A detailed account of Uncle Billy making Georgia howl in 1864. I found parts of it fascinating, Sherman was a complex man to say the least. I had ancestors who marched with the 54th Indiana and the details of camp life and the march itself were intriguing. A lot of anecdotes, especially of virtuous rebels defying Yankee invaders, with just a whiff of "Lost Cause' baloney. Or should I say "hardtack", as baloney was not a standard ration? And if Sherman made Georgia howl then he made South Carolina scream ... this was a part of the campaign rarely surfaced - his continuation of the campaign through the Carolinas. Well written but very disjointed in places. It does have a complete bibliography and is indexed, which is helpful with the names especially. ( )

I had recently read a novel of historical fiction about the end of the American Civil War and decided to find out more about it. This book starts after the capture of Atlanta and follows Sherman and his troops as they trek through Georgia and the Carolinas, attempting to cut off the supply lines to the Confederate troops and bring an end to hostilities. This meant taking the war to civilians, mostly women, children, and slaves. It ends with the final victory parade and a few words about the remainder of Sherman’s life. Although it contains biographical material, it is not a biography of Sherman; rather, it is a detailed examination of the “march” and related events that led to the end of the war.

The author has taken eye-witness accounts and woven them together with his narrative into a cohesive story depicting what life was like during this difficult time. His research and the inclusion of anecdotes and quotes from letters and diaries of participants on both sides, lends a feeling of authenticity, and it certainly helps that many people of the time tended to write eloquently of their experiences. The structure is chronological, and the storyline is focused. Enough detail is offered without being too verbose. Davis includes sights, sounds, smells, textures to bring the past to life: the appearance of the countryside, the weather, the clothing, the food (or lack thereof), almost like scenes in a movie. He does not shy away from describing the horrific destruction, lives shattered, and sense of “punishing” the south (especially in South Carolina, the seat of secession). Sherman is lauded as a fine military strategist, but his racism and mercurial temperament are not overlooked. He did not condone pillaging but did little to stop it. One of the most interesting parts, for me, was the backstory of the bad blood between Sherman and Secretary of War Stanton, and the controversy over the terms of surrender negotiated with Confederate General Johnston.

Content warnings include descriptions of war-related violence, looting, racism, rape, and executions. Recommended to readers interested in American Civil War history, especially how it came to an end. Overall, I found it vivid, readable, and informative. ( )

Published in 1980, this book was the first factual account of Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman's march from Atlanta to Savannah during the Civil War.

Having read an abundance of works, fictional and non-fiction, set during the Civil War, I had never really read anything on Sherman specifically. The book encompasses the burning of Atlanta and the continued destruction of Southern industry and personal property as Sherman's army marched towards the sea.

I found the story choppy. Burke Davis ,along with telling Sherman's story, includes snipets of the personal stories of civilians. They were just tossed in willy-nilly, in separate paragraphs, through out the book. Theses personal accounts were interesting, but how they were formed into the story was distracting to me. ( )

Narrative account of Sherman's march through Gerorgia and the Carolina's in the American Civil War. The author through eyewitness accounts charts the effect on the civilians and slaves who were in the path of the Union soldiers as they burned and pillaged their way through these states and quickened the end of the brutal Civil War. Mr.Davis is at pains to prove that Sherman himself understood the brutality of war and its effect on civilians and that he was a precursor of the "wars of the 20th century". In my opinion the book highlights the importance of Sherman as a "fighting general" who inspired admiration among his troops and fear among his enemies. A well-researched book. ( )