A vigorous biography of the pugnacious Civil War general and Indian fighter, affectionately called ``Little Phil''—behind his back. The Union cavalry leader who rallied his seemingly routed Army of the Shenandoah with an electrifying ride back to the front at the Battle of Cedar Creek, Sheridan (as detailed by Morris, editor of the magazine America's Civil War) emerges as supremely competent if not always likable. Unlike his superiors Grant and Sherman, Sheridan served in uniform without interruption for his entire adult life, rising from lowly origins as the son of an indigent Irish-Catholic immigrant to become commander of America's army. Gruff, combative, at times ruthless, he was, Morris explains, uncomfortable in postwar roles as military supervisor of Texas and Louisiana and as the politically incorrect destroyer of Western tribes (though his oft-quoted ``the only good Indian is a dead Indian'' may be apocryphal). Nor was he perfect in battle, as evidenced in lapses at Perryville and Chickamauga and in dragging his heels in destroying Lee's army after the Shenandoah campaign. Yet, unlike his subordinate, the dashing but foolhardy George Armstrong Custer, Sheridan, Morris demonstrates, was as deliberate and careful as he was brave. A master of detail since his days as a teenaged stock clerk and young quartermaster, he ensured that he led a force that was well supplied, effectively outnumbering and concentrated against the enemy, and thoroughly briefed by scouts and spies. His self-confident battlefield magnetism appealed both to the common soldier and to mentors such as Grant and Lincoln's chief of staff Henry Halleck. A pungent, authoritative, and convincing portrait of the bantam cadet who became one of the Civil War's giants. (Sixteen pages of b&w photographs; four maps.)
Pub Date: May 1, 1992
ISBN: 0-517-58070-5
Page Count: 464
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 1992
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
© Copyright 2026 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
