Landscape Turned Red: The Battle of Antietam

by Stephen W. Sears

Book Overview

"The best account of the Battle of Antietam" from the award-winning, national bestselling author of Gettysburg and Chancellorsville (The New York Times Book Review).
The Civil War battle waged on September 17, 1862, at Antietam Creek, Maryland, was one of the bloodiest in the nation's history: on this single day, the war claimed nearly 23,000 casualties.
Here renowned historian Stephen Sears draws on a remarkable cache of diaries,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0618344195
• ISBN13: 9780618344192
• Release Date: June 2003
• Publisher: Mariner Books
• Length: 464 Pages
• Weight: 1.26 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.9" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

So much carnage, so eloquently described...

Simply a classic...Stephen Sears belongs in a class with Bruce Catton for Civil War writing elegance while not compromising comprehensiveness. In "Landscape Turned Red", Sears follows the Army of the Potomac from the retreat to Washington following 2nd Bull Run and carries it through the Confederate retreat back across the Potomac following the "defeat" at Sharpsburg. The regrouping of the Union army (now again under command of McClellan following the disasterous reign of John Pope) is covered in military and political context that shows where the state of both governments stood in the late summer of 1862. The Confederate administration was actively pursuing European intervention and Sears shows that the victory at 2nd Bull Run came very close to achieving that lofty goal...in fact, there were planned Parlimentary sessions to discuss this when the battle at Antietam occured. The Union state of affairs reflected the demoralizing state of the army and Lincoln's desperation for victory...he already had a draft copy of the Emancipation Proclamation ready to review with his Cabinet and Congress and just needed the proper showcase to administer it. Sears descibes the Confederate invasion of the North following the battle at Chantilly and the less than enthusiastic greeting of the people in Maryland...he really should have seen at this point that the invasion was in trouble. McClellan's chase of Lee takes on a whole new meaning when the "Order 191" of the Confederate invasion plan was found by a seargent at Frederick and the subsequent fighting at South Mountain and Harpers Ferry show Lee confused at McClellan's sudden agressiveness...Sears describes all this with his customary insight while also relying on 1st person accounts from the many diary/journal entries available from the soldiers and citizens of Maryland at this time. The preparations for the ultimate Confederate stand at Sharpsburg and Lee's unique skills at organizing his defense are offset by the plodding of McClellan and his underlying ineptness. Sears shows in graphic detail how opportunity after opportunity for Union victory are lost by McClellan and it's hard for the reader not to feel the frustration at this, especially with the knowledge of the coming carnage. The battle itself is covered wonderfully...Sears again (as in his book "To the Gates of Richmond") gives the reader just enough battle details to be comprehensive, but stops short at the overkill stage. He has a unique ability to take complex battle tactics and detail these in an organized, but at the same time readable, story. The personal side is again not ignored as numerous diary entries are shared from both sides of the conflict...the final result gives the reader a true feeling of what it was like on the field at Sharpsburg. This is really evident at his coverage of the first part of the battle on the Confederate left...charge and counter-charge followed by attack and counter-attack along the Hagerstown Pike and in the Cor

The first "Gettysburg"

While the battle that took place in Pennslyvania nearly a year later looms much larger in the popular mind, the battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg to the Rebels) looms almost as important. Had not General Lee's battle plans fallen into the hands of the Union (which the dithering General McClelland almost failed to take advantage of) President Lincoln would have been unable to issue the emancipation proclamation and the European powers might have officially recognized the Confederacy, therby permanently splitting the United States. Author Sears's account brings the battle to life in all of its terrible glory. Anyone with an interest in the Civil War should read this book.

THE BEST BOOK ON THE SUBJECT OF ANTIETAM

IN MY OPINION THERE IS NO BETTER BOOK ON THE SUBJECT OF ANTIETAM. MR SEARS ENABLES THE READER TO FOLLOW BOTH ARMIES ON THEIR FATEFUL MARCH INTO HISTORY AT THE PLACE WHERE THE ROADS CAME TOGETHER. I HAVE USED THIS BOOK AS A TEACHING AID SINCE 1987. AFTER READING LANDSCAPE TURNED RED, EVERY PERSON THAT I HAVE TAKEN TO ANTIETAM HAS HAD A BETTER GRASP OF THE BATTLEFIELD LAYOUT. THEY ARE ABLE TO MORE EASILY VISUALIZE MENTALLY THE EVENTS AND TROOP PLACEMENTS OF THE BLOODIEST DAY IN OUR NATIONS MILITARY HISTORY. MR SEARS IS NOT SHY TO POINT OUT THE PETTY AND NATURAL FLAWS OF SOME OF OUR MOST IMPORTANT SOLDIERS OF THAT ERA. HE ALSO GIVES CREDIT TO THOSE WHO WERE DESERVING AND ANONYMOUS FOR OVER 100 YEARS. THE BOOK FLOWS WITHOUT THE CONSTANT MINDNUMBING FACTS THAT LULL MOST HISTORY READERS TO SLEEP. MR SEARS IS NOT SLOW TO SEPERATE FACT FROM FICTION. HE DEPICTS THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS BATTLE THROUGH A GIFTED STYLE , NOT BY MERE NUMBERS OF DEAD AND WOUNDED. HE CAPTURES THE ESSENCE OF DAY AND THE LOST OPPORTUNITIES THAT THE UNION GENERALS HELD IN THEIR HANDS TO CONQUER THE ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA AND SAVE THOUSANDS OF AMERICAN LIVES. I ENCOURAGE EVERY READER WHO IS EVEN SLIGHTLY INTERESTED IN THE CIVIL WAR AND THE ANTIETAM CAMPAIGN TO READ THIS BOOK.

"THE HANDBOOK" ON THE SUBJECT OF ANTIETAM

IN MY OPINION THERE IS NO BETTER BOOK ON THE SUBJECT OF ANTIETAM. MR SEARS ENABLES THE READER TO FOLLOW BOTH ARMIES ON THEIR FATEFUL MARCH INTO HISTORY AT THE PLACE "WHERE THE ROADS CAME TOGETHER". I HAVE USED THIS BOOK AS A TEACHING AID SINCE 1987. AFTER READING LANDSCAPE TURNED RED, EVERY PERSON THAT I HAVE TAKEN TO ANTIETAM HAS HAD A BETTER GRASP OF THE BATTLEFIELD LAYOUT. THEY ARE ABLE TO MORE EASILY VISUALIZE MENTALLY THE EVENTS AND TROOP PLACEMENTS OF THE BLOODIEST DAY IN OUR NATIONS MILITARY HISTORY. MR SEARS IS NOT SHY TO POINT OUT THE PETTY AND NATURAL FLAWS OF SOME OF OUR MOST IMPORTANT SOLDIERS OF THAT ERA. HE ALSO GIVES CREDIT TO THOSE WHO WERE DESERVING AND ANONYMOUS FOR OVER 100 YEARS. THE BOOK FLOWS WITHOUT THE CONSTANT MINDNUMBING FACTS THAT LULL MOST HISTORY READERS TO SLEEP. MR SEARS IS NOT SLOW TO SEPERATE FACT FROM FICTION. HE DEPICTS THE IMPORTANCE OF THIS BATTLE THROUGH A GIFTED STYLE , NOT BY MERE NUMBERS OF DEAD AND WOUNDED. HE CAPTURES THE ESSENCE OF DAY AND THE LOST OPPORTUNITIES THAT THE UNION GENERALS HELD IN THEIR HANDS TO CONQUER THE ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA AND SAVE THOUSANDS OF AMERICAN LIVES. I ENCOURAGE EVERY READER WHO IS EVEN SLIGHTLY INTERESTED IN THE CIVIL WAR AND THE ANTIETAM CAMPAIGN TO READ THIS BOOK.