The Horrid Pit: The Battle of the Crater, The Civil War’s Cruelest Mission
by Alan Axelrod
BTC’s Take:
Axelrod’s book is written for the general, non-ACW buff reader, and he mostly succeeds in that mission, pun definitely intended. If you check the notes, you’ll see tons of “Ibid.”‘s occurring, and they mostly refer back to the Official Records. I found it a little odd that Axelrod utilized the ORs so heavily in what was meant to be a popular history of the Battle of the Crater. Still, if you are going to utilize mostly one source, the ORs are the one to go with. I’d recommend this book for those of you wanting to get more familiar with the battle without having to delve into the tactical minutiae of which I’m such a fan. It’s a better intro, in my opinion, than the Cavanaugh/Marvel H. E. Howard volume or John Cannan’s book on the subject.
Book Summary/Review:
BTC Siege of Petersburg Book Notes:
Publisher Info:
None. Carroll and Graf no longer exists. It was an imprint of the Avalon Publishing Group.
Hardcover Edition
ISBN: 978-0-78671-811-5
Publisher: Carroll & Graf Publishers
Release Date: July 2007
Pages: 352 Pages
The Siege of Petersburg Online: Beyond the Crater Pages Which Mention This Book: