Military Quotations from the Civil War: In the Words of the Commanders

Peter Tsouras says little about the intent or purpose of his book of Civil War quotations, beyond such phrases as to "tell the story from the general's particular perspective", or to discuss age-old problems of the art of war (9, 10). Though 'Commanders' in the title should more correctly be 'leaders', this book is a welcome companion to Ayers' A House Divided and Lyman's Civil War Wordbook; Including Sayings, Phrases, and Expletives. Some of Tsouras' selections bear the dryness of subjects we are long familiar with, from religious sentiment, honor, and glory, to logistics and maneuverability. However, these quotes retain their veridical and immutable character, despite our familiarity with the themes. Moreover, readers will benefit from the wide range of less well-known quotes. Unwittingly perhaps, Tsouras presents a revealing book since much is unveiled by what these commanders do not say. For instance, he quotes Maj Gen Oliver O. Howard speaking in admirable terms of men carrying the colors against enemy guns (55). Did this underlie the reason Howard needlessly launched the doomed uphill assault against entrenched Confederate positions at Pickett's Mill? Relatedly, though Ulysses S. Grant could boast of having "never spared lives to gain an object" (25), we are aware of his deep regret over ordering a final, doomed charge at Cold Harbor. Such contradictions in behavior represent the complexities of human nature, which Tsouras brings to mind. As such, we witness a telling psychology between the lines of many of these quotations, exemplified by Stonewall Jackson's statement that "war...is the sum of all evils" (254), and Sherman's "War is at best barbarism" (256). Otherwise, readers may find the entries under 'Administration' or 'Civil Affairs' non-scintillating, while other categories beg more citations than the few Tsouras includes (such as 'First Battle'). Furthermore, instead of including vainglorious poetry, Tsouras could have served his readers better with the haunting lines of Emily Dickinson's Victory Comes Late, or Melville's Shiloh: A Requiem. Finally, sometimes the idealism embedded in pronouncements by variously laureled, high ranking officers, did not result in plausible registrations of actuality. Hence, this reviewer recommends balancing Tsouras' book with others which cite quotes from common soldiers, whose words bequeath visceral elegy, imagistic power, and emotional resonance. Admittedly, it is easy to criticize a book of quotations because readers will always think of a phrase that the author could have included. Therefore, despite these criticisms, readers will still find in Tsouras' book much time-honored, veridical wisdom.

I used this book as a source of daily inspirational quotations while in the military. I also know the author personally and would recommend all of his works.