Whip the Rebellion: Ulysses S. Grant's Rise to Command

I have been a Civil War buff for over 30 years and have seldom paid attention to Grants western phase of the war. I am more of an army of northern virginia and army of the potomac aspect. HOwever, this book not only filled in many blanks for me, it also has opened me to wanting to read many of the books referenced in it's covers and to explore this aspect that I have largely ignored. The book was well written and easy to read, and I recommend it to any enthusiast.

A "beer n pretzel game" is a war game that is easy to learn and fun to play. While they do not require a great deal from you, you can have a good time with them. George Walsh's Civil War books are "beer n pretzel" books, easy to read, informative and great fun. They are an excellent introduction to a subject. While providing the more experienced reader a good review relaxation and enjoyment. My expectations are that I will enjoy myself without having to think overly much. "Whip the Rebellion" meets my expectations while surprising me a couple of times. First and foremost, this is a fun read while being informative. The book provides a good overview of Grant's rise to command without burdening the reader with all of the complex side issues. The book gives us a glimpse of the early relationship between Grant & Halleck, with enough details to help us understand it. Did Grant drink? This book has a simple but very good and complete coverage of the subject. The complexities of Mead's command problems are not given adequate coverage but are mentioned in passing, as they did not change the main story line. The book lacks maps but this is to common lately. Faulting Walsh for not writing a complex history is like faulting Pfanz for not writing "beer n pretzel" history. You need to know your author or look the book over.