Spring of 1864 brought a whole new war to the Western Theater; with new commanders and what would become a new style of warfare. Federal armies; perched in Chattanooga; Tennessee; after their stunning victories there the previous fall; poised on the edge of Georgia for the first time in the war.Atlanta sat in the far distance. Major General William T. Sherman; newly elevated to command the Union’s western armies; eyed it covetously—the South’s last great untouched prize. “Get into the interior of the enemy’s country as far as you can; inflicting all the damage you can against their War resources;†his superior; Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant; ordered.But if Atlanta sat some 100 miles away as the crow flies; it lay more than 140 miles away for the marching Federal armies; which had to navigate snaking roads and treacherous mountain passes.Blocking the way; too; was the Confederate Army of Tennessee; commanded by one of the Confederacy’s most defensive-minded generals; Joseph E. Johnston. All Johnston had to do; as Sherman moved through hostile territory; was slow the Federal advance long enough to find the perfect opportunity to strike.And so began the last great campaign in the West: Sherman’s long and bloody task.The acknowledged expert on all things related to the battle of Atlanta; historian Steve Davis has lived in the area his entire life; and in A Long and Bloody Task; he tells the tale of the Atlanta campaign as only a native can. He brings his Southern sensibility to the Emerging Civil War Series; known for its engaging storytelling and accessible approach to history.
#43098 in Books PUBLICAFFAIRS 2017-04-18 2017-04-18Original language:English 9.63 x 1.63 x 6.38l; #File Name: 1610398440552 pagesPUBLICAFFAIRS
Review
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful. AmazingBy Suzanne DowneyI first heard about this book when Laurence Rees was interviewed on radio; and he talked about the years of research which had gone into writing the book. The obvious impact on him hearing stories from Germans who had been a part of the brutality which had been meted out to the Jews; as well as stories from others who looked upon what Hitler was doing as ' a favour to all of Europe' was plain to be heard. He has gone to considerable trouble cross referencing information to establish the authenticity of the stories he has been told; but it is plain to see that the level of the atrocities can not be denied. Amazing read20 of 22 people found the following review helpful. Another Shoa Must ReadBy Paulo ReimannI have read many many many books about the Shoa. This one is outstanding and equaly disturbing. The chapter about Hungary and the highest level treason that could be done is a shocker. The Hungarian government and portion of the society are wannabe criminals who betrayed and killed 450k jews. On top; the current government builds a monument in Budapest which offends whoever suffered during the period and its aftermath. To connect today with 1944 and understand it (without prejudice or revison) gotta give at least a peep in this (wonderfully written) book.10 of 11 people found the following review helpful. Work of consummate clarity; conviction; and pathosBy Peter MendrelaLaurence Rees’ "Holocaust" is a work of consummate clarity; conviction; and pathos. But Rees’ greatest contribution is the relentless juxtaposing of the ostensibly civilized; educated; and self-avowed ethical men deciding what they deem best for their country with the ineffable suffering they inflict on those they perceive as their ideological and racial enemies.This is not – it must be stressed – just another book about the Holocaust. This is a veritable feat of historical necromancy. For if you listen carefully the testimonies of the few “lucky†ones who survived you will also hear the tortured susurrus of the millions who did not. And fittingly; it is to these anguished spirits “who have seen the face of the Gorgon†(to use Primo Levis’ words) that Rees’ Holocaust pays the greatest tribute to.Finally. Lest we forget. There is a very fine line between a civilized world and a genocidal one. It took Nazis only five years to go from some 3% percent electoral support to becoming Germany’s largest party. Moreover; as Rees points out; the logistics of murdering millions of innocent people were worked out not by some bloodthirsty mob but by highly educated party officials in calm and amiable atmosphere over lunch and cognac.These facts alone should send shivers down our spines. There are monsters in all of us that must constantly be kept on a leash; and it is memory of what happens when this leash snaps that keeps the Homo sapiens project alive. And if we add to all this the destructive power nuclear weapons; recrudescence of nativism; and proliferation of “alternative facts†we might begin to realize the scope; profundity; and urgency in the "history" Laurence Rees has endowed us with.
