Book excerpt: Alexander M. McCook, one of the youngest major generals in the Union army, was a member of a patriotic family from Ohio that became known as the "Fighting McCooks." He participated in some of the bloodiest campaigns of the Civil War, including Bull Run, Shiloh, Perryville, Stones River and Chickamauga. In battle, McCook could be rash and reckless, but his personal courage was beyond reproach, even as his career was marked by controversy. Subjected to an inquiry into his conduct at the battle of Chickamauga, he was cleared of all charges but relieved of command to spend the remainder of the war in relatively minor assignments. This biography, focusing especially on McCook's Civil War service, fills out the full picture of a proud if clouded career.