Those Damned Black Hats! The Iron Brigade in the ... (ISBN 1932714480)

great insight:
Herdegen's "Those Damned Black Hats" is a powerful and moving story of the 2nd, 6th, 7th Wisc, 19th Indiana and 24th Michigan in the fighting of July 12-3 1863, Gettysburg. The book uses many previous unused primary sources which give the reader a much more human insight into the fighting solider of the Iron Brigade during this time. What I didn't realize was how the Black Hats came together with their foes in friendship at the Gettysburg reunions of 1903 and 1913. The book contains excellent maps and many previously unseen photos of the Black Hats. Also included is a list of all who registered at the Iron Brigade Tent during the 50th anniversary of the battle. The "Damned Black Hats" is well-written and 1st rate scholarship

Iron Brigade Heroes:
I am a big fan of the 'Black Hats' and eagerly anticipated this book. I was a bit surprised by the format, pleasantly surprised. This is an excellent telling of the history of the Brigade at Gettysburg and beyond, not for battle minutiae, but for the personal recollections of the 'Hats" themselves. More of this type is needed in Civil War scholarship, personal experience. To read of how the common soldier felt and reacted to battle is refreshing. One gets the feel of what it was like to be there. I highly recommend you read this book. I loved it. Now, when I walk amongst the trees of Herbst's Wood I can now understand how they felt. Joe Truglio, President, Phil Kearny CWRT

Gettysburg made new and fresh:
With great skill, Mr. Herdegen tells the "story" of the Black Hats. Reading the tale, sometimes we cry and sometimes we laugh, but always we get into the heart and soul of these brave men as they fought in a young America's greatest battle. It is so difficult now to read anything new about Gettysburg, but Mr. Herdegen has taken the old story and made it new and fresh.

A personal look at July 1, 1863:
The Iron Brigade was one of the premier combat units of the Army of the Potomac. Comprised of western regiments their distinctive headgear made them stand out in any formation. Headgear is not a combat record but the Iron Brigade compiled a very distinguished one in a very short time. They bore the proud designation of First Brigade, First Division, and First Corps, a heavy responsibility that they never shirked. I expected a history of the brigade and the book provides a good one. There is enough history to allow us to understand how the brigade received its' name and designation. I expected a history of the fighting on July 1, 1863 and the book provides an excellent account of that day. There are sufficient tactical details to make an understandable account without being bogged down and losing sight of the overall battle. The author is able to focus us on the Iron Brigade without losing sight of the bigger battle, keeping us in both the sharp tactical fighting details and making clear the general course of the battle. I expected a history of the regiments that made up the brigade to the end of the war. The book provides a clear account of the different paths each of the regiments took after Gettysburg. These three-year regiments had to reenlist in 1864 to maintain their regimental designation. We have an excellent account of what happens first to the Iron Brigade after the devastation of Gettysburg and after I Corps is disbanded. This gives the reader a look into the problems associated with maintaining regiments over time. This is the saddest part of the book and we understand the heartache of these men when associations built in battle were broken. I expected a post war history too. Again, the book does not disappoint providing an excellent look at the associations formed and the histories written after the war. A secondary story is how a Western Brigade fared in an Eastern Army. We have very little about the politics of Union veteran associations and this is a valuable contribution. What I did not expect was the author's ability to make Gettysburg a personal experience! The fighting is a combination of the standard "Company F fired a volley" and the words of the men firing that volley. I have never read a Gettysburg book that rendered the battle in such personal detail. This was almost talking to these men and hearing them describe what they did. This is an excellent book, full of historical details and personal experiences. The author has done an excellent job in pulling this all together in a very readable and enjoyable book. Bradley M. Gottfried's excellent maps both complement and support the text. This is another excellent Civil War book from Savas Beatie and is entitled to full membership in that exclusive club.

Sorry to rain on the parade:
Mr. Herdegen has proven himself to be a great researcher. I commend him for that, and for offering a variety of common soldier insights with this new book. However, I have a variety of complaints that justify my two-star review. 1. There are a few incorrect dates that no Iron Brigade expert should write -- Haskell was killed in 1864, not 1863. Also, the First Corps was disbanded in March 1864, not January. No one is perfect, but the world's leading expert on the brigade shouldn't make such mistakes. 2. Sloppy editing -- grammar and proof reading errors abound. I wonder if this is a Herdegen problem, or more the fault of publisher Savas Beatie. Nonetheless, the errors are quite annoying. It seems this book was a rush job, and it shows. 3. Repetition of key points gets quite bothersome -- the 24th's Michigan's escort of Lincoln's funeral procession is mentioned 3 times late in the book. Other such problems are evident throughout the book. 4. Herdegen has now published several books on the Iron Brigade. Why not just do a new history of the unit? Nolan's great work is now nearly 50 years old. Instead of writing a book about how the brigade won its name and the brigade at Gettysburg (which includes unnecessary pages before and after the battle), just do a new history of the Iron Brigade already! I'm a big Iron Brigade fan, and I have high regard for Mr. Herdegen's knowledge of primary sources. I just don't think this book deserves the treatment it is getting from other reviewers here.