Thomas Ayres

If one is looking to read a book exclusively about the battle of Mansfield, this volume, despite the title, is not the one to choose. The author does not discuss the battle itself until Chapter 16, 85% of the way through the book and then for just fourteen pages. The major focus of the book is General Richard Taylor’s involvement with the conflict in southern Louisiana. This tale begins in 1860 and traces his (and peripherally other) characters through the war and ends with the battle referred to in the title.
To me, a major deficiency of the work is the absence of any maps. Geography heavily influenced the war in Louisiana and not having even a basic graphical reference is a major inconvenience.
Having described what I felt are deficiencies in the book, I must say that it did serve well to describe the overall situation and did discuss the political and military factors which gave shape to it. The book was well-written and an informative general presentation about a not-too-well-known arena.
In summary, a reversal of the title and subtitle would more accurately describe the work.… (mer)