Being a non-historian (this is the only history book I've read cover to cover in 7 years), I was initially dreading reading this book. However, its well-organized format, its to-the-point style (to which almost all of the authors ascribed), and its information were incredible. This is an enjoyable read. FYI, I also sent an e-mail to the author of the book as I was tracking down Cleburne's original work, and she very graciously replied within a day, informing me that his work was at the University of Arkansas. READ THIS BOOK!!!

This book does an excellent job telling about Patrick Cleburne. It is not a day by day biography of Cleburne, instead, it tells the stories that help us understand Cleburne better, from a drowning incident in the Mississippi to Chattanooga where Cleburne was the only one to hold his ground. This book is a must for all history lovers.

Until I devoured this masterpiece, I thought it impossible for anyone to surpass Purdue's text on Pat Cleburne. Well researched and well written, so much so that even the Civil War novice will thoroughly comprehend Cleburne's battlefield brilliance. Someday history will place Cleburne in his proper place among great leaders and humanitarians. When it happens, this compilation of essays will have paved the way.

In my opinion, Symonds' is the best biography of a great Civil War general.

From Cleburne's early childhood to his tragic death at Franklin, Symonds presents a well-rounded picture of what Patrick Cleburne the person was like. For example, while Cleburne was a strong disciplinarian and incessantly drilled his troops, he also let his hair down and participated in a snowball fight with his division while in winter encampment in Georgia. Twice he was captured" twice by his troops, endearing himself to his troops even more. Symonds also presents Cleburne's sensitive nature, as evidenced with his romance and engagement with Sue Tarlton and his proposal to offer slaves freedom if they fought for the South. Ironically, the very men who opposed his proposal eventually approved the opportunity of freedom for slaves who would fight. Unfortunately for the South, the action took place only after its situation was hopeless. Another interesting part of the book was Cleburne's early life (losing both parents at an early age, the potato famine that eventually resulted in him coming to America) and how his life's experiences shaped him into the kind of man he was.

While Symonds' description of the battles were interesting, I would have liked to have seen more detailed maps (for example, Peter Cozzens' title on Chickamauga and Mark Bradley's title on Bentonville are filled with excellent and detailed maps). Personally, I like detailed maps because they make it easier for me to understand the text and specific troop manuevers an author is trying to describe.

While Cleburne is easily one of my favorite generals, I did appreciate Symonds' apparently accurate portrayal of Cleburne being the consummate division commander while perhaps not belonging in the league of corps commanders (see his performance at Jonesboro GA, for example). Nevertheless, Cleburne was one of those rare generals with excellent leadership ability and able to hold the high esteem of superior and subordinate alike.

All in all, an excellent read!

For many years the officers and men who made up the Army of Tennessee have played second fiddle to Lee's eastern army. The very title of this book clearly illustrates this point for one never hears a general in Lee's army referred to as the Cleburne of the east. Finally though, thanks in large part to the efforts of historians like Thomas L. Connelly and Shelby Foote and the diaries of Sam Watkins, the brave men of the Army of Tennessee are being given due credit.

Craig Symonds has added his name to the above list with this excellent study of General Patrick Cleburne. No study of the Army of Tennessee would be complete without a study of one of its best generals, and therefore this biography is a very important addition to any Civil War library. Best of all, the author writes in a flowing style that helps make this book a joy to read.

Unfortunately, much of Cleburne's personal correspondence has not survived but Symonds has done an excellent job of digging up what does exist. Fortunately, the Irish general was very precise with his battle reports and the correspondence of many of his close associates does still exist. Working with these sources the author weaves together a fascinating story. He doesn't dwell on the logistics of various battles, which tends to make for dry reading but instead describes very concisely the part Cleburne played in the battle

Symonds also deals in some detail with Cleburne's personal life, from his early life in Ireland to his engagement. There is also a good deal of attention given to Cleburne's close friendships, both before and during the war, and his political beliefs and activities. Of course, Cleburne's proposal to arm and free the slaves is also dealt with in detail. From his own formulation of the plan, to the icy reception it received, to the possibility that his proposal may have been partially responsible for his lack of further promotion, the plan and its ramifications and insights into Cleburne's personality are closely examined.

For any student of the war this would be a worthwhile read, but for anyone with a particular interest in the Army of Tennessee it is an indispensable read.

Quite simply, one of the finest biographies it has ever been my pleasure to read. Craig Symonds does a magnificent job in re-telling a story that all Civil War followers, particualry those of a Southern persuasion, should read.

After serving a short term in the British Infantry, Patrick Ronayne Cleburne travelled over from his native Ireland (to correct one earlier reviewer's mistake - Cleburne was an Irish Protestant, not Catholic!) to settle in Arkansas and make a successful life for himself. He became a high-ranking member of the local masonic institute and did extremely well in business. When his adopted state seceded and went to war he did the only thing his conscience would allow and volunteered to fight alongside his friends and neighbours.

His talent was quickly recognised and he would eventually reach the rank of Major General. He would (and should ) have gone even higher but his call for the south to free and arm its slaves won him many enemies. In time even Robert E. Lee would come to agree with what Cleburne had earlier advocated but by then it was too late for the Confedracy.

The one thing that comes shining through in this excellent book is Cleburne's practical battleground genius. He inspired confidence in his men and never failed them. His division performed consistently in fight after fight and must be considered to be one of the very best that saw conflict in the entire war. History does not treat bad commanders well and it is a measure of Cleburne's reputation and stature that so many have called him the "Stonewall of the West".

I thoroughly enjoyed Symonds' style of writing. He covers all of the angles and gives all of the necessary information but he never allows the book to become bogged down in needless detail and that allows for a brisk pace to be set, which often leads to you not being able to put the book down for long periods of time. He should be very proud of what he has achieved here. I have four written volumes on the life and military career of Patrick Cleburne and this is, IMHO, the best of all. I shall be checking out other books written by Craig Symonds.

For many years Cleburne was something of a forgotten hero, possibly because he fought for the hard luck Army of Tennessee, and partly because history tends to ignore the Western part of the Civil War and stick to the the better known Eastern theatre. In recent times though there does seem to have been a greater awareness of the fight in the west and therefore it is inevitable that Cleburne's name will come to the fore. He was a remarkable man and a remarkable soldier and this book does justice to his life and achievements.

To conclude this review I will make a small confession. I was so moved by the final chapter, covering Cleburne's futile death in the terrible carnage at the Battle of Franklin, that I almost started to cry. It was a close run thing as the tears welled up in my eyes, but I just managed to keep them back. If we hadn't have had guests in the house at the time I wouldn't have even tried to stop the tears from falling!

The Santa Fe super chief passenger trains of the 40's,50's and 60's were top of the line trains in their day. But nothing stirs more emotions then the thought of that train racing past you, on its trip from Chicago to LA, at 100 mph, with two Santa Fe EMD F7 warbonnets at its point. But with passenger trains in their heyday the Santa Fe railroad needed to focus their attention to freight. Unfortunally, what made for an excellant passenger engine, made for a lousy road switcher. This book chronicles the production model CF7 rebuilds from F7 locomotives at the Cleburne, Texas shops. If you ever wondered how they turned those engines inside out, this books for you. The collection of B&W and Color photography of this locomotive, along with the different color schemes that have adorned the outside of the engines, as they were passed on to different shortline companies is superb. Any who are fans of this locomotive should have this in their libary.

I like birds, and so I liked this book about birds and about people (some of them important and some of them guys who wear hats like me) who like birds. Except, I hated the guy in the end who shot the birds. He was a bad, bad man. And, the end the end. Soleil coup coupe.

A majority of the essays in this book are quite well done, but a few shallow efforts such as Alethea Sayers' quite-clearly poorly researched article leave gaping holes in the text. Cartwright's effort is well-presented and Joselyn's article, while written with readability in mind leaves the reader with more questions than answers. A consistantly written biography of Cleburne would be preferable to this halting, sometimes good, sometimes bad collection.

A Meteor Shining Brightly : Essays on the Life and Career of Major General Patrick R. Cleburne by Mauriel Phillips Joslyn is a collection of numerous essays about the life of Confederate Major General Patrick R. Cleburne. It is organized in chronological order so as to depict his entire life. The decision to organize the book in such a manner forms the foundation for the primary weakness of the endeavor. The book is not necessarily the best essays on Cleburne's life and the different authors prevent any continuity from chapter to chapter other than time.

There are certain parts of Cleburne's life that are appropriate for the essay format. Several areas are the early years in Ireland and it effect on his latter career, Cleburne's proposal that slaves be freed and incorporated into the Confederate Army and his death at the Battle of Franklin. In addition, the issue of how an individual who understood and identified with the downtrodden of Ireland could have been so devoted to the Confederacy which was based on the slavery of human beings is not even mentioned in the essays. Instead of treating these issues in depth, the collection at best treats them as another part of Cleburne's life. This is a shame, for Cleburne's life, and especially his proposal to enlist slaves into the Confederate Army, deserves a more in depth treatment.

The collection seems to be trapped between its desire to be a biography and a collection of essays exploring different views of Cleburne's life. By trying to do both, it did neither well. The collection does succeed in putting forward the facts of Cleburne's life in a fairly easy to read format. The individual authors are all well qualified and write well. However, if one is looking for a straight forward biography of Cleburne, I would suggest Stonewall of the West : Patrick Cleburne and the Civil War (Modern War Studies) by Craig L. Symonds.