Joseph E. Johnston: A Different Valor (The Civil War Library Series)

For many years Joe Johnston has been given far less than his due as a Confederate hero, and able, devoted general. This partial eclipse was the work of his powerful enemy, Jefferson Davis, who emerges as the second leading figure in this book. The two men held opposing strategic views. Against the best of the Union commanders Johnston’s record matches Lee’s. But Davis missed no opportunity to blacken Johnston’s reputation. Only his patriotic devotion to the Southern cause prevented him from resigning. Govan and Livingwood write quietly, but their material cuts deep. In the process they explode some long, unchallenged beliefs and cut off some exalted heads.