Partners In Command
by Joseph Glatthaar
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Book Summary Information
Author: Joseph GlatthaarEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1998-10-01
ISBN: 0684863634
Number of pages: 304
Publisher: Free Press
Product features:
- Maps
- Illustrations
Book Reviews of Partners In Command
Book Review: A Good Introduction to the Command Relationships of the Civil War
Summary: 4 Stars
The thesis of this book is one that takes the reader beyond an elementary understanding of the Civil War. Glatthaar's main point throughout the book is that the types of relationships that the commanders in the upper echelons of the military structure had made a tangible difference in the progress and outcome of the war. I think Glatthaar proves his point very well; the chapters on the Lincoln-McClellan, Grant-Sherman, and Lincoln-Grant relationships were particularly convincing. Nevertheless, I think Glatthaar fails to look at other command relationships that don't necessarily fit so neatly into his thesis.
The most significant example, in my mind, would be the Lee-Longstreet relationship. At the end of this book Glatthaar writes, "It was imperative for leaders to assemble personnel who complemented rather than supplemented their own capabilities, so that they could draw from a wide range of talents to tap into and employ resources most effectively to meet the increasingly complex demands of the war." (p. 236) Certainly I think this is generally true, and hold true throughout the Civil War. However, I think the Lee-Longstreet relationship was more of a complementary nature than the Lee-Jackson relationship was, and yet much success is attributed to the latter. Glatthaar does not explore this issue. Nor Does he link the success/failures of relationships to those on the other side. For example, certainly the Lincoln-McClellan relationship lead to failure due to its own problems; however, that relationship existed while the Lee-Jackson relationship was at its height. The same dynamic can be said to some degree of the Grant-Sherman and Davis-Johnston relationships.
Aside from the above shortcoming, I think this book was an excellent read that thoroughly defends a unique argument. I also like that the relationships are discussed with an ear for the chronology of the war, so the reader learns about the relationships and the overall trends of the war at the same time. I would recommend this book for anyone looking to step beyond the rudimentary education of the topic that is usually provided in high school.
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