One Damn Blunder from Beginning to End: The Red River Campaign of 1864 (The American Crisis Series: Books on the Civil War Era)
Historians have seldom taken on the complex history of the unique and relatively unknown Red River campaign, perhaps because it is such a sprawling, swampy tangle of blunders on both sides. Writing in a clear and unembellished style, Gary Dillard Joiner scouts readers into that tangle and brings them out again not only illuminated, but exhilarated. (David Madden, founding director, United States Civil War Center at LSU)Even seasoned Civil War scholars know little about the all-but-forgotten Red River Campaign of 1864. With skillful research and an intimate understanding into the geopolitical dynamics of waging civil war in the Red River Valley, Gary Dillard Joiner provides a detailed and long-needed modern analysis of this controversial and sadly neglecetd campaign. The result is military history at its best. (Stacy D. Allen, historian, Shiloh National Military Park)The reader of this fine and detailed monograph will agree with Sherman that the generally overlooked Red River campaign was 'one damn blunder from beginning to end.' (Military Heritage)Highly recommended reading for anyone interested in the Trans-Mississippi theater and 1864 campaigns in general. (North and South)Historian and avid researcher Gary Dillard Joiner possesses a keen regional familiarity that enabled him to author a masterful narrative history of the 1864 Red River Campaign. This is one of the Civil War's major amphibious operations, and Joiner's appreciation of the river's vagaries, and his deep knowledge of naval vessels, riverboats, and personnel provide a special dimension. (Edwin Bearss, Chief Historian Emeritus, National Park Service)Uniquely qualified to write of this region with a level of intimacy seldom seen in Civil War historiography, Joiner demonstrates a deep appreciation for the geography of the region and a thorough understanding of the economic, social, and military complexities that make this story so fascinating. Richly spiced with photographs and maps,One Damn Blunder from Beginning to Endwill enthrall you. (Terrence J. Winschel, historian, Vicksburg National Military Park, author of Triumph and Defeat, Vicksburg: Fall of the Confederate Gibraltar, and Vicksburg Is the Key)Joiner's book is a well-written overview. (Military History Of The West)