Hard War, Soft Empire

Mark C. Askew holds a PhD in history from Texas A&M University.

"Mark Askew's impressive biography of General James H. Wilson is an important contribution to Civil War history. His provocative analysis of the general's strategic skills should fuel further debate on that war's military leadership."-Brian McAllister Linn, author of The Echo of Battle: The Army's Way of War "This is military history at its finest. Soldier-scholar Mark Askew offers a brilliant portrait of General James H. Wilson, illuminating his role in key cavalry operations during the Civil War and elevating Wilson to his rightful place as a prominent voice in national military strategy and policy. Askew's findings are deeply researched and tightly argued, and his conclusions are timely."-Zachery A. Fry, author of A Republic in the Ranks: Loyalty and Dissent in the Army of the Potomac "Until now, James H. Wilson has been a largely overlooked figure, despite his varied and important additions to American military practice and thought in the decades from the Civil War to World War I. Mark Askew remedies this oversight with a compelling argument laced with insights derived from the author's own service at the army's highest echelons. Scholars, strategists, and anyone interested in strategy will find much to engage with here."-J. P. Clark, author of Preparing for War: The Emergence of the Modern U.S. Army, 1815-1917 "This unique and fascinating book about the power of strategic scripts over those who command in wartime will appeal equally to academic scholars, Civil War buffs, and practicing military strategists alike. Mark Askew, an experienced strategic planner and concept writer, brings a wealth of professional expertise to this case study of Gen. James H. Wilson in conventional operations, pacification, and occupation."-Lorien Foote, author of Rites of Retaliation: Civilization, Soldiers, and Campaigns in the American Civil War