Negative Positive
Title: A misguided, directionless effort
Review: Seldom have I been as disappointed in a book as Fields of Battle. From the book jacket material I expected a discussion of the effects of geography and economics on the various campaigns in North America. Instead the book is a mishmash of travelogue, personal reminiscences and recountings of selected battles. The connection between the last chapter of the book and what preceded it escapes me entirely.And there are enough errors in the book to make one doubt its credibility. Mr. Keegan asserts that the capital of Virginia had not yet been moved to Richmond in 1781; my source material from Williamsburg states that the removal of the capital to Richmond had been approved in 1779 and accomplished in 1780. Sloppily, too, Mr. Keegan at one point locates Cape Hatteras in South Carolina.Still, the book is written to keep the reader's attention. Unfortunately, the lack of a coherent purpose and the errors are fatal problems for this effort.
Is the review positive or negative? 