• John Bell Hood: The Rise, Fall, and Resurrection of a Confederate General
by Stephen M. Hood (Savas Beatie, 2016).The publisher has just released a paperback edition of John Bell Hood, which won the Albert Castel and Walt Whitman book awards. I didn't review it on the site, but I read most of it and remain impressed with the power of the great majority of its indictments of the Hood scholarship of the past century and a half. Like many books that attempt to significantly revise deeply entrenched conventional thought, the polemical tone can be abrasive at times and some conclusions overreach the evidence, but that didn't bother me too much as the study as a whole is more than solidly grounded. Popular opinion changes slowly, if at all, and it will be interesting to see if views on Hood change much over the next decade and beyond. If you missed it the first time around, pick up a copy and bring an open mind along for the ride.
Thanks for the write-up, Drew. There is still time for a review. :)
ReplyDeleteWe hope the reality of the source material we now have helps balance the view of Hood. When this title is read it conjunction with "Hood's Lost Papers," it is difficult for a fair person to not have his or her views altered to some degree. Ignoring these sources in future works that involve Hood will speak volumes about an author's credibility.
Thanks again for all you do.
--tps
Drew: I would echo Ted's point. The combination of these two books is a significant addition to the literature on Hood and Atlanta/Franklin. One might not agree with all of the author's conclusions regarding hood's treatment by such as Wiley Sword, but there is no underestimating the value of these books.
ReplyDelete