Shiloh—In Hell Before Night.  By James Lee McDonough.  Knoxville: The University of Tennessee Press, 1977.

Producing one of the first synthetic works on the Battle of Shiloh, Professor emeritus of history at Auburn University, James Lee McDonough, created this work upon realizing that no definitive study existed on the topic.  Thus, Shiloh – In Hell Before Night offers a thorough overview of the deadly and tragic events that occurred at this famous Tennessee Battle.  Ultimately, the author reveals and explains the various blunders set forth by both Confederate and Union soldiers and examines the impact upon the battle and ultimately the War. The author determines that ineffective strategy on both sides coupled with lackluster officers contributed to this costly battle.    Yet, in addition to focusing on battle strategies and generals, the author adds a social element by offering insight into the thoughts of the common soldier as they suffered or prevailed on the battlefield.   Despite the arrival of another Shiloh book released around the same time as McDonough’s work, he proves to be an important source on the battle. 

Within the book, the author presents several important objectives that define the battle, most notably defense and offense strategies, the preparation measures and limitations that faced both armies, but perhaps the most entertaining are the personal anecdotes provided by generals and soldiers.  The crux of McDonough book, however, focuses on both the general confusion of the Confederate and Union armies and the strategies employed by Grant, Johnston and Beauregard.  Both groups remained unprepared concerning general provisions and supplies, haphazard strategic direction, and the general positions of their particular divisions, which caused utter mayhem in battle.  The author’s effort to produce a single narrative dedicated to this battle does, at certain points, offer a bit of redundancy and confusion as he narrowly describes minute event. Nonetheless, his attention to unpacking certain strategies and position will surely benefit the Civil War and military historian.

McDonough’s detailed work provides a thorough glimpse into the entire account of the Battle of Shiloh, beginning with an overview of Southern Tennessee’s physical terrain to the final shot.  What might have proved a confusing read was circumvented by McDonough use of maps and images, which provide the reader with a clear, visual understanding of the battle’s location, the separate divisions and their movements, as well as the location of the rail lines.   McDonough’s sources included diaries, letters, newspapers and military documents.  His use of newspapers, letters and diary entries created another element for this dramatic story as the author used these sources to weave personal anecdotes into his narrative.  In addition, he carefully and successfully reveals the apparent tension between both Union and Confederate officers in command. This process allowed for a deeper understanding and sensitivity for the common soldier and officer.   Thus, over thirty years ago, McDonough’s new study provided one of the first accounts of this battle, and yet several decades later his book still offers a notable contribution to the historiography of the Civil War for its detailed account of the battle, thorough description of the men and dramatic storyline.

Amber Surmiller                                                                                  Texas Christian University