Union General

Reviews / Votes

"Deeply researched and extremely well written, Union General is an excellent biography that should appeal to all readers who are interested in the Civil War."-Roger D. Cunningham, Journal of America's Military Past "Shea's gift for telling a readable story allows readers to gain much on a fighting general during the Mexican War and Civil War, as well as insight into the economic changes to the United States during the Industrial Revolution, end of slavery, and a significant rise in immigration to the United States. It makes Union General a must read for historians and general readers alike."-David Marshall, On Point: The Journal of Army History "Highly celebratory while remaining judicious, William Shea's Union General is a fine biography that should go a long way toward fostering a wider recognition and appreciation of Samuel Ryan Curtis's substantial historical legacy."-Civil War Books and Authors "Those interested in the Civil War, the West, or the nineteenth-century United States generally will find Union General informative and worthwhile."-Michael A. Hill, Western Historical Quarterly "Samuel Ryan Curtis was a Civil War officer who never received the recognition that he deserved. After authoring campaign studies of Pea Ridge, Prairie Grove, and Vicksburg, William L. Shea delivers a full-length study that appraises the military actions of Curtis, the most successful Union general west of the Mississippi River."-Brad D. Lookingbill, Nebraska History "This biography has much to recommend it to serious scholars of the Civil War. . . . Even the casual reader who enjoys biography will find the book fascinating and engaging."-Carl H. Moneyhon, Arkansas Historical Quarterly "Union General, Samuel Ryan Curtis and Victory in the West is a well-researched book that provides readers with a thorough examination of Curtis's life. Shea offers convincing evidence to prove his argument that Curtis played a critical role in Union success in the Trans-Mississippi Theater while also writing a study that enthusiasts will enjoy reading. Thanks to Shea, Curtis is able to reclaim at least a measure of deserved attention previously so long denied."-Phill Greenwalt, Emerging Civil War blog "Shea has successfully restored Samuel R. Curtis to a well-deserved place in the study of the Civil War."-James R. Jewell, Journal of Southern History "This book, a well-written study of one man's life, is both meticulously researched and a fascinating story, written in an engaging way."-Ricochet "At a national moment of reckoning on the long-term impacts of the war, this important biography and synthesis of the West's Civil War narrative is especially welcome and deserving."-Christopher Phillips, Kansas History