With a Sword in One Hand and Jomini in the Other

“Nothing less than amazing. For anyone interested in military history that goes beyond — without losing sight of — battles and leaders and engages big issues in Civil War military history in a way that is provocative, insightful, and compelling, Reardon’s book is an essential addition to their library.” — Civil War Monitor

“Reardon examines the public debate in the North over what military strategy would best defeat the Confederacy.” — America’s Civil War

“Reardon’s revisionist contribution is . . . significant, timely, and thoroughly welcome.” — Journal of American History

“A succinct but thorough examination of the intellectual dimensions of waging the war. . . . Highly recommended.” — North Carolina Historical Review

“This is a book that deserves and should find a wide audience. In addition to shedding important light on aspects of the war that had heretofore not received adequate attention from scholars, it is also impressively researched, analytically rigorous, and clearly written.” — Blue & Gray Magazine

“Reardon’s approach to combat studies offers a new and promising framework to understand the connection between soldiers, combat, and unit effectiveness.” — Journal of Southern History

“Reardon knows her subject well, and this resulting contribution to Civil War literature ought not to be ignored by anyone hoping to understand the making of strategy or the moral component in war.” — The Historian

“This excellent book will change the perceptions of military historians in general and Civil War historians in particular.” — John F. Marszalek, executive director, The Ulysses S. Grant Association, Mississippi State University

“A superb book. Ingeniously researched, powerfully argued, and clearly written, it is a strikingly original contribution not only to Civil War literature but to the field of military theory as well.” — George C. Rable, author of God’s Almost Chosen Peoples: A Religious History of the American Civil War

“Carol Reardon offers an incisive analysis of the impact — or lack thereof — of Jomini and other writers on military strategy, but she does a great deal more. This book provides one of the best accounts we have of leadership, morale, and combat stress in the Union army.” — James M. McPherson