As Homo sapiens living on planet Earth, we are a species plagued by constant conflict, not with other citizens of other worlds,
but amongst ourselves. However irrational such conflicts might be, they are part of the reality with which we must cope, and for any group that finds itself engaged in war—however unwanted it may be—a study of military tactics becomes vital. In this study of the strategy engaged by the Confederate army during the American Civil War, Grady McWhiney and Perry D. Jamieson explore the reasoning behind the infamous Confederate charges, and the big mistake that may very well have cost the South a victory. They argue that the South should have fought a
defensive war, as the offensive
approach that it took cost the Confederates many lives that, given the small Southern population, could not be replaced. This book also describes the technological advances in weaponry that took place during the war, and how such innovations supported the idea that a defensive strategy would have been more effective. The Southern mindset, argue McWhiney and Jamieson, only encouraged this seemingly suicidal approach. Seeing themselves as superior to the North, the Confederacy believed that God would help them win the war (always a dangerous mindset) and that it would be over quickly. Southern generals made the mistake of believing that the tactics they had used during the Mexican-American War would work in this war, not taking into account the advances in technology. Thus, they found themselves going into battle with an outdated strategy. At times, Attack and Die closely resembles a textbook, bogged down with tedious details, and written in a style with which the reader has difficulty keeping himself engaged. Nevertheless, it proves itself a valuable historiographic work, and a study vital for any Civil War aficionado to consider.