Richard Slotkin provides a nice addition to any Civil War library with his compelling book - The Long Road to Antietam. Slotkin focuses on the political run-up to the battle, particularly General McClellan and his motivations, political ambitions, and general poor leadership when it comes to tactical decisions on a battlefield.

Slotkin also spends considerable time with the Emancipation Proclamation, it's effect on the war, and Lincoln's reason for doing it.

While Slotkin perhaps overstated the crisis of government - military versus civilian leadership of the army and McClellan's desire to stage a coup, there is no denying the love the troops did have for the General. And for good reason, as McClellan kept his troops safe from harms way.

Recommended, not for the details which other books do better, but the entire well-rounded package which explains the political forces of the day and the reasons behind decisions and outcomes. ( )

An insightful dissection of the Antietam campaign. Slotkin emphasizes the effect that George McClellan's political ambitions had on his management of the campaign, and his tactical mistakes during the battle. GBM was quite the political general, and his manner and conduct is contrasted with that of R.E. Lee, and Abraham Lincoln's as well. Lee and Lincoln come off better than George. ( )

This book is a very good analysis of the events surrounding the Battle of Antietam which is much more than just a military history of the battle. The author's analysis of this event includes an extensive account of the political events surrounding the battle and also tells the story of the career of George B. McClellan as the commander of the Army of the Potomac.
George B. McClellan was named commander of the newly formed Army of the Potomac in August of 1861 after the disastrous Union defeat in the First Battle of Bull Run. The author begins the book shortly after the end of the Peninsular campaign in August of 1862. The Army of the Potomac had been defeated by Robert E. Lee and John Pope was appointed to command the Army of Virginia. McClellan's troops were slowly being transferred to Pope leaving McClellan a general without an army. McClellan was typically slow in getting his troops to Pope which contributed to Pope's defeat in the Second Battle of Bull Run. Pope was removed and Lincoln reluctantly placed McClellan back in command of Pope's troops which were united with the Army of the Potomac.
During this time McClellan had been making efforts to gain control of the Union's political policy. Working with members of the Democratic party he opposed Republican members of Congress who had passed legislation freeing the slaves in the District of Columbia and the Second Confiscation Act which provided for the liberation of slaves owned by "convicted rebels". McClellan wanted to leave slavery as it was and seek a negotiated peace with the South. This argument is backed up by the author's inclusion in the book of some of McClellan's correspondence which was not previously available. Members of his staff advocated a military coup to make McClellan a dictator. Lincoln in July of 1862 had presented the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation to the Cabinet and was waiting for a Union military victory to issue it to the country.
In August of 1862 Jefferson Davis made a decision to change the Confederacy's defensive military policy and invade the North. In the west the troops of Braxton Bragg and Kirby Smith were sent into Kentucky. In the east Lee's Army of Northern Virginia began an invasion of Maryland. As Lee moved his army into Maryland he split his forces and sent Stonewall Jackson to capture Harper's Ferry. The plans for movements of Lee's army were written up and distributed in what was called Special Order 191. On September 13 a copy of the order was found wrapped around three cigars in an abandoned camp by Union soldiers. It was delivered to McClellan that day and he then possessed the battle plans of his enemy.
The author does an excellent job in describing the military action which took place leading up to the Battle of Antietam. He begins each chapter with the time and place of the events described and makes what is a rather complex series of events easy to follow. His description of the Battle of Antietam follows this pattern going hour by hour over the different areas of the battlefield. The battle was one of the most hard fought of the war. Lee was outnumbered and forced to fight on the defensive. McClellan's attack was not well coordinated and late in the afternoon Confederate reinforcements arrived saving Lee's army from destruction. The battle is well known for the largest number of casualties suffered by American soldiers in one day.
After the battle Lee's army retreated back to Virginia. McClellan was convinced that this victory was his moment to assume control of Union military and political strategy. Instead five days after the battle Lincoln issued the Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. This event marked the moment when the Civil War became a war of revolution which resulted in the destruction of slavery and the subjugation of the South. McClellan was removed from command on November 5 and ordered to report for further orders which never came.
This review is a cursory description of a book filled with details that create a panorama in time. I found this to be an excellent work of history. The author went beyond the usual narrative to describe the basis for some of the monumental changes that occurred during the Civil War. He was able to portray the interaction of events and personalities and give the reader an understanding of how historical change happens. ( )

The dubious victory of McClellan at Antietam, though not a military turning point in the war, allowed President Abraham Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation an incredible turning point in US history defining the future fabric of our society. The author succinctly summed it up: "The Union won at Antietam because it had the bigger battalions-it could better afford the costs of McClellan's ineptitude than the Confederate's the cost of Lee's genius." This incredible book not only details the battles leading up to and including Antietam but gives us insights into the thoughts, strategies and repercussions of each move militarily and politically. The author allows us to consider many possibilities of what happened or could have happened. Anyone interested in the American Civil War should read this book.
I received my copy in a Goodreads giveaway. ( )

EXCELLENT Best yet on McClellan's rank ambition and betrayal of the Union. A must read. ( )