With the publication of his second book length Red River manuscript, Gary Joiner is cementing his position as one of the leading authorities on this important 1864 Trans-Mississippi military campaign. What sets Joiner's work apart from that of previous historians is his in-depth analysis of the goegraphy of the Red River Valley and of the Confederate fortifications and engineering projects designed for its defense. He argues that these Confederate efforts were instrumental in turning back the Federal amphibious advance. This view certainly provides a counterweight to the campaign literature's prevailing wisdom that the primary reason behind the Union defeat was Banks's command failures. In his writing, Joiner joins the chorus of harsh critics of Banks's generalship but his willingness to examine more deeply the 'other side' has led to some startling discoveries, all of which are detailed in his new book, Through the Howling Wilderness.

Because the two are similarly structured and and share so many thematic elements, it would perhaps be most helpful to review this book partly in the context of Joiner's previous manuscript One Damn Blunder from Beginning to End (reviewed in North & South Volume 6 #6). With his latest work, Joiner had included more background material and he's also written a chapter at the end analyzing the findings of the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War. The author's assessment of the validity of the information contained in both reports is evenhanded, yet I was surprised that Joiner did not find it an intriguing possibility that Banks's lone defender on the committee, Rep. Gooch of Massachusetts, authored the minority report's impassioned defense of Banks mainly to curry political favor. Although somewhat more tactical detail is included in Through the Howling Wilderness, the campaign's battles are still dealt with in very brief summaries. Howeewr, other comon elements are greatly expanded. The construction of the defenses of Shreveport (the nerve center of the department) and other sites downriver are described in the text in minute fashion. The system devised by Confederate engineers to dramatically lower the river's depth in case of attack (one of the important discoveries mentioned above) has received its most complete treatment to date here. Additionally, much more space is devoted to the campaign's Arkansas front.

Numerous photographs, illustrations, and 23 maps accompany the text, appreciably enhancing the value of the book. The maps vary rather widely in quality and level of detail (a particularly beautiful one depicts the defenses of Shreveport but they clearly serve as an asset to the book overall. Several appendices, comprised of letters, order of battle information, a listing of U.S. navy vessels involved in the campaign, and an event timeline, are also throughtfully included.

In the final assessment, readers of all stripes should find this book useful. Those seeking an introductory history will gain a suitably broad understanding of the campaign. At the other end of the spectrum, dedicated Red River students already familiar with the campaign's literature--including author Gary Joiner's previoius work--will likely discover enough new information to satisfy them.