No, not the Tom Cruise movie, but the title of an article on MSN today. Basically it is talking about a book by Max Hastings, Warriors: Portraits from the Battlefield.


I'm sure the book is much better than this little article but it caught my eye. The article begins by saying that it is "A hurried man's guide to unsung war heroes."


A Few Good Men

First off of course is these four people aren't all men, there is one women. Second is how it describes ACW Union General Joshua Chamberlain. I would certainly not called Chamberlain "unsung." Thanks to the movie Gettysburg Chamberlain is probably the third most famous general, to non historians, of the ACW, after Lee and Grant. The deiscription of his most famous battle though is totally false.

"Claim to fame: Single-handedly turned the tide of the war by commanding his men-armed with only bayonets-to take a strategic hilltop at the battle of Gettysburg."

Of course it was hardly "single-handedly" because he was in command of a regiment, and those othe men had something to do with his success. His men started the fight armed with more than bayonets, it was only the last charge that was only by bayonets. Lastly Chamberlain was defending Little Round Top, not taking it.

I'm ranting here but this is an example of "popular history." I think it's great that people are exposed to history, so they will be encouraged to learn more, but expose them to factual history, please.

Hmmmm, you'd think better of Hastings than that -- he has several "definitives" under his belt -- Korea & D-Day come to mind (not actual titles).

I'd assume that some media know-nothing screwed the pooch on the write up first ...

John

Sheesh! It had better of been an article screw up because...well... That is some of the worst mockery of history I've ever heard of. To claim he did it singlehandedly is a downright insult to those who helped him, that they had no ammunition is just flat out BS, and that he would say he took the hill that way (as opposed to defending it) is just downright stupidity. A complete revision of history that is!