All in all this is a very good examination of the battle that shutdown the Confederacy's final hope of reentering Missouri and retaining Arkansas; this being the last of Richmond's 1862 counter-attacks. The problem for Thomas Hindman's Army of the Trans-Mississippi is that it was at the very end of its logistical tether when it met the Union Army of the Frontier. This meant that even though Hindman arguably won a tactical victory, he had no choice but to vacate the field immediately; that this battle didn't count for more is a commentary on Hindman losing his nerve and not sticking with his original plan, as he was in a position to beat the divided Union force in detail. That the Union commanders on the spot, James Blunt & Francis Herron, aren't better known is possibly a commentary on the intrigues of John Schofield, the nominal commander of the Union field force, as he managed not to reach the field of battle before the contest was decided and resented his subordinates getting their 15 minutes of glory. Then again, both of these Union and Confederate armies pretty much evaporated after this battle; there being bigger fights for which their troops were needed. ( )

Very detailed study of the often overlooked Trans-Mississippi battle of Prairie Grove. While the battle may lack name recognition due to location or due to a lack of the most prominent commanders in the war, the battle still featured brutal fighting and consequences for those involved. The book dives into the relationships between various leaders including between the Confederates Hindman and Holmes as well as the senior Federal commanders including Blunt, Herron, Curtis and Schofield. Hindman's strategy to bring about a fight while keeping two Federal forces separated ultimately failed but not before a back and forth struggle, charge and counter-charge across the prairie in a one day battle ended by nightfall. The fighting and movements of the armies are well described, and several maps are included. ( )

CFYAA