"Deeply researched and extremely well written, Union General is an excellent biography that should appeal to all readers who are interested in the Civil War."—Roger D. Cunningham, Journal of America's Military Past
"Shea's gift for telling a readable story allows readers to gain much on a fighting general during the Mexican War and Civil War, as well as insight into the economic changes to the United States during the Industrial Revolution, end of slavery, and a significant rise in immigration to the United States. It makes Union General a must read for historians and general readers alike."—David Marshall, On Point: The Journal of Army History
"Those interested in the Civil War, the West, or the nineteenth-century United States generally will find Union General informative and worthwhile."—Michael A. Hill, Western Historical Quarterly
"Samuel Ryan Curtis was a Civil War officer who never received the recognition that he deserved. After authoring campaign studies of Pea Ridge, Prairie Grove, and Vicksburg, William L. Shea delivers a full-length study that appraises the military actions of Curtis, the most successful Union general west of the Mississippi River."—Brad D. Lookingbill, Nebraska History
"This biography has much to recommend it to serious scholars of the Civil War. . . . Even the casual reader who enjoys biography will find the book fascinating and engaging."—Carl H. Moneyhon, Arkansas Historical Quarterly
"Union General, Samuel Ryan Curtis and Victory in the West is a well-researched book that provides readers with a thorough examination of Curtis's life. Shea offers convincing evidence to prove his argument that Curtis played a critical role in Union success in the Trans-Mississippi Theater while also writing a study that enthusiasts will enjoy reading. Thanks to Shea, Curtis is able to reclaim at least a measure of deserved attention previously so long denied."—Phill Greenwalt, Emerging Civil War blog
"Shea has successfully restored Samuel R. Curtis to a well-deserved place in the study of the Civil War."—James R. Jewell, Journal of Southern History
"This book, a well-written study of one man's life, is both meticulously researched and a fascinating story, written in an engaging way."—Ricochet
"At a national moment of reckoning on the long-term impacts of the war, this important biography and synthesis of the West's Civil War narrative is especially welcome and deserving."—Christopher Phillips, Kansas History
