A perfect battlefield history. Well written and its does not lose the reader in the details of battle, but nor is it a flabby overview of events.

Cozzen writes in a story telling manner rather than a dry robust retelling of the battle.

Some great Civil War history. Highly recommended.

Overall this was a solid overview of an often overlooked battle. Cozzens does a good job of setting the stage for the Stones River campaign and the relative situation among the high commands of each principal army. His descriptions of each aspect of the engagement were easy to follow.

The big complaint, as mentioned by other reviews, was the lack of maps placed at appropriate locations to follow each phase of the fighting. While some maps were included, they often were placed well before or after the events being detailed in the text. They also focused on such a small area that it became hard to follow the larger ebb and flow of the battle.

I read this before visiting the battlefield as an orientation and it did its job.

Cozzens isn’t a fantastic writer here and his work sometimes feels like it’s just listing off regiments. I also wish there were more maps. Overall though, it’s a brisk, well-researched account of an important battle. Would not recommend to a beginning Civil War buff though. The chapter on the Round Forrest was great.

Abraham Lincoln always held a special place for General William Rosecrans because of his victory at the Battle of Murfreesboro (or Stone's River). This was a narrow thing, with the forces of Braxton Bragg coming very close to victory. But the star-crossed Confederate general ended up withdrawing, leaving Rosecrans' Union forces to claim victory by holding the field of battle.

Lincoln's gratitude is understandable, given the disaster at Fredericksburg and Grant's and Sherman's lack of success at Vicksburg. Rosecrans' victory was a rare bright spot at this time.

But how much of a bright spot, really, was it? That is why the story of this battle is important.

This is the story of two armies each planning the same first move in battle--an attack on the other side's right wing. Bragg was lucky to get in the first blow. His forces rolled up much of Rosecrans' right. The stubborn resistance of Sheridan and others slowed the onslaught. By the end of the day, lines were stabilized and Rosecrans had held--but just barely.

Bragg expected the Union forces to withdraw--but they did not. The Union generals met that evening to decide what to do and Rosecrans ultimately made the call to hold his position.

The next day, Bragg ordered a sanguinary attack and it was beaten off with heavy casualties. His withdrawal from the field followed.

This is a straightforward description of the battle. It may not be the best written account of a battle, but it moves the story along nicely and provides ample detail to get a sense of what was happening and what was at stake. All in all, worth reading. . . .

This first volume of Cozzen’s Army of the Cumberland trilogy is a bit less accomplished Than those that followed but still an excellent read.

Excellent presentation of the Battle of Stones River and it’s importance in the Civil War. Cozzens does a great job of pulling the reader in and making the details interesting. I especially like how he fleshes out the personalities involved.

Great book on a forgotten battle

Great military history book for people more interested in strategy and tactics then a more personal account.

I feel that the focus is a little too much on Bragg in comparison to rosecrans. Like many military history books, it can be hard to keep track of all the generals and their movements during battle.

When one reads a book that recounts the horrors of war, in particular the civil war, it’s instructive to imagine yourself in the shoes of these men as the battle unfolds: lead and shrapnel hurtling through the air towards men like deadly rain, tearing bodies to pieces before you. Hearing the horrific cries of the wounded. Marveling at the bravery of men who repeatedly charged towards massed artillery firing canister and grapeshot, tearing huge holes in tight packed formations.
War is an abomination and evil-incarnate, yet man repeatedly uses it as a means to solve conflicts.
Pretty fucked up species!
Oh, and my gg grandfather John Looper and his brother Emerson fought at Stones Creek. If only their personal testimony survived.