James Longstreet and the American Civil War: The Confederate General Who Fought the Next War

Winner of the 2022 Helen Dortch Longstreet Award and the Mahoning Valley Civil War Round Table 2022 Hugh G. Earnhart Civil War Scholarship AwardThe American Civil War is often called the first "modern war." Sandwiched between the Napoleonic Wars and World War I, it spawned a host of "firsts" and is considered a precursor to the larger and more deadly 20th century wars. Confederate Gen. James Longstreet made overlooked but profound modern contributions to the art of war. Retired Lt. Col. Harold M. Knudsen explains what Longstreet did and how he did it in James Longstreet and the American Civil War: The Confederate General Who Fought the Next War.A careful comparison of Longstreet's body of work in the field to modern military doctrine reveals several large-scale innovations. He understood early that the tactical defense dominated the offense, which was something few grasped in 1862. Longstreet's thinking demonstrated a clear evolution that began at First Manassas in July 1861, developed