Genre: Biography/History/War
Hardcover
ISBN #: 9780195392739
632 Pages
Oxford University Press
$34.95 Amazon
June 1, 2020
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
William Tecumseh Sherman, a West Point graduate and veteran of the Seminole War, became one of the best-known generals in the Civil War. His March to the Sea, which resulted in a devastated swatch of the South from Atlanta to Savannah, cemented his place in history as the pioneer of total war.
In The Scourge of War, preeminent military historian Brian Holden Reid offers a deeply researched life and times account of Sherman. By examining his childhood and education, his business ventures in California, his antebellum leadership of a military college in Louisiana, and numerous career false starts, Holden Reid shows how unlikely his exceptional Civil War career would seem. He also demonstrates how crucial his family was to his professional path, particularly his wife's intervention during the war. He analyzes Sherman's development as a battlefield commander and especially his crucial friendships with Henry W. Halleck and Ulysses S. Grant. In doing so, he details how Sherman overcame both his weaknesses as a leader and severe depression to mature as a military strategist. Central chapters narrate closely Sherman's battlefield career and the gradual lifting of his pessimism that the Union would be defeated. After the Civil War. Sherman became a popular figure in the North and the founder of the school for officers at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, known as the "intellectual center of the army." Holden Reid argues that Sherman was not hostile to the South throughout his life and only in later years gained a reputation as a villain who practiced barbaric destruction, particularly as the neo-Confederate Lost Cause grew and he published one of the first personal accounts of the war.
A definitive bioography of a preeminent military figure by a renowned military historian, The Scourge of War is a masterful account of Sherman's life that fully recognizes his intellect, strategy, and actions during the Civil War.
✽✽✽✽✽✽✽✽
As one who owns several biographies of William Tecumseh Sherman, I was excited to learn of another one. I will tell you that I married a man who grew up near Gettysburg, and after my first sight of the famous battlefield and cemetery, I was completely hooked on learning more about the Civil War. I read anything I can get my hands on, from both the North and South perspectives. It has been an interesting and eye-opening journey for me, and this biography only adds to that.
At a hefty 632 pages, it is not for those who will skim through it; and even though there are parts of it that are dry as can be, the author has done his research on Sherman. He begins with Sherman's ancestors in England, and while people may not be interested, it tells a story. He then goes on to detail Sherman's life when he first joined the volunteers; and decided to leave that life behind before the outbreak of the Civil War. He tells us of Sherman's relationship with fellow soldiers; how his first impressions of Lincoln changed over time; his relationship with his commanding officer, General Ulysses S. Grant, as well as detailing his relationships with others who were close to him.
When Sherman was young his father died, and as was the wont of the time, many of the children were separated and taken in by relatives and close friends. Sherman was lucky enough to live with the wealthy Ewings, and from this he fell in love with and married Ellen Ewing, whom, from all accounts, he had a very happy marriage with. She was a major contributor to his life, and even when things caused him to lose his faith, hers stood firm. Without Ellen, his life may very well have turned out differently.
With the war becoming more intense, Sherman applied himself to conscientiousness and determination in his duty. He was lucky enough to be well-educated, read constantly, and was a gentleman; and because of this he treated his troops well. However, he demanded the loyalty he gave, and didn't tolerate laziness. He never underestimated the south, and it served him well.
It also details the journey that Sherman took in his loyalty to Grant, who, because of this, remained his lifelong friend. One must know that Grant did not offer friendship easily, nor have many who were close to him save his wife Julia, so this is quite important in his life. These two complemented each other, even though there were times they disagreed, but Sherman's loyalty to Grant has never been in doubt, and indeed told of in his letters to Ellen. Friends that he knew at West Point became his enemies in the war.
Every battle Sherman fought has been detailed heavily, listing the names of those who served with him closest, equipment, artillery, etc., and even the unfortunate lives of those lost during this time. Indeed, it is not until we are well over halfway through the book before we get to the famous March to the Sea which caused so much devastation but also helped end the war between the states (and unless one has been living under a rock, it is known to them also).
While I hesitate to say any more about this book, I will tell you it is a comprehensive study of the general and the man himself. It encompasses areas of Sherman's life that heretofore have not been completely mentioned in other books, and my only disappointment was the fact that because I was given an ARC of the book, it did not include the maps that I would so have loved to have seen. (Although it did not temper my enjoyment one whit). In the end, this is definitely a welcome addition to anyone's library who is interested in the famous general or the Civil War itself. Highly recommended.
https://www.amazon.com/Scourge-War-William-Tecumseh-Sherman/dp/0195392736/ref=
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3209241992
No comments:
Post a Comment