This is a rather pedestrian telling of one of the most important battles of the U.S. Civil War. It does use written accounts of the participants and the maps are extensive but it never really quite captures the horror. The background is good. The impact is fairly well outlined. Still, we never quite get into the heads of Grant, Sherman, Beauregard, or other significant leaders. That Grant and Sherman made serious errors is unquestionable. Nevertheless, it was early in the war and they both seemed to have learned lessons. Southern leadership, on the other hand, seems to present itself as if it ought to win. It is true that generalship means willing to spill blood but it has to be for a purpose. The waste of human life is very obvious in this battle, more by the South than the North since the South was the impelling force, at least on the first day.To see Shiloh Church today is to see a most tranquil setting which is probably how it looked before the battle. ( )