The plural of "anecdote" is not "history."

The Army of the Potomac's Irish Brigade was one of the most famous military units of the American Civil War, although the results it achieved probably did not match up to its fame. Badly commanded, badly served by the officers who ordered it into action, and often stuck in bad places, perhaps the most noteworthy thing about the brigade is the incredible rate of casualties it suffered -- a point officer Craughwell makes quite clearly. If blood is the price of fame, the Irish Brigade earned every historical mention it has ever gotten, including many contemporary songs about the brigade and especially its 69th New York Regiment (although it appears that only one of the songs, now usually known as "By the Hush," has survived in oral tradition to this day). If all you want to know is how badly the poor Irishmen suffered, this book will serve you well.

But if you want to understand its actual role in the Civil War, you'll need to read something by an author who actually understands Civil War armies.

Case in point: the word "division." In the Civil War, two to four brigades formed a division, and two to four divisions formed a corps. The Irish Brigade was a brigade in the First Division of the Second Corps. Before the Battle of Fredericksburg, General Ambrose Burnside, commanding the Army of the Potomac, had six corps, which he thought (probably correctly) was too many to manage directly. So he grouped the corps into higher organizations. He might have called them "wings" -- a pretty typical term at the time -- but, for whatever reason, decided to call them "Grand Divisions." There were two corps per Grand Division. Thus a Grand Division was an organization about six times as large as a division. But Craughwell's description of Fredericksburg confuses divisions and grand divisions, and on page 125 he says how Joe Hooker broke up Burnside's divisions when he means Hooker dissolved the Grand Divisions. This mistake completely messes up his description of that period.

Or take his description of Chancellorsville. When Stonewall Jackson was hurt, Lee assigned "Jeb" Stuart to command Jackson's corps. But Craughwell never explains that Stuart had done so; he just talks about Jackson's troops and then, suddenly, Stuart's troops. Anyone would assume that Stuart's troops mean Stuart's cavalry division, not Jackson's corps. Also, on p. 133, Craughwell calls Harry Heth a Major General. He wasn't. He was a brigadier, who had inherited A. P. Hill's division when Hill replaced Jackson and then was hurt -- meaning that Heth was exercising the authority of a major general. But he wasn't a major general, and again, the whole impression is wrong.

My feeling -- and that's all it is, a feeling -- is that Craughwell mostly has his anecdotes right, so the "color" of this book is generally accurate. But as a history, it's very bad. If you truly want to learn about either the Civil War, or the Irish Brigade, you'll need something with a better ability to put this heroic, badly used Irish soldiers into a context. ( )

As blue merges with gray a green banner rises from the fray and surges forward through the deadly hail of lead and the blue follows in a solemn but not with lack of spirit. The Irish Brigade with bayonets fixed charges, and as their comrades fall, the mass of blue sweeps over the confederates like an ocean over rocks. The moans of fallen men fills their ears and many know that the same fate awaits many of them, but still they charge. Through smoke and lead, the green banner is raised high as the shout of the Irish Brigade fills the air, “ Faugh a Balah,” or “ clear the way.”
The book The Greatest Brigade is the true story of the Irish Brigade in the Civil War. This book is the biography of the brigade that changed the tide of many battles and the war. It started in 1861 when the first shots were fired on fort Sumner. The Irish Brigade answered Lincoln's call for 70000 troops to put down the rebellion. Founded by Thomas Meagher the Irish Brigade was formed of only people of Irish descent. The brigade finally got its call to battle at the battle of First Manassas in 1861. During this battle the Irish Brigade showed bravery and honor and was able to kill of much of the discrimination of the army. During the war the Irish were thought of as unworthy to be in America and fighting for their country proved this stereotype wrong and made a positive name for the Irish. Throughout the war the Irish fought not only with the rebels, but also with the American people at home.
This book is a great read and very detailed. The book talks about the background of the Irish in America and the formation of the Brigade. The part I found very disappointing about the book is that they tell you about the battles outcome before they even tell you what happened during the battle. I would recommend this book only for people with a very experienced background on the Civil war because it only talks about that units contribution and not about the outcome of the battles. Overall I would say that it is an okay book, but there are many areas where it could be improved.

A fine book about one of the greatest stories coming out of the Civil War. Well presented and accessible to the casual reader, it fits well on any bookshelf or coffee table. ( )

This is a good regimental history of the Irish Brigade ,who participated in all the battles of the American Civil War from Bull Run to Appomattox Court House. The author illustrates the problems facing Irish immigrants fleeing to America from post-Famine Ireland in the 1840's and 1850's and the the anti-Catholic predujice suffered by them at the hands of the Protestant establishment. The founding of the Irish Brigade in 1861, gave the Irish an opportunity to enhance their status in America by rallying to the Union cause. Their bravery on the battlefield especially the desperate attack at Mayre's Heights was recognised by their Confederate enemy ,who saluted them. They were also heavily involved in the attack on the "Sunken Road" at the Battle of Antietam and in the "Wheatfield" at the Battle of Gettysburg. The book is genuine history but also partly polemic and I feel the author has just missed the wonderful opportunity to write the definitive book about the Irish Brigade. Despite this small reservation ,I salute Thomas Craughwell and recommend a very good read. ( )