at Pea Ridge in March 1862. Despite being outnumbered and almost surrounded, the Union army wins a stunning victory. Nine months later, a new Confederate army under Maj. Gen. Thomas C. Hindman tries again. At Prairie Grove in early December, a furious and bitter battle results in another Confederate defeat. The matter of Missouri is decided on two cold, rocky battlefields atop the Ozark Plateau in Northwestern Arkansas. Never again would the Confederates make a serious effort to recover Missouri; never again would they make a serious effort to stop the conquest of Arkansas. The story of dramatic campaigns, ferocious battles, and grim heroism that decided the outcome of the Civil War west of the Mississippi.
Customer Reviews:
Well written, but too brief.......2005-06-21
This book is balanced, well written and very readable, so it pains me to give it such a low score. I like the book, but unfortunately, it is too brief and too lacking in detail to satisfy my appetite. What Shea has written is an excellent overview or summary of the battles and the campaigns. However, the level of detail is low. Therefore, while I strongly recommend this book to a more casual reader, I cannot make the same recommendation for those seeking a good detailed monograph of the battles. Shea's excellent description of the battle of Prairie Grove in "The Civil War Battlefield Guide, 2nd Edition" is nearly as detailed as in this book about the battle. I was disappointed by the brevity with respect to Prairie Grove, since that was my primary reason for selecting this work. Prairie Grove wasn't shorted in favor of Pea Ridge, both are brief. However, for Pea Ridge there is a detailed book by Shea and Hess to fill the gap. Those wanting more information on Prairie Grove may have no other alternatives.
The maps are adequate, although regimental labels would be a plus. The order of battle is provided with commander names. The major officers are well profiled. The missing pieces are more first hand accounts, anecdotes, and observations by participants based on letters and diaries. There are some, but they are few and brief. The author's skill prevents this from becoming a dull read. Tabulations or author estimates of troop strengths and casualties are largely absent (past the full army level.)
Note:
I am also puzzled by the listing of at least three different "Pea Ridge and Prairie Grove" titles with the same approximate length, but varying listing of authors (besides Shea.) The coauthors appear to be publishers?
A well written analysis of little known Civil War battles........1999-07-23
Most Civil War buffs concentrate upon the war east of the Mississippi. By comparison, the two battles of Pea Ridge and Prairie Grove are obscured by their distance from the main scene. I was interested, as my g-grandfather set up and ran a field hospital at Fayetteville, during the battle of Prairie Grove, Arkansas. The book is one of the best I've read in it's description of the tactics employed. Even better, the timely maps are simple, clear and placed closely to the verbage they cover. Similarly placed are short biographies of the major officers on each side of the battles. Unit narratives seldom drop below company level and the book cannot be considered an exhaustive study. But, at the end of 126 pages, a reader will have a sufficiently clear view of the events to gain a good grasp of the strategy and tactics used in these two important battles.
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The Interwoven Lives of George Vancouver, Archibald Menzies, Joseph Whidbey, and Peter Puget: Exploring the Pacific Northwest Coast (Canadian Studies, Vol 17)
John Michael Naish
Manufacturer: Edwin Mellen Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 077348857X |
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Voyage of Discovery.......1999-11-22
The story of Vancouver's voyage to the Pacific North West is one of much hardship, persistance and determination. John Naish tells the story of the voyage by cross referencing the journals and diaries of four of the key players in this expedition. Taken individualy the journals are a great read themselves but when used to collaborate or just to fill in blanks it results in a very pleasant read. It takes the reader into the world of 1791-1795 in such a way that we can forget, briefly, what we have today and imagine the world during the times of the French Revolution and the emergence of America as a nation.
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