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 It all comes down to relationships
This book is a series of essays about Jefferson Davis' relationships with his generals. Each essay looks at a specific general. The southern officer corps literally came from the US Army, when US officers resigned their commissions and offered their services to their states. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses and this book details those of Jefferson and his leading commanders. Most of the leaders of the Confederacy were Southern Gentlemen with a sense of honor and were sensitve to preceived insults which seems to hamper the abilty of anyone to discuss differing points of view. Jefferson found himself trying to defend the entire Confederacy against a stronger foe. The political reality was that he could not abandon the frontiers which supplied troops and supplies and political will to continue the fight. He found it impossible to dismiss generals who irritated him. I found the book enjoyable and comprehensive. I would recommend it to people interested in why the South lost A comparable look at personal relationships, which includes the Union can be found in Partners In Command
 A complicated topic.......
This book is actually a collection of essays examining Jeff Davis' relationship with five of the eight Confederate Generals of "four star" rank; Davis was a difficult, vain, man who, unfortunately, believed those who, at the onset of the war, said that he was a great military leader in his own right. The President was a West Pointer, as were all eight full Generals, and 14 of the 17 Lieutenant Generals...he wanted to hold every inch of territory, and wear the Yankees out [as did Joe Johnston]; others wanted to win a GREAT BATTLE [Lee, Hood]; either strategy MIGHT have worked, but the mixture of the two insured disaster.
My disagreement with this book centers on the conclusions drawn about the results of the good or bad relationships: the author feels that the Confederacy was not harmed by Davis' dislike of Beauregard and poisonous dislike of Joe. I would submit that the South was badly hurt when great leaders were shunted to backwater commands. Jeff did like Robert E. Lee, thank God, and Hood; I would again disagree with the author and assert that John Bell Hood was a great fighting Officer who had good strategy, but bad breaks. Of course, the authors are right about Braxton Bragg, a loyal, devoted, military genius who was such an unpleasant person that he never should have had a field command...behind a desk in Richmond, he could have done for Davis what Marshall did for FDR in WWII.
There is an interesting chapter on the leader's marriages...Davis, Bragg, and Joe had rock-solid marriages to devoted and helpful wives...Lee and Beauregard suffered misery. Beauregard was problaby unfaithful, though he was also probably a better father than Lee. [Hood was single at the time]. General Lee is said to have liked the attention of pretty young girls [what middle age man doesn't?], but his honor, and faith, kept him from going further...
This really isn't a "bad" book...it is well written, and offers some interesting insights. If you have a couple of dollars, and hours, to spend, you could do worse...I know that I have.
Jeff Davis and his commanding generals.
Why did the South lose the war? Well, Jefferson Davis interfered with the role his commanding generals played in their respective theaters. Davis enjoyed a good relationship with Robert E. Lee but less desireable relationships with Johnson and Bragg. The Western commanders and the Army of Tennessee were a less dangerous foe to the Union forces.
In this book of essays from different authors, Davis's relationship with such generals as Johnson, Bragg, Hood, Lee, and others are portrayed. His interference in their commands made the difference in the West. Lee was more of a diplomat and managed to cope and modify Davis's demands for the Army of Northern Virginia. Also portrayed is a unique essay on how the wives of these Generals also had an effect on the war. Jeff Davis was a poor commander, and most of his Generals (with the exception of Lee) failures. Lincoln was the better Commander in Chief and that is one of the reasons he won the war.
A good read about the command function of the leader of a nation.
This book stirs your interest in why the South lost and the North won.
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