"For too long one of the Civil War's decisive campaigns has been ignored by historians. In Where the South Lost the War, Kendall Gott tells the story of the Fort Henry-Fort Donelson campaign, the operation that shattered the initial Confederate defense line in the west and enabled Union amphibious forces to thrust deep into the Southern heartland. Gott blends his experiences as a combat veteran with those of a military historian to provide a gripping narration of day-to-day operations. Particularly relevant are his penetrating analyses of the leaders, their command decisions, and their strengths and weaknesses. These elements combine to give the readers a masterful account of the campaign that served as a major milepost on `Unconditional Surrender' Grant's road to Appomattox Court House and the White House."---Edwin C. Bearss, Historian Emeritus, National Park Service<BR><BR>"Some historians argue that the pivotal action of the Civil War was not Antietam or Gettysburg, but the twin Confederate losses at Forts Henry and Donelson, the battles that opened the way for the union juggernaut to penetrate the Southern heartland and carve it into pieces, though it would take three years to accomplish. Kendall Gott's Where the South Lost the War is our first comprehensive look at those turning points in some years, and is especially good on the oft-dismissed Fort Henry operations. It should establish itself as the standard word on both engagements and their impact for the next generation."---William C. Davis, Director of Programs for the Virginia Center for Civil War Studies and the author of more than forty books on Civil War and Southern history