Partners in Command: The Relationships Between Leaders in the Civil War

by Joseph T. Glatthaar

Book Overview

Explores the friendships of Grant and Sherman, and Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson, and the struggles between McClellan and Lincoln, and Johnston and Davis. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0684863634
• ISBN13: 9780684863634
• Release Date: October 1998
• Publisher: Free Press
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Good analysis of command relationships in the Civil War

Joseph Glatthaars's book is a useful addition to the body of work on Civil War leadership. His thesis is straightforward (Page vii): "Political and military leaders had to collaborate, to establish effective partnerships that could translate strategic vision into battlefield execution. . . . This book is about those command relationships. It focuses on how commanders in chief interact with top field generals and how those officers work with critical subordinates." In a sense, this book is about the good, the bad, and the ugly. Some very positive relationships (the good): Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson; Ulysses Grant and William Sherman; Grant, Sherman, and David Porter; Grant and Abraham Lincoln. Some bad and ugly relationships: Lincoln and George McClellan; Jefferson Davis and Joseph Johnston. The partnerships that worked appear to have facilitated success. Jackson's bizarre behaviors worked well under Lee's leadership. Grant and Sherman worked well together, as they had gown together under adversity. Sherman and Grant were able to collaborate with Porter's navy, to good effect, such as at Vicksburg. Lincoln gave Grant slack when Grant came east that he often did not provide other generals--because of Grant's proven winning record in the west. On the other hand, the dreadful relationship of Davis and Johnston created serious problems in the west and McClellan's's war of attrition against Lincoln certainly did not help the Union cause in the East. This represents a useful volume on the subject of command relationships. Not a great deal is new here, but the volume addresses an important issue.

A Good Introduction to the Command Relationships of the Civil War

The thesis of this book is one that takes the reader beyond an elementary understanding of the Civil War. Glatthaar's main point throughout the book is that the types of relationships that the commanders in the upper echelons of the military structure had made a tangible difference in the progress and outcome of the war. I think Glatthaar proves his point very well; the chapters on the Lincoln-McClellan, Grant-Sherman, and Lincoln-Grant relationships were particularly convincing. Nevertheless, I think Glatthaar fails to look at other command relationships that don't necessarily fit so neatly into his thesis. The most significant example, in my mind, would be the Lee-Longstreet relationship. At the end of this book Glatthaar writes, "It was imperative for leaders to assemble personnel who complemented rather than supplemented their own capabilities, so that they could draw from a wide range of talents to tap into and employ resources most effectively to meet the increasingly complex demands of the war." (p. 236) Certainly I think this is generally true, and hold true throughout the Civil War. However, I think the Lee-Longstreet relationship was more of a complementary nature than the Lee-Jackson relationship was, and yet much success is attributed to the latter. Glatthaar does not explore this issue. Nor Does he link the success/failures of relationships to those on the other side. For example, certainly the Lincoln-McClellan relationship lead to failure due to its own problems; however, that relationship existed while the Lee-Jackson relationship was at its height. The same dynamic can be said to some degree of the Grant-Sherman and Davis-Johnston relationships. Aside from the above shortcoming, I think this book was an excellent read that thoroughly defends a unique argument. I also like that the relationships are discussed with an ear for the chronology of the war, so the reader learns about the relationships and the overall trends of the war at the same time. I would recommend this book for anyone looking to step beyond the rudimentary education of the topic that is usually provided in high school.

Fascinating Read on Civil War Command Relationships

I thoroughly enjoyed Glatthaar's title describing the quality of working relationships between Civil War leaders. Some of the relationships include: 1. Lee and Jackson 2. Jefferson Davis and Joseph Johnston 3. McClellan and Lincoln 4. Lincoln and Grant 5. Grant, Sherman, and Porter Glatthaar makes a strong case for the Confederacy's ultimate defeat being due to the lack of strong command relationships, particular after Stonewall Jackson's death after Chancellorsville. Granted, the Confederacy could very well have been doomed from the beginning to to a much lower population and manufacturing base. However, the war could have been protracted if certain Confederate generals and politicians would have had better working relationships. I particularly liked the section on the cooperation between U.S. Grant and William Sherman of the Union army and Admiral David Porter of the U.S. Navy. Glatthaar argues convincingly that the cooperation between the U.S. Army and Navy played an integral part of the most complete victory of the war at Vicksburg, Mississippi. Whatever your opinion, the book is an entertaining read that will challenge you to think about how command relationships can positively or negatively affect the conduct of a war. In my humble opinion, leaders from all backgrounds (business, government, ministry, family, etc.) will benefit from the book as they learn more about how important it is to submerge one's ego and pride be able to work well with people to realize ultimate success in any endeavor. Highly recommended. Enjoy.

Interesting view of command relationships

As the author explains in the first section of this book, it is based on a course that he taught at the Army War College about command relationships in the Civil War. Overall, it is an interesting view into the lives, relationships, and correspondance between certain key leaders of the Civil War (Lee and Jackson, Lincoln and McClellan, Grant and Sherman to name a few). Mr. Glatthaar's research and analysis of these relationships is excellent and detailed. For instance, he explains why the relationship between Lincoln and McClellan was so strained (to include an appendix looking at McClellan's personality quirks in modern terms). Or why Jackson and Lee worked so well together, despite a very limited personal friendship.Simply put, I learned things from this book that I have not found in other places. One warning: I agree with another reviewer that this book is not for people who are not very familiar with the Civil War. The original course was taught to Senior Army leaders (Colonels) and civilians, so it was geared towards students who understand strategy and tactics. Having said that, I highly recommend this book to any Civil War student, of "Buff" who is interested in learning more about the key leaders who shaped the events of the war, and helped determine its outcome. If you do read it, take a look at the notes and bibliography section. In it, the author gives his recommendations for other books to use for additional info.

Very good intricate read.

This book is very good, but probably not a good read if you are a novice reader about the Civil War. You have to have knowledge of the war and know the background of these generals in order to enjoy this book. If you do....it is very good and interesting.