Victory On The Potomac

Victory On The Potomac
Author: James R. Locher
Publisher: Texas A&M University Press
Total Pages: 552
Release: 2002
Genre: History
ISBN: 9781585443987

War is waged not only on battlefields. In the mid-1980s a high-stakes political struggle to redesign the relationships among the president, secretary of defense, Joint Chiefs of Staff, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and warfighting commanders in the field resulted in the Goldwater-Nichols Act of 1986. Author James R. Locher III played a key role in the congressional effort to repair a dysfunctional military whose interservice squabbling had cost American taxpayers billions of dollars and put the lives of thousands of servicemen and women at risk. Victory on this front helped make possible the military successes the United States has enjoyed since the passage of the bill and to prepare it for the challenges it must still face.Victory on the Potomac provides the first detailed history of how Congress unified the Pentagon and does so with the benefit of an insider's view. In a fast-paced account that reads like a novel, Locher follows the bill through congressional committee to final passage, making clear that the process is neither abstract nor automatic. His vivid descriptions bring to life the amazing cast of this real-life drama, from the straight-shooting chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Barry Goldwater, to the peevishly stubborn secretary of defense, Caspear Weinberger.Locher's analysis of political maneuvering and bureaucratic infighting will fascinate anyone who has an interest in how government works, and his understanding of the stakes in military reorganization will make clear why this legislative victory meant so much to American military capability. James R. Locher III, a graduate of West Point and Harvard Business School began his career in Washington as an executive trainee in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. He has worked in the White House, the Pentagon, and the Senate. During the period covered by this book, he was a staff member for the Senate Committee on Armed Services. Since then, he has served as an assistant secretary of defense in the first Bush and the early Clinton administrations. Currently, he works as a consultant and lecturer on defense matters.

Commanding the Army of the Potomac

Commanding the Army of the Potomac
Author: Stephen R. Taaffe
Publisher: Modern War Studies
Total Pages: 304
Release: 2006
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN:

"Stephen Taaffe takes a close look at this command cadre, examining who was appointed to these positions, why they were appointed, and why so many of them ultimately failed to fulfill their responsibilities. He demonstrates that ambitious officers such as Gouverneur Warren, John Reynolds, and Winfield Scott Hancock employed all the weapons at their disposal, from personal connections to exaggerated accounts of prowess in combat, to claw their way into these important posts." "Once there, however, as Taaffe reveals, many of these officers failed to navigate the tricky and ever-changing political currents that swirled around the Army of the Potomac. As a result, only three of them managed to retain their commands for more than a year, and their machinations caused considerable turmoil in the army's high command structure."--BOOK JACKET.

Inside the Army of the Potomac

Inside the Army of the Potomac
Author: J. Gregory Acken
Publisher: Stackpole Books
Total Pages: 513
Release: 2017-09-15
Genre: History
ISBN: 081176639X

At the outbreak of war, twenty-year-old Francis Adams Donaldson enlisted in the 1st California Regiment (later known as the 71st Pennsylvania Volunteers) of the famous Philadelphia Brigade of the II Corps, Army of the Potomac. He fought at Ball’s Bluff (where he was captured) and participated in the Peninsula Campaign until he was wounded at the Battle of Fair Oaks. Upon his recovery, Donaldson reluctantly accepted promotion to a captaincy I the Corn Exchange Regiment (also known as the 118th Pennsylvania Volunteers), which served throughout its existence in the V Corps. In his new position, Donaldson participated in all the major campaigns and battles in the East through late 1863, including Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Bristoe Station, and Mine Run. Although Donaldson made no secret of his distaste for writing he consistently sent home some of his letters filled as many as fifty pages of writing paper. Nearly all of his letter were written in camp of while on active campaign, imparting a freshness and immediacy that is rarely seen. His comments on fellow soldiers—be they lowly privates of major generals—were pointed and unvarnished. In addition to writing ably and including his combat experience, Donaldson also revealed much about the seldom-mentioned factors of army life—the internal feuding, the backbiting, and the politicking that coursed through many Civil War regiments. For more than 125 years, Donaldson’s letters have lain virtually untouched in the Civil War Library and Museum of Philadelphia. J. Gregory Acken has painstakingly edited these remarkable collection, making these never-before-published letters available for the first time. Their detail and honesty will astonish and enthrall anyone who has ever taken an interest in the Civil War.

The Battle of the Potomac

The Battle of the Potomac
Author: Chip Zimmer
Publisher:
Total Pages: 394
Release: 2021-07-16
Genre:
ISBN: 9781736461907

Bobby Bowden, former West Virginia head football coach: "Chip, at first I didn't think you could get enough material to make a great story. But after seeing your outline and some of the comments, I think you have a winner. Congratulations!" Bobby Ross, former Maryland head football coach: "Chip has introduced a good idea. The game is a natural...This book tells much about the proud history of both football programs, and as a fan of either school, you will further understand the rich tradition of the both programs, and hopefully you will have the opportunity to see the renewal of the Terps vs. Mountaineers Rivalry." Johnny Holiday, Voice of the Terrapins since 1979: "Chip has written a 'must read' book for every Terrapin or Mountaineer fan. His connections with both athletic departments provide him a unique perspective and behind the scenes insight. From Danny Buggs' punt return in 1973 to Scott McBrien's revenge games in 2003 and beyond, his terrific storytelling captures the essence of this historic border rivalry." Jeff Tennant, former executive, Learfield IMG College: "Chip has enjoyed an exceptional vantage point from both sides of this rivalry and offers a unique perspective that captures the best of the many memorable players, coaches and games and also great insights on some less familiar - yet compelling - storylines." Doug Dull, former president of CoSIDA: "The Maryland-West Virginia rivalry has always been one of the most underrated in the nation, but in our area, it has a life of its own. Chip has told the stories of the heroes, goats, stars, performances and moments that have made this rivalry heart-stopping for college football fans in our area."

The Passing of the Armies

The Passing of the Armies
Author: Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing Inc.
Total Pages: 433
Release: 2013-03-06
Genre: Biography & Autobiography
ISBN: 1620874717

Written by one of the Union army's most celebrated officers, The Passing of the Armies offers a remarkable first-hand account of the final campaign of the Army of the Potomac. In his gripping memoir, first published in 1915, General Joshua Lawrence

The Army of the Potomac

The Army of the Potomac
Author: Darrell L. Collins
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 335
Release: 2013-08-26
Genre: History
ISBN: 0786473460

The Army of the Potomac fought in numerous battles, large and small, during the Civil War. This reference work compiles information from the Official Records to give a complete look at the numbers behind every battle and major campaign the Army of the Potomac participated in. Organized chronologically by battle, the numbers are broken down by corps, divisions, brigades and regiments. The data include commander's names down to the regimental level, unit strengths, casualties and losses. Indexed by commanders and by units.

"Lee is Trapped, and Must be Taken"

Author: Thomas J. Ryan
Publisher: Casemate Publishers
Total Pages: 486
Release: 2019-04-15
Genre: History
ISBN: 1611214602

This award-winning Civil War history examines Robert E. Lee’s retreat from Gettysburg and the vital importance of Civil War military intelligence. While countless books have examined the Battle of Gettysburg, the Confederate Army’s retreat to the Potomac River remains largely untold. This comprehensive study tells the full story, including how Maj. Gen. George G. Meade organized and motivated his Army of the Potomac to pursue Gen. Robert E. Lee’s retreating Army of Northern Virginia. The long and bloody battle exhausted both armies, and both faced difficult tasks ahead. Lee had to conduct an orderly withdrawal from the field. Meade had to assess whether his army had sufficient strength to pursue a still-dangerous enemy. Central to the respective commanders’ decisions was the intelligence they received about one another’s movements, intentions, and capability. The eleven-day period after Gettysburg was a battle of wits to determine which commander better understood the information he received. Prepare for some surprising revelations. The authors utilized a host of primary sources to craft this study, including letters, memoirs, diaries, official reports, newspapers, and telegrams. The immediacy of this material shines through in a fast-paced narrative that sheds significant new light on one of the Civil War’s most consequential episodes. Winner, Edwin C. Bearss Scholarly Research Award Winner, 2019, Hugh G. Earnhart Civil War Scholarship Award, Mahoning Valley Civil War Round Table