Meteor Shining Brightly (Hardcover)

Patrick Cleburne came to America from Ireland as impoverished gentry during the Great Famine period. Shaped by the harshness of the British army and his Irish heritage, his concept of freedom was more political than inalienable. When his adopted country was ripped apart by Civil War, Cleburne came from nowhere to gain fame and immortality as the highest ranking Irishman of either army, and the most capable division commander of the Confederate Army.

These eleven highly readable essays explore diverse topics, including the influence of Cleburne's Irish background on his decision to fight for the South, his proposal to enlist slaves; an examination of his strategy and command skills, and the poignant romance cut short by his untimely death in the Battle of Franklin.