The Crater: Burnside’s Assault on the Confederate Trenches July 30, 1864
by John Cannan
BTC’s Take:
This is a book from the “Battleground America Guides” series aimed at newcomers to the battle. All in all I thought Cannan’s book was a decent one, though I do have some complaints. Let’s start off with the glaring error on the cover. It shows “June 30, 1864” rather than the correct date of July 30, 1864. The maps were all brigade level, and no indication was ever given as to which brigades belonged to which divisions and corps. There is no order of battle either, and both of these things combine to make it more difficult for someone new to this fight. Also, as this book is in a standard series, it did not seem like Cannan was given much leeway as far as coming up with new ideas and interpretations of the battle, which is a shame in my opinion. The book contained 167 pages, and aside from a three-page index, everything else was text. There were no footnotes. This is a definite flaw, and reduces the value of a book tremendously.
Book Summary/Review:
BTC Siege of Petersburg Book Notes:
Publisher Info:
None. I cannot find a link to the book at Da Capo Press any longer.
Paperback Edition
ISBN: 0-306-81152-9
Publisher: Da Capo Press
Release Date: October 2002
Pages: 144 Pages
The Siege of Petersburg Online: Beyond the Crater Pages Which Mention This Book: