This interesting and inexpensive book on the Confederate generals in the Western Theater of the Civil War has wonderful illustrations of the generals by the artist Richard Hook and photographs of the generals and other subjects, like the defenses of Atlanta. Katcher provides short biographies of 24 generals which center on their time as leaders during the Civil War. Unfortunately, there are no bibliographies in this book, but there is an index. The generals are arranged in alphabetical order. Though there are no maps, which might have added to the biographies, overall the book is quite good and lives up to Osprey’s reputation of providing interesting illustrated books on military topics.
Philip Katcher was educated at the University of Maryland. He is the editor of Military Images Magazine. He has authored and co-authored many titles, including Pride of the South (2005), Robert E. Lee (2004), Gettysburg (2003), The Army of Northern Virginia (2003), Confederate Cavalrymen of the Civil War (2003), Civil War Confederate Troops (2003), Civil War State Troops (2003), Civil War Union Troops (2003), and many others.
Richard Hook was trained at Reigate College of Art (England). He served with 1st Battalion of the Queen’s Royal Regiment, later becoming art editor of the magazine Finding Out during the 1960s. He has illustrated many books, including the upcoming Confederate Army, 1861-1865 (3): Louisiana and Texas (April 2006), Buffalo Soldiers (2005), American Frontier Lawmen (2005), Samurai Commanders (2005), Pride of the South (2005), American Civil War Marines (2004), Encyclopedia of Native Tribes of North America (2004) and others.
This book is recommended to Civil War enthusiasts looking for a quick reference to Civil War Confederate generals. These are the big names involved with the Western Theater, which is only now being reexamined for its importance to the overall Civil War. It was in the West that the Confederacy began to lose the war and where the Union found its great general in U.S. Grant.