Lake Erie Rehabilitated: Controlling Cultural Eutrophication, 1960s–1990s by William McGucken (review)

fact, the only references t() his Army service or to his World War II experiences are through what I would term " flashforwards ," in which the author inserts a brief paragraph cir page or twc) that talk about : i particular friend or event in the historical present, is they would hear out iii the future especially during some evocative moment during his wartime service. One wishes that Mathias h: id talked more of his direct WI)rlil Wm II experiences and precisely how his background and bt,yhood inforined his outloc,k : ind relationships with cl,mt· alesin arms during the war. Although Mathins clearly believes that his formative years in Carlisle, Kentucky bound him to tlic " GI Generaticm," this reader woiild have liked to have seen mimic of tliat bond in action. My only quibble with this fine and enioyable book lies ntit with the text, but rather with the promotional spiel on the (] Ust j. icket. Once 111() re we arc trcilted tunding Fathers, which gave lis Washingtcm, Adams, leffers, in, and Franklin, mit ti, menticm our naticinhooll, ( iur freedom, and iur Constitutionl Such appellations can stand only so much boosterism and scrutiny. And let us not forget th: it this " Greatest Generation" hequeathed to uS the Cold War, the Kc} re: iii War, tile Vietnam War, 3 Ill,Cle: r arms race, ecol(, gical uncert: litity, and the scourge of Americitti closets 11·( 1111 CO: Stt {)C (Nast - ] CiSUre hulls. It is il " gre: it"gener: iticin, yes, but the " greatest": Wel], you decide 1(11 yciuise]1. In the mcantime, 51 yl)U want w read a book th. 11 Wil l transport yc, u back in time and place in true style, read Fr. ink Mathias's The Gl (; enertition. Paul G. Pierpmili, Jr. Virginia Military institute William McGucken. Ltike Eric Rehitbilittited:Controlling Cultmtil EL[tri, jilifedickil, 1 960A19 ( oN. Akrb)11: University t,f Akroii Press, 2000. 318 pr. ISBN: 1 884836577 ( c]( 11111, 549·9 not st.ind on [he shores with recrearicmists ( 11· envirotiment,11 activists bemo: ining the lake' s death. Instead, we sit in cominittec Ic,c, ins nid plillr ilciry clear, readers mny be left wondering how the history ( 11 a 1: ike LY>uld bc st) dry. avid Stradling I jniver, ili· of (.' incinmati Ger: ild 1. Prcki, px,wicz. Al/1() T the Retument:The Army ( il the Ohi,j. i,Yc,/i ,Y' 62. Chapel Hill: University of Ntirth Carcilin.1 Press, 2007. 280 1, 11. ISBN: 080781626X ( cloth). S14· Vi Gerald j. Prcil«> powicz has achieved a miracle with All for the Regiment,he 11. 15 1118( le TWO 011, 41£1.1! c() ntrillittions to Civil Wai literature. The first ccintribution is in writing a sound, wellhal anced history (, f the Army of the Ohic),the first u) appear since the niiieleenlh centitry. Using an impressive range cil nianusci i pl and printed sources, theauthcir rec(}] lstrucls the histhelped 14) turn : 1 11(, lential Union disaster intc) a qualified vicuiry. Buell's men probably did ntit receive the credit they deserved here because Buell was less skillful than Ulysses S. Grant, the other : irmy ccimmander present, in handling the press. liziell's legimcnts ti, ught well nt Shil 1 the di,minance of defensive firepc>wer, primarily cmlic)died in the percussion rifle. The author's skepticism is legitimate. If defensive firepower necessarily rulll|, how did the German states inflict swift, decisive victories fin the French iii 1870? liroku,i, owicz sees . 1 key iii aim y strilctuic, which cmphasized small unit cohesion at the LY,mp: iny And regimental levels. Men were recruited lacally, elected their own ( ilficers, and ti, ok a fierce pride in their p: irochial unitS. This structure gave them cohesicin and staying fic,wer in battle. But the reverse side of the coin was that lt,yalty and 131·ide did Tic>t extend upward tothebrioide,ind divisic ) 11 leveis . Thesituation was worsened by Buell'slack tif charism: i as a ctimmander, his 1: ick of st: iff (, fficers to pull the : irmy 1(igether, : ind : 1 pt)(, 1 selection of subc)rilin: itc gcner: 11> i,tiflen chosen not...