The Crater: Burnside's Assault on the Confederate Trenches July 30, 1864

by John Cannan

Book Overview

A spectacular early morning underground explosion followed by bloody hand-to-hand combat and unprecedented command malfeasance makes the story of the Crater one of the most riveting in Civil War history. Da Capo's new "Battleground America" series offers a unique approach to the battles and battlefields of America. Each book in the series highlights a small American battlefield-sometimes a small portion of a much larger battlefield-and tells the story...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0306811529
• ISBN13: 9780306811524
• Release Date: October 2002
• Publisher: Da Capo Press
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.5" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

Good overview of The Crater

The infamous battle of The Crater, July 30, 1864, was one of the biggest "what ifs" of the Civil War; had the assault succeeded, and a breakthrough to Petersburg effected, the war would likely have ended much sooner than it did. But apathy on the part of Grant and Meade, pettiness and insubordination on the part of Burnside, questionable leadership on the field, and the unforseen obstacle that The Crater itself ended up being, all played a part turning the potention stalemate-ending breakthrough into a humiliating defeat for the Union. The author covers all of these aspects in a lucid manner, making this an excellent book for those who want a concise overview of this significant event in the Seige of Petersburg. The only real fault is that the book was not better proofed; as a result, there are a few awkward sentences and grammatical errors.