Reviewed by:

• Tempest Over Texas: The Fall and Winter Campaigns of 1863–1864 by Donald S. Frazier
• Charles David Grear

The Trans-Mississippi theater is often ignored by most Civil War historians or given cursory treatment at best. Donald S. Frazier has challenged this trend throughout his award-winning publishing career, but he truly hits his stride with Tempest over Texas. This book, the fourth in a series that examines the Civil War in Louisiana and Texas, focuses on the months between the fall of New Orleans and the Red River Campaign. Frazier [End Page 102] describes the events in these states as a chess match. He demonstrates that even the smallest of movements had an impact on the strategies of both sides. Woven into the narrative are the smaller stories of the region, such as the impact of war on civilians, the divisions between secessionists and Unionists, refugee slaves, and the plight of immigrants, to name a few. A chapter is even devoted to the impact of a tropical storm on the Battle of Botany Bay Plantation.

Bringing these perspectives to life is Frazier's talent for using the participants' words to enhance the narrative. Sundry characters range from generals to privates of both armies, as well as slaves serving their masters on the front lines and civilians on the home front. An interesting aspect of the study is Frazier's treatment of Nathanial P. Banks, whom Frazier transforms from a failed, one-dimensional general appointed because of his political connections into a two-dimensional person whose situation is more complicated than most Civil War historians realize. By the end of the book, the reader sympathizes with Banks instead of defining him as militarily incompetent. It will be interesting to see if this view of Banks changes in the forthcoming volume that examines the Red River Campaign.

Although the series focuses on Louisiana, Texas plays a prominent role in each book, especially in this one, as the title states. Events in one state affect the other in many ways. Frazier's familiarity with naval history comes to light in his examination of the Battle of Sabine Pass. Divided loyalties in Texas come to the fore when Edmund J. Davis and his First Texas Cavalry (Union) occupy Brownsville and scout up the Rio Grande to cut off the Texas cotton trade. Additionally, the occupation of the Texas coast and potential capture of Houston receive significant attention.

The greatest contribution this book makes to the study of the Civil War in the Trans-Mississippi is perspective, which is generally lost in most studies of this theater because they examine commanders, units, battles, and campaigns. Frazier brilliantly weaves the narrow focus of this book together with all the movements and battles in Texas and Louisiana, placing them in the context of the entire war and United States foreign policy. Almost every engagement is connected to the turmoil in Mexico and Abraham Lincoln's strategy, demonstrating that the Trans-Mississippi theater is not just a tangential curiosity of the war; it contributed significantly to the overall strategy for both the Union and the Confederacy.

Tempest Over Texas will appeal to many readers. Academics will appreciate the exhaustive research, Civil War enthusiasts the numerous stories and details of battles, and the common reader its wit. Numerous maps and more than a hundred photographs and images support the narrative. Frazier's deep appreciation of the history of the Civil War in Louisiana and Texas is clear throughout the book. [End Page 103]

审核人：

• 德克萨斯的暴风雨：1863-1864 年的秋季和冬季运动，唐纳德 S.弗雷泽
• 查尔斯·大卫·格雷尔

大多数内战历史学家经常忽略跨密西西比剧院，或者充其量只是粗略地对待。Donald S. Frazier 在他屡获殊荣的出版生涯中一直在挑战这一趋势，但他在德克萨斯州的 Tempest 中真正取得了长足的进步。本书是考察路易斯安那州和德克萨斯州内战系列丛书的第四部，重点关注新奥尔良陷落和红河战役之间的几个月。弗雷泽[第 102 页结束]将这些状态中的事件描述为国际象棋比赛。他证明，即使是最小的动作也会对双方的战略产生影响。故事中交织着该地区的小故事，例如战争对平民的影响、分离主义者和工会主义者之间的分歧、难民奴隶以及移民的困境，等等。甚至有一章专门讨论热带风暴对植物学湾种植园之战的影响。

将这些观点带入生活是弗雷泽使用参与者的话来增强叙事的才能。各种各样的角色从两军的将军到士兵，以及在前线为主人服务的奴隶和在后方的平民。该研究的一个有趣方面是弗雷泽对纳撒尼尔·班克斯的处理，弗雷泽将他从一个失败的、因政治关系而被任命的一维将军转变为一个二维人，其处境比大多数内战历史学家意识到的要复杂。在本书的结尾，读者同情班克斯，而不是将他定义为军事无能。看看班克斯的这种观点是否会在即将检查红河战役的卷中发生变化将会很有趣。

尽管该系列侧重于路易斯安那州，但正如标题所述，德克萨斯州在每本书中都扮演着重要角色，尤其是在这本书中。一种状态中的事件以多种方式影响另一种状态。弗雷泽对海军历史的熟悉在他对萨宾山口海战的考察中得以体现。当埃德蒙·J·戴维斯（Edmund J. Davis）和他的第一德州骑兵（联盟）占领布朗斯维尔并侦察格兰德河以切断德克萨斯州的棉花贸易时，德克萨斯州的分裂忠诚就显得尤为突出。此外，德克萨斯海岸的占领和休斯顿的潜在占领受到了极大的关注。

本书对跨密西西比内战研究的最大贡献是透视，在大多数对该战区的研究中通常会丢失透视，因为它们检查指挥官、部队、战斗和战役。弗雷泽将本书的狭窄焦点与德克萨斯州和路易斯安那州的所有运动和战斗巧妙地交织在一起，将它们置于整个战争和美国外交政策的背景下。几乎每一次交战都与墨西哥的动荡和亚伯拉罕·林肯的战略有关，这表明跨密西西比战区不仅仅是战争的切线好奇心；它对联盟和邦联的总体战略做出了重大贡献。

德克萨斯州的暴风雨将吸引许多读者。学者将欣赏详尽的研究，内战爱好者将欣赏战斗的众多故事和细节，以及普通读者的智慧。许多地图和一百多张照片和图像支持叙述。弗雷泽对路易斯安那州和德克萨斯州内战历史的深刻理解贯穿全书。[结束第 103 页]