In the Trenches at Petersburg - (Civil War America) by Earl J Hess (Paperback)

About the Book

In the Trenches at Petersburg: Field Fortifications and Confederate Defeat

Book Synopsis

In the Trenches at Petersburg, the final volume of Earl J. Hess's trilogy of works on the fortifications of the Civil War, recounts the strategic and tactical operations around Petersburg during the last ten months of the Civil War. Hess covers all aspects of the Petersburg campaign, from important engagements that punctuated the long months of siege to mining and countermining operations, the fashioning of wire entanglements and the laying of torpedo fields to impede attacks, and the construction of underground shelters to protect the men manning the works. In the Trenches at Petersburg humanizes the experience of the soldiers working in the fortifications and reveals the human cost of trench warfare in the waning days of the struggle.

Review Quotes

"[Hess's three-volume] set unquestionably deserves recognition as groundbreaking work on an important topic. It will be the standard for years." -- Robert Krick, America's Civil War

"Contains the fine scholarship and clear prose we have come to expect from Hess. . . . [It] will stand as a definitive study on the Petersburg Campaign." -- On Point

"Even without the incredibly detailed analysis of field fortifications, [this book] would stand alone as campaign history. . . . A testament to the author's years of study on the topic." -- H-Civil War

"Humanizes the experience of the soldiers working in the fortifications." -- McCormick Messenger

"Provides extensive details to illuminate the subject. . . . An outstanding source for anyone researching Civil War trench warfare at Petersburg and Richmond." -- Virginia Libraries

"Takes an in-depth look at the war's final evolution of field fortifications and countermeasures, and explores the central role they played in the various Union offensives conducted during the ten-month Petersburg campaign. . . . Impressive." -- Civil War Books and Authors Blog

"The best single study of the grand tactics and strategy of the campaign. . . . An outstanding conclusion to a trilogy of books that belong on the shelf of any serious student of the Civil War's Eastern Theater." -- Virginia Magazine of History and Biography

"The [book is the] result of Hess's indefatigable research in a wide range of sources and his imaginative field study of extant battlefields. . . . This volume and its companions, even more innovative and important than his previous outstanding studies, should give Earl J. Hess his rightful place among the best Civil War historians of our time." -- Civil War History

"This excellent book will be of interest to those who appreciate military engineering in siege operations." -- The Lone Star

"Wonderfully written, well researched and easy to read. . . . Highly recommend[ed] to any serious student of the American Civil War. . . . Entertaining and enlightening." -- This Mighty Scourge

About the Author

Earl J. Hess is associate professor of history at Lincoln Memorial University. He is author of many books on the Civil War, including The Civil War in the West: Victory and Defeat from the Appalachians to the Mississippi.and Kennesaw Mountain: Sherman, Johnston, and the Atlanta Campaign.