The Early Morning of War: Bull Run, 1861: 46 (Campaigns and Commanders Series) - Hardcover

Edward G. Longacre (author)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 080614498X ISBN 13: 9780806144986

Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press, 2014

Synopsis

To a degree incomprehensible to the modern mind, skywatchers of the ancient past found the night sky a source of wonder and mystery. As Evan Hadingham so brilliantly demonstrates in his latest book, they found the skies an enormous challenge as well.These ancient astronomers met the challenge by devising techniques with which they could predict, often with astounding precision, the cycles and eclipses of the sun, moon and planets as they passed across the heavens. With these skills - and with the visions of the universe they created as a framework for their observations - early astronomers were able to address both the everyday and spiritual needs of their people. At times, some of them may have used their arcane craft to wield vast religious and political power over their fellow men.Drawing on the latest findings of archeologists and modern astronomers, Hadingham explores the ample evidence of the ingenuity of the early astronomers: the ziggurats of Babylon (the Tower of Babel); Egypt’s pyramids; Stonehenge and other megalithic arrays in Great Britain, and the enigmatic 360-ton fallen megalith, the Fairy Stone in Brittany.Moving from the Old World to the New, Hadingham illuminates recent discoveries of the American Southwest: the Chumash cave art of California; sun-dagger solar devices of New Mexico; and the intriguing alignments of twelfth-century pueblos, near which "early astronomers" still practice a form of their ancient art today. Particular attention is given the extraordinary current studies of the temples and cosmologies of the Maya, whose ancient priests compiled books of lunar cycles so accurate that their error is only two hours every five centuries.Wherever they worked, Hadingham points out, the ancient astronomers evolved a unifying vision of their universe, through which they provided a myth explaining the natural and supernatural order of things. Often overseen by a pantheon of super beings that bolstered the powers of earthly kings and priests, these celestial visions helped to order such matters as planting and irrigation and to maintain calendars for the affairs of men. Most importantly, the visions inspired great ceremonies that celebrated life on earth and life hereafter.Early Man and the Cosmos is a fascinating study of man’s perception of the universe that illuminates our understanding not only of ancient man but also of ourselves.

About this title

Product Description:

When Union and Confederate forces squared off along Bull Run on July 21, 1861, the Federals expected this first major military campaign would bring an early end to the Civil War. But when Confederate troops launched a strong counterattack, both sides realized the war would be longer and costlier than anticipated. First Bull Run, or First Manassas, set the stage for four years of bloody conflict that forever changed the political, social, and economic fabric of the nation. It also introduced the commanders, tactics, and weaponry that would define the American way of war through the turn of the twentieth century. This crucial campaign receives its most complete and comprehensive treatment in Edward G. Longacre s "The Early Morning of War." A magisterial work by a veteran historian, "The Early Morning of War" blends narrative and analysis to convey the full scope of the campaign of First Bull Run its drama and suspense as well as its practical and tactical underpinnings and ramifications. Also woven throughout are biographical sketches detailing the backgrounds and personalities of the leading commanders and other actors in the unfolding conflict. Longacre has combed previously unpublished primary sources, including correspondence, diaries, and memoirs of more than four hundred participants and observers, from ranking commanders to common soldiers and civilians affected by the fighting. In weighing all the evidence, Longacre finds correctives to long-held theories about campaign strategy and battle tactics and questions sacrosanct beliefs such as whether the Manassas Gap Railroad was essential to the Confederate victory. Longacre shears away the myths and persuasively examines the long-term repercussions of the Union s defeat at Bull Run, while analyzing whether the Confederates really had a chance of ending the war in July 1861 by seizing Washington, D.C. Brilliant moves, avoidable blunders, accidents, historical forces, personal foibles: all are within Longacre s com

Review:

"In this book, Edward Longacre has applied his considerable skills as a biographer to a vivid piece of American history, injecting humanity and fresh insight to the story of the Civil War's first major battle. Practicing the lost art of personification and characterization with both flourish and wisdom, Longacre makes the players in this immense drama live anew."--John Hennessy, author of Return to Bull Run: The Campaign and Battle of Second Manassas

"Extensively researched and full of fresh insights and information, Edward G. Longacre's finely crafted Early Morning of War offers a remarkably thorough, highly readable account of the men and events that shaped the course of the first great campaign of the American Civil War."--Ethan S. Rafuse, author of McClellan's War: The Failure of Moderation in the Struggle for the Union and Manassas: A Battlefield Guide

About this edition

• Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 080614498X
• ISBN 13: 9780806144986
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 648