Chancellorsville 1863: The Souls of the Brave

Former Baltimore Sun reporter Furgurson ( Westmoreland: The Inevitable General ) combines a journalist's writing skills and a historian's command of published and unpublished sources in this well-executed analysis of one of the Civil War's most complex battles. He gives Union general Joseph Hooker full credit for a bold campaign plan designed to turn the Confederate army's western flank and either force a battle at unfavorable odds or precipitate a Confederate retreat to Richmond, Va. Hooker's strategy came to naught, due partly to his sudden loss of nerve but largely to Confederate general Robert E. Lee's prompt response and superior tactics, which were executed by brilliant commanders, especially Stonewall Jackson. Furgurson perceptively shows the army of Northern Virginia at the peak of its operational effectiveness, winning the Confederacy's last and greatest victory in the eastern theater. Illustrations not seen by PW. History Book Club main selection; BOMC alternate. (Oct.)