Overview

This title presents a detailed examination of the battle's tactical and strategic elements. On Sunday, December 7, 1862, two armies collided at an obscure Arkansas hamlet named Prairie Grove in a desperate battle that effectively ended Confederate offensive operations west of the Mississippi River. In """"Fields of Blood"""", historian William L. Shea offers a gripping narrative of the events surrounding Prairie Grove, one of the great unsung battles of the Civil War. Shea provides a colorful account of a grueling campaign that lasted five months and covered hundreds of miles of rugged Ozark terrain. In a fascinating analysis of the personal, geographical, and strategic elements that led to the fateful clash in northwest Arkansas, he describes a campaign notable for rapid marching, bold movements, hard fighting, and the most remarkable raid of the Civil War. After months of intricate maneuvering punctuated by five battles in three states, armies led by Thomas C. Hindman and James G. Blunt met one last time at Prairie Grove. The costly daylong struggle was a tactical draw but a key strategic victory for the Union, as the Confederates never again seriously attempted to recover Missouri or threaten Kansas. Historians have long ignored the complex campaign that ended in such spectacular fashion at Prairie Grove, but it is at last brought to life in these pages.

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9780807833155

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Reviews

William Shea set the standard for campaign narrative in his classic work Pea Ridge: Civil War Campaign in the West . In Fields of Blood , he has raised the bar and established himself as the foremost historian on the Civil War in the Trans-Mississippi. Smooth. Polished. Riveting! <br>-Terrence J. Winschel, historian, Vicksburg National Military Park, author of Triumph and Defeat: The Vicksburg Campaign, Vols. 1-2

This is a sound and thorough study. It should stand as the benchmark work on Prairie Grove for at least the next decade. --<br>- H-Net Reviews

A first rate history of this remote part of the Civil War.--Blue & Gray Magazine A fine addition to the growing body of literature on the long-neglected Trans-Mississippi Theater of the Civil War. . . . A model campaign study, and it will become the standard work on the subject.--North Carolina Historical Review A great read and . . . very informative about a lesser-known battle that had major consequences.--The Oklahoman Fields of Blood is impressive.--Journal of the Civil War Era Making ample use of firsthand accounts to describe the battle's various stages, Shea leaves his audience feeling cold, hungry, exhausted, scared, and lucky to be alive, all without sacrificing the narrative's flow--an impressive feat for a scholarly study. . . . Fields of Blood stands as a model for future studies.--The Journal of Southern History Thoroughly researched and engagingly written....Shea's ability to illuminate the interconnections among strategy, logistics, and geography is especially noteworthy....[This] is an excellent study of an important but often overlooked campaign and is a welcome addition to the literature on the Trans-Mississippi Theater.--The Annals of Iowa If further proof were needed of William L. Shea's mastery of the Civil War campaign history, this is it. . . . He has attained even loftier heights with a thoughtful and meticulous account of Prairie Grove.--Civil War Book Review Anyone interested in Civil War military operations should read this book.--The Journal of America's Military Past Shea cogently unravels the campaign he calls one of the war's 'best--kept secrets.'--Military History of the West With an exhaustive array of archival materials, insightful analysis, and good writing. . . . Fields of Blood provides readers with a concise, illuminating look at a forgotten fight. . . . A model campaign study which draws on as many of the scarce resources available to make sense of what today is still a very confusing battle. . . . Students of the Trans-Missippi and those who enjoy solidly constructed and easy to read campaign studies will want to own this book. Those who enjoyed Shea's earlier work on Pea Ridge will doubtless appreciate this effort equally.--TOCWOC: A Civil War Blog Characterized by deep research, clear organization, shrewd analysis, and engaging writing, William L. Shea's Fields of Blood should be regarded as the new standard history of the Prairie Grove Campaign. A weighty contribution to the literature of the Trans-Mississippi theater, it is deserving of a place on the bookshelf of every Civil War student. Very highly recommended.--Andrew Wagenhoffer, Civil War Books and Authors This is a sound and thorough study. It should stand as the benchmark work on Prairie Grove for at least the next generation.--H-Net Reviews Combined with excellent maps, Shea's description of the operational maneuvers and his detailing of the tactical actions are masterful. . . . A superb account of a signature campaign of the theater.--Journal of Military History Thoroughly researched and engagingly written. . . . Shea's ability to illuminate the interconnections among strategy, logistics, and geography is especially noteworthy. . . . An excellent study of an important but often overlooked campaign.--Annals of Iowa Shea brings to his work a great deal of familiarity with the campaign . . . enjoyable and insightful. . . . Will stand as the standard account of the Prairie Grove campaign, which, thanks to Shea, no longer resides in underserved obscurity.--Arkansas Historical Quarterly

A first rate history of this remote part of the Civil War.--Blue & Gray Magazine A great read and . . . very informative about a lesser-known battle that had major consequences.--The Oklahoman Anyone interested in Civil War military operations should read this book.--The Journal of America's Military Past Characterized by deep research, clear organization, shrewd analysis, and engaging writing, William L. Shea's Fields of Blood should be regarded as the new standard history of the Prairie Grove Campaign. A weighty contribution to the literature of the Trans-Mississippi theater, it is deserving of a place on the bookshelf of every Civil War student. Very highly recommended.--Andrew Wagenhoffer, Civil War Books and Authors Combined with excellent maps, Shea's description of the operational maneuvers and his detailing of the tactical actions are masterful. . . . A superb account of a signature campaign of the theater.--Journal of Military History If further proof were needed of William L. Shea's mastery of the Civil War campaign history, this is it. . . . He has attained even loftier heights with a thoughtful and meticulous account of Prairie Grove.--Civil War Book Review Shea brings to his work a great deal of familiarity with the campaign . . . enjoyable and insightful. . . . Will stand as the standard account of the Prairie Grove campaign, which, thanks to Shea, no longer resides in underserved obscurity.--Arkansas Historical Quarterly Shea cogently unravels the campaign he calls one of the war's 'best--kept secrets.'--Military History of the West Thoroughly researched and engagingly written. . . . Shea's ability to illuminate the interconnections among strategy, logistics, and geography is especially noteworthy. . . . An excellent study of an important but often overlooked campaign.--Annals of Iowa With an exhaustive array of archival materials, insightful analysis, and good writing. . . . Fields of Blood provides readers with a concise, illuminating look at a forgotten fight. . . . A model campaign study which draws on as many of the scarce resources available to make sense of what today is still a very confusing battle. . . . Students of the Trans-Missippi and those who enjoy solidly constructed and easy to read campaign studies will want to own this book. Those who enjoyed Shea's earlier work on Pea Ridge will doubtless appreciate this effort equally.--TOCWOC: A Civil War Blog

Characterized by deep research, clear organization, shrewd analysis, and engaging writing, William L. Shea's Fields of Blood should be regarded as the new standard history of the Prairie Grove Campaign. A weighty contribution to the literature of

Author Information

WILLIAM L. SHEA is professor of history at the University of Arkansas at Monticello. He is coauthor of several books, including Pea Ridge: Civil War Campaign in the West (UNC Press) and Vicksburg Is the Key: The Struggle for the Mississippi River.

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