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Title details for The Unvanquished by Patrick K. O'Donnell - Wait list

The Unvanquished

The Untold Story of Lincoln's Special Forces, the Manhunt for Mosby's Rangers, and the Shadow War That Forged America's Special Operations

by Patrick K. O'Donnell
Fred Sanders
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From the bestselling author of The Indispensables, the unknown and dramatic story of irregular guerrilla warfare that altered the course of the Civil War and inspired the origins of America's modern special operations forces.
The Civil War is most remembered for the grand battles that have come to define it: Gettysburg, Antietam, Shiloh, among others. However, as bestselling author Patrick K. O'Donnell reveals in The Unvanquished, a vital shadow war raged amid and away from the major battlefields that was in many ways equally consequential to the conflict's outcome.

At the heart of this groundbreaking narrative is the epic story of Lincoln's special forces, the Jessie Scouts, told in its entirety for the first time. In a contest fought between irregular units, the Scouts hunted John Singleton Mosby's Confederate Rangers from the middle of 1863 up to war's end at Appomattox. With both sides employing pioneering tradecraft, they engaged in dozens of raids and spy missions, often perilously wearing the other's uniform, risking penalty of death if captured. Clashing violently on horseback, the unconventional units attacked critical supply lines, often capturing or killing high-value targets. North and South deployed special operations that could have changed the war's direction in 1864, and crucially during the Appomattox Campaign, Jessie Scouts led the Union Army to a final victory. They later engaged in a history-altering proxy war against France in Mexico, earning seven Medals of Honor; many Scouts mysteriously disappeared during that conflict, taking their stories to their graves.

An expert on special operations, O'Donnell transports listeners into the action, immersing them in vivid battle scenes from previously unpublished firsthand accounts. He introduces indelible characters such as Scout Archibald Rowand; Scout leader Richard Blazer; Mosby, the master of guerrilla warfare; and enslaved spy Thomas Laws. O'Donnell also brings to light the Confederate Secret Service's covert efforts to deliver the 1864 election to Peace Democrats through ballot fraud, election interference, and attempts to destabilize a population fatigued by a seemingly forever war. Most audaciously, the Secret Service and Mosby's Rangers planned to kidnap Abraham Lincoln in order to maintain the South's independence.

A little-known chronicle of the shadow war between North and South, rich in action and offering original perspective on history, The Unvanquished is a dynamic and essential addition to the literature of the Civil War.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    May 7, 2024

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9781668119983
      • File size: 372608 KB
      • Duration: 12:56:15

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • AudioFile Magazine
      O'Donnell is arguably at the forefront of contemporary historians of America's special forces, and this well-written account of the mostly unknown Civil War irregulars is superbly read by Fred Sanders. The history shows how effective both sides' irregulars were and how their actions and legacy were an inspiration for the formation of American Special Operations in WWII. The author focuses on the Federal Jessie Scouts and Confederate Mosby's Rangers in Northern Virginia but also on both sides' secret services. The audiobook ends with U.S. covert operations in French-occupied Mexico after the Civil War. The stories are all amazing and needed to be told. Sanders's deep, authoritative voice is a good match to the text. His delivery is somewhat staccato, but his enunciation is deliberate and clear. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      Starred review from July 1, 2024

      Bestselling military historian O'Donnell (The Indispensables) presents the story of guerilla warfare during the Civil War. The work focuses on Lincoln's handpicked special forces, the Jessie Scouts, and their little-known history, which O'Donnell intertwines with stories about their counterparts, Mosby's Rangers and the Confederate Secret Service. The Scouts were tasked with secretly collecting intelligence to prevent surprise attacks and relentlessly hunting John Singleton Mosby's Confederate Rangers from the middle of 1863 until the end of the war. These unconventional "shadow warrior" units engaged in raids and undercover spy missions, forming the foundation and inspiration for Colonel "Wild Bill" Donovan's Office of Strategic Services and the Green Berets. Award-winning narrator Fred Sanders's crisp, controlled delivery enhances the vitality of this essential work, conveying O'Donnell's words with authority and breathing life into a dynamic narrative of special-forces action during the Civil War. VERDICT A ground-breaking addition to Civil War history and a timely update to The Secret War for the Union by Edwin C. Fishel and Mosby's Confederacy by Thomas J. Evans and James M. Moyer.--Dale Farris

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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