The Heart of Hell, Jeffry D. Wert
The Heart of Hell, Jeffry D. Wert
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

The Heart of Hell
The Soldiers' Struggle for Spotsylvania's Bloody Angle

Author: Jeffry D. Wert

Narrator: Al Kessel

Unabridged: 9 hr 57 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 12/27/2022


Synopsis

The struggle over the fortified Confederate position known as Spotsylvania's Mule Shoe was without parallel during the Civil War. A Union assault that began at 4:30 A.M. on May 12, 1864, sparked brutal combat that lasted nearly twenty-four hours. By the time Grant's forces withdrew, some 55,000 men from Union and Confederate armies had been drawn into the fury, battling in torrential rain along the fieldworks at distances often less than the length of a rifle barrel. One Union private recalled the fighting as a "seething, bubbling, soaring hell of hate and murder." By the time Lee's troops established a new fortified line in the predawn hours of May 13, some 17,500 officers and men from both sides had been killed, wounded, or captured when the fighting ceased. The site of the most intense clashes became forever known as the Bloody Angle.

Here, renowned military historian Jeffry D. Wert draws on the personal narratives of Union and Confederate troops who survived the fight to offer a gripping story of Civil War combat at its most difficult. Wert's harrowing tale reminds us that the war's story, often told through its commanders and campaigns, truly belonged to the common soldier.

About Jeffry D. Wert

Jeffry D. Wert is the author of seven books on the Civil War, including The Sword of Lincoln: The Army of the Potomac and Gettysburg, Day Three, as well as many essays and articles. He lives in Centre Hall, Pennsylvania.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Joseph

More of a campaign study than a traditional battle narrative, this book was still immensely rewarding. The author describes for us the epic encounter at the Mule Shoe; a contest between armies that eventually became a vicious combat between individuals. The thing I liked most about the book was the......more

Goodreads review by Tim

This was a really great look at the assault on the "Mule Shoe" salient on May 12, 1984 at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House. Wert does a fantastic job and conveying the horror of war and the horrors of the aftermath of the battle. Descriptions of the dead and wounded in the aftermath of the bat......more

Goodreads review by Ron

What a truly inspirational read! The conditions and horrors these brave men endured was truly inspiring. The author made good use of quotes from participants to give you the feel of being in the middle of the action. This is a great read and a must read for the civil war enthusiast. I highly recomme......more

Goodreads review by Rebecca

Every now and then you read a book that makes you just sit back and go "OH MY GOODNESS." I am reviewing this, even though I have not fully finished the book - the link expired before I could finish reading. While I was wanting to read more - it was hard to read on the computer after spending hours e......more

Goodreads review by Kenneth

This is a book detailing the battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse in May,1864. Grant has taken over the Army of the Potomac replacing Meade. Grant keeps Meade on as titular head of the army. Grant has taken his usual agressive approach and wants to keep pressure on Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia......more