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The Resource The secret war for the Union : the untold story of military intelligence in the Civil War, Edwin C. Fishel

The secret war for the Union : the untold story of military intelligence in the Civil War, Edwin C. Fishel

Creator
Author
Summary
  • Previous histories of the Civil War have explained victory or defeat in terms of the skill of commanders, the fighting qualities of the troops, and resources in men and materiel. Intelligence has been largely ignored, not because it wasn't critically important -- Lincoln called it the most difficult problem faced by the Union -- but because so little has been known about it. At the end of the war most of the intelligence records disappeared, and they remained hidden for almost a century, until Edwin Fishel uncovered them during the 40 years of research that has resulted in this monumental book. The Secret War for the Union is unique among Civil War histories in its reliance on original, previously unknown sources. It is the first book to examine in detail the impact of intelligence, and this intelligence explanation alters, sometimes radically, history's understanding of virtually every campaign. Both enthralling and authoritative, The Secret War for the Union is one of the most important books ever published about the Civil War. - Jacket flap
  • Most histories of the Civil War explain victory and defeat in terms of the skill of commanders and their troops. Intelligence records disappeared after the war, and thus a critically important element has largely been ignored. Fishel has unearthed substantial collections of such records, and his "intelligence explanation" radically alters history's understanding of the campaigns. The Secret War for the Union is one of the most important Civil War works ever published. Includes material on Allan Pinkerton and Rose Greenhow
Language
eng
Work
Publication
Extent
xiv, 734 pages
Contents
  • "Outnumbered" on the peninsula
  • Hard lessons from Professor Jackson
  • Too little and too soon
  • All the plans of the Rebels
  • Luck runs out for Palmer and Stine
  • Blind campaign of Fredericksburg
  • New client for attorney Sharpe
  • Ten days of southern hospitality
  • Rebel spies are now second best
  • Gray Fox swallows the bait
  • Foreword
  • Pinpoint intelligence and hairline planning
  • Paralyzed by a real Jackson and a phantom Longstreet
  • Lee's Army vanishes
  • Pursuit
  • Lost intelligence, lost battle
  • Joe Hooker's magnificent error
  • Reaping the Pennsylvania harvest
  • Thirtieth of June
  • Decision and victory
  • Epilogue
  • Stephen W. Sears
  • Appendixes. Successes and failures of Federal and Confederate intelligence
  • A few lessons from (and about) Civil War intelligence
  • Two strategic surprises
  • Rose Greenhow's reports
  • Strother's rejected warning of the enemy's stolen march
  • The McClellan-Pinkerton estimates of Confederate numbers
  • Pleasanton's role in the intelligence that started Hooker in pursuit of Lee
  • Lee's crossing of the Potomac en route to Pennsylvania
  • Comment on sources
  • Introduction
  • Twenty thousand potential spies
  • First Bull Run
  • "Known in Richmond in twenty-four hours"
  • Phony war of 1861
  • Mr. Pinkerton's unique arithmetic
Isbn
9780395901366
Link
http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/toc/fy053/96012741.html
Instance
Label
The secret war for the Union : the untold story of military intelligence in the Civil War
Title
The secret war for the Union
Title remainder
the untold story of military intelligence in the Civil War
Statement of responsibility
Edwin C. Fishel
Title variation
Untold story of military intelligence in the Civil War
Creator
Author
Subject
Genre
Language
eng
Summary
  • Previous histories of the Civil War have explained victory or defeat in terms of the skill of commanders, the fighting qualities of the troops, and resources in men and materiel. Intelligence has been largely ignored, not because it wasn't critically important -- Lincoln called it the most difficult problem faced by the Union -- but because so little has been known about it. At the end of the war most of the intelligence records disappeared, and they remained hidden for almost a century, until Edwin Fishel uncovered them during the 40 years of research that has resulted in this monumental book. The Secret War for the Union is unique among Civil War histories in its reliance on original, previously unknown sources. It is the first book to examine in detail the impact of intelligence, and this intelligence explanation alters, sometimes radically, history's understanding of virtually every campaign. Both enthralling and authoritative, The Secret War for the Union is one of the most important books ever published about the Civil War. - Jacket flap
  • Most histories of the Civil War explain victory and defeat in terms of the skill of commanders and their troops. Intelligence records disappeared after the war, and thus a critically important element has largely been ignored. Fishel has unearthed substantial collections of such records, and his "intelligence explanation" radically alters history's understanding of the campaigns. The Secret War for the Union is one of the most important Civil War works ever published. Includes material on Allan Pinkerton and Rose Greenhow
Cataloging source
DLC
http://library.link/vocab/creatorName
Fishel, Edwin C
Dewey number
973.7/85
Illustrations
  • illustrations
  • maps
Index
index present
LC call number
E608
LC item number
.F57 1996
Literary form
non fiction
Nature of contents
bibliography
http://library.link/vocab/subjectName
  • American Civil War (1861-1865)
  • Military intelligence
  • United States
  • Military intelligence
  • United States
  • Geheimdienst
  • Sezessionskrieg
  • United States
  • Intelligence service
  • USA
Label
The secret war for the Union : the untold story of military intelligence in the Civil War, Edwin C. Fishel
Link
http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/toc/fy053/96012741.html
Instantiates
Publication
Copyright
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references (pages 690-699) and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
  • nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
  • "Outnumbered" on the peninsula
  • Hard lessons from Professor Jackson
  • Too little and too soon
  • All the plans of the Rebels
  • Luck runs out for Palmer and Stine
  • Blind campaign of Fredericksburg
  • New client for attorney Sharpe
  • Ten days of southern hospitality
  • Rebel spies are now second best
  • Gray Fox swallows the bait
  • Foreword
  • Pinpoint intelligence and hairline planning
  • Paralyzed by a real Jackson and a phantom Longstreet
  • Lee's Army vanishes
  • Pursuit
  • Lost intelligence, lost battle
  • Joe Hooker's magnificent error
  • Reaping the Pennsylvania harvest
  • Thirtieth of June
  • Decision and victory
  • Epilogue
  • Stephen W. Sears
  • Appendixes. Successes and failures of Federal and Confederate intelligence
  • A few lessons from (and about) Civil War intelligence
  • Two strategic surprises
  • Rose Greenhow's reports
  • Strother's rejected warning of the enemy's stolen march
  • The McClellan-Pinkerton estimates of Confederate numbers
  • Pleasanton's role in the intelligence that started Hooker in pursuit of Lee
  • Lee's crossing of the Potomac en route to Pennsylvania
  • Comment on sources
  • Introduction
  • Twenty thousand potential spies
  • First Bull Run
  • "Known in Richmond in twenty-four hours"
  • Phony war of 1861
  • Mr. Pinkerton's unique arithmetic
Control code
ocm34411761
Dimensions
24 cm
Extent
xiv, 734 pages
Isbn
9780395901366
Lccn
96012741
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • n
Other physical details
illustrations, maps
System control number
  • (Sirsi) o34411761
  • (OCoLC)34411761
Label
The secret war for the Union : the untold story of military intelligence in the Civil War, Edwin C. Fishel
Link
http://catdir.loc.gov/catdir/toc/fy053/96012741.html
Publication
Copyright
Bibliography note
Includes bibliographical references (pages 690-699) and index
Carrier category
volume
Carrier category code
  • nc
Carrier MARC source
rdacarrier
Content category
text
Content type code
  • txt
Content type MARC source
rdacontent
Contents
  • "Outnumbered" on the peninsula
  • Hard lessons from Professor Jackson
  • Too little and too soon
  • All the plans of the Rebels
  • Luck runs out for Palmer and Stine
  • Blind campaign of Fredericksburg
  • New client for attorney Sharpe
  • Ten days of southern hospitality
  • Rebel spies are now second best
  • Gray Fox swallows the bait
  • Foreword
  • Pinpoint intelligence and hairline planning
  • Paralyzed by a real Jackson and a phantom Longstreet
  • Lee's Army vanishes
  • Pursuit
  • Lost intelligence, lost battle
  • Joe Hooker's magnificent error
  • Reaping the Pennsylvania harvest
  • Thirtieth of June
  • Decision and victory
  • Epilogue
  • Stephen W. Sears
  • Appendixes. Successes and failures of Federal and Confederate intelligence
  • A few lessons from (and about) Civil War intelligence
  • Two strategic surprises
  • Rose Greenhow's reports
  • Strother's rejected warning of the enemy's stolen march
  • The McClellan-Pinkerton estimates of Confederate numbers
  • Pleasanton's role in the intelligence that started Hooker in pursuit of Lee
  • Lee's crossing of the Potomac en route to Pennsylvania
  • Comment on sources
  • Introduction
  • Twenty thousand potential spies
  • First Bull Run
  • "Known in Richmond in twenty-four hours"
  • Phony war of 1861
  • Mr. Pinkerton's unique arithmetic
Control code
ocm34411761
Dimensions
24 cm
Extent
xiv, 734 pages
Isbn
9780395901366
Lccn
96012741
Media category
unmediated
Media MARC source
rdamedia
Media type code
  • n
Other physical details
illustrations, maps
System control number
  • (Sirsi) o34411761
  • (OCoLC)34411761

Subject

Genre

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