The Military Legacy of the Civil War

Jay Luvaas (Author)

9780700603794

Paperback / softback, published 30 November 1988

254 pages, illustrations
22.9 x 15.3 x 1.6 cm, 0.423 kg

Far and away the best investigation and analysis of the impact of the American Civil War on European military thought and military history."—Russell F. Weigley, author of The American Way of War.

"A wonderfully original work."—Stephen B. Oates, author of Abraham Lincoln

"Luvaas shows in general how military ideas are transmitted or lost within professional circles. This contribution is one of the few important pieces on the intellectual history of war."—Alex Roland, author of Underwater Warfare in the Age of Sail

"Practically in a class by itself among the more than 70,000 volumes published on the Civil War period."—James I. Robertson, Jr., author of General A. P. Hill: The Story of a Confederate Warrior.

This pioneering study focuses on the experiences and writings of the surprisingly large number of Prussian, British, and French military observers who witnessed the Civil War firsthand. Luvaas's fascinating account reveals why they came, what they wrote, what their armies learned (or failed to learn) from their reports, and how their writings influenced later European military theorists.

For this edition, Luvaas has added a thoughtful introduction that analyzes why some "military lessons" are learned and others ignored and examines the extent to which such lessons can be applied to subsequent conflicts.