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Well, I just finished re-reading Landscape Turned Red -- The Battle of Antietam by Stephen W. Sears. This was a book given to me in May 1989 by my cousin Todd after my Eagle Scout ceremony.
It is a fantastic read of the events that led up to the Battle of Antietam Creek (or Sharpsburg for you Southerners) and the ultimate dismissal of Major General George B. McClellan (the "Young Napoleon"). It is a purely historical digest that begins with the disastrous stupidity of Maj. John Pope and his Army of Virginia, vanquished by both an audacious Robert E. Lee and treasonous officers in the Army of the Potomac.
While most people recognize the Battle of Antietam as the bloodiest single day in American military history (27,000 killed, wounded, and missing), few realize the conditions around which the Maryland campaign formed. Fewer still understand that the battle was part of longer campaign of four battles -- Second Bull Run, South Mountain, Harper's Ferry, and Antietam -- in 1862. Even fewer still recognize the crucial nature of the battle. While technically a tactical victory for the South, it was an overwhelming strategic loss.
England and France were both poised to recognize the South in the summer of 1862 as the cotton famine was starving European textile milss, causing recession, unemployment, and starvation in the working classes. The battle put an absolute end to that.
Sears covers all these elements in an engaging manner that gives the reader a very clear picture of what Lee's first Northern Invasion mean to the country and our history. More importantly, he does it without boring you to sleep.
Sears is also adept at pointing out the incredible failure of Major General George B. McClellan and some of his key subordinates. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia should have been destroyed on the banks of the Potomac that day, and would have but for the cowardly strategy, poor command, and utter stupidity of the Young Napoleon. McClellan's greatest mistake in the war was listening to popinjays like Fitz John Porter (cashiered in November 1862 for his incompetence at Second Bull Run), Edwin Sumner (Commander, 2nd Corps, and older than Moses at the time) who claimed that his army was used up. Sears brilliantly uses letters and official documents to show that the command structure of the Army of the Potomac -- who was not even on the field, but 2 miles away -- was woefully out of touch with the rank and file.
That it took two months -- because of a pending Congressional election -- for Lincoln to finally dismiss George B. McClellan is a key part of the epilogue of the story.
Sears' most glaring condemnation -- and one that is fully justified -- comes down on McClellan's cowardice. As early as September 15th, McClellan had in his hands the famous Order 191, which was the entire plan of march for the ANV. McClellan, had he not been so worried about what R. E. Lee might do instead of what he was doing, could have destroyed the bulk of Longstreet's forces at South Mountain even before Lee took up strong positions at Antietam Creek. Instead, it was not until the morning of the 17th that McClellan finally sent Hooker forward on Lee's left-- after Jackson had come up from Harper's Ferry and with A.P. Hill already on the road.
Overall, I recommend Landscape Turned Red to anyone interested in learning more about America's Bloodiest Day, and those responsible for it.