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Narrated by David Drummond
James Lee McDonoughUnabridged — 28 hours, 32 minutes
Narrated by David Drummond
James Lee McDonoughUnabridged — 28 hours, 32 minutes
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James Lee McDonough's biography, William Tecumseh Sherman: In the Service of My Country, tells this story well…McDonough is especially good in showing the role that Sherman played…in supporting Grant both militarily and emotionally. The deep trust that grew between the two became a major asset to the Union, especially when they were conducting the two major campaigns of 1864-65, with Sherman in the southeast and Grant in Virginia.
04/04/2016
McDonough (The Western Confederacy’s Final Gamble), professor emeritus of history at Auburn University, adroitly weaves his prodigious knowledge of Civil War–era America into this behemoth biography as he brilliantly captures Gen. Sherman’s personality. Diving right into the action, McDonough opens with Sherman at the 1862 battle of Shiloh. The bloody Union victory there was a turning point in the brigadier general’s career, McDonough argues, instilling in him a level of confidence that enhanced his leadership skills. Before then, Sherman’s military career waxed and waned. After graduating from West Point in 1840, he initially disregarded advice from his wealthy guardian and future father-in-law, Thomas Ewing, to give up the army for a more lucrative profession. Three years after marrying Ellen Ewing in 1850, Sherman left the army to try his hand at a variety of civilian occupations, but once the Civil War started, he couldn’t rationalize staying out of it. Though primarily interested in Sherman the general—which will likely be the main attraction for most readers—McDonough leaves no aspect of Sherman’s life or times unexamined, including the story of his original first name, the debate over the expansion of slavery, and the politics of Reconstruction. McDonough has produced an exhaustive biography told with considerable narrative skill. Maps & illus. (June)
"[McDonough] tells this story well."
"[McDonough] offers a great deal of shrewd military analysis, but what gives the book its vigor is [his] presentation of Sherman’s propulsive personality."
"James McDonough's William Tecumseh Sherman is the first major biography of this complex, challenging figure in almost a quarter century, and it is deeply researched and thoughtfully presented. Engagingly written, it brings new perspective to Sherman’s pre-war years and the benefit of a lifetime of study to his Civil War career. Perhaps no one will ever completely capture Sherman, but McDonough's wide net snares more than enough of the new with the old to make this a life well worth reading."
"Sherman's is surely a fascinating American life, in war and peace alike, and this packed book will beguile a whole summer with ease."
"Superbly researched and richly detailed, James McDonough’s William Tecumseh Sherman judiciously guides the reader through the epic life of the man who might be history’s most complicated soldier. For Sherman fans it is a must-read, and for others, a worthwhile endeavor."
"Masterly...the product of a historian's lifelong study....a full-blooded narrative."
"McDonough has produced an exhaustive biography told with considerable narrative skill." ---Publishers Weekly
"McDonough has produced an exhaustive biography told with considerable narrative skill." —Publishers Weekly
★ 11/01/2016
Sherman may be best known for his March to the Sea during the Civil War. This book examines not only that conquest but his entire life in tremendous detail. Sherman's father died when Sherman was young so he was adopted by a family friend. This was likely when he received the given name "William" since his father much admired Shawnee military and political leader Tecumseh and named Sherman after him. Sherman's time at West Point is also covered. Surprisingly, he was an outlandish cadet and received several disciplinary actions from his superiors. Sherman's military career did not begin with much action or chance for glory. Once he was given a chance to lead, though, his prowess as a battlefield general was astonishing, even to his peers who respected him. Sherman's personal life, marriage, and the death of his young son are studied along with the military history. Narrator David Drummond is remarkable at reading this tome with a calm voice that includes a hint of humor, some tragic tones, and great energy during the battle scenes. VERDICT Fans of McDonough's previous works, military history, West Point graduates, and the Civil War and Reconstruction periods will be amazed at this work. ["A well-rounded study of a man with faults who treasured his friendships, loved his country, and strove to live honestly and in service above all": LJ 5/1/16 starred review of the Norton hc.]—Jason L. Steagall, Gateway Technical Coll. Lib., Elkhorn, WI
★ 05/01/2016
McDonough (emeritus, history, Auburn Univ.; Nashville: The Western Confederacy's Final Gamble) offers a well-researched biography of a leading Union general during the Civil War. Educated at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, William Tecumseh Sherman's (1820–91) military experience and more importantly, his innate sense of logistics and planning made him indispensable to Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and President Abraham Lincoln's overall strategy to win the war: taking it into the Southern heartland and destroying all resources that might be used by the Confederacy. Before the conflict, Sherman worked in business and banking but nothing satisfied him or brought him success more than the army. This volume not only details Sherman's war campaigns, it also considers his family life, including his troubled relationship with his wife, and his attempts to reach financial security. What emerges from these pages is a well-rounded study of a man with faults who treasured his friendships, loved his country, and strove to live honestly and in service above all. It should be noted that Sherman's military exploits in the West, after the Civil War, receive little attention. VERDICT Everything about this book will interest readers who want to know more about antebellum America and the Civil War.—Patricia Ann Owens, formerly with Illinois Eastern Community Colls., Mt. Carmel
McDonough’s detailed biography of the iconic American general is given a splendid narration by David Drummond. A complex, brilliant man, Sherman was an energetic and innovative campaigner whose upbringing in the West influenced his perspective on how to wage war. Seeing that one can defeat an enemy by taking away its ability to wage war, Sherman was able to defeat his opponents with fewer casualties than his friend Ulysses S. Grant. Sherman’s complex, strained relationship with his wife and aspects of his prewar and postwar life and career are all told in great detail. Drummond's sonorous baritone is a good match of text and voice. His narration is seemingly effortless as he delivers this long work at a consistent pace and with clarity throughout. M.T.F. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine
★ 2016-04-11
A wide-ranging biography of the Civil War legend, a monster to some, a savior to others.McDonough (Emeritus, History/Auburn Univ.; War in Kentucky: From Shiloh to Perryville, 1994, etc.) looks at William Tecumseh Sherman (1820-1891) against the broad sweep of history, with special resonance in the matter of the punitive campaigns he led in Georgia and especially South Carolina. Sherman, argues the author, had good reason to be harsh, for he believed, correctly, that South Carolina was more than any other state responsible for secession and "should be made to feel the war." Still, the vengeful mood translated into unfortunate behavior on the part of his soldiers, some of whom burned and looted their way across the Deep South. Sherman was feared and despised in the South, though, curiously, when he was in a position to offer terms of peace, he unwisely promised to honor Southern property rights—which some Southerners naturally interpreted to mean their erstwhile human property as well. "When the document reached Washington," McDonough writes tersely, "the brouhaha was on." It wouldn't be the first time Sherman was in trouble, usually for political rather than military reasons, and McDonough does a good job of charting Sherman's thinking and actions in the political context of the day. More than that, though, this is a vigorous military biography of a man of action, who, though plagued by mental troubles, did more than his part for the Union effort. Indeed, argues the author, no one under federal arms apart from Ulysses S. Grant "would have as much to do with winning the war for the Union as Sherman." McDonough also notes that although Sherman was indeed a grim visitor to the South on his March to the Sea and beyond, he was less inclined than many commanders to spill the blood of his own men, especially after the bloodbaths of Gettysburg and Chickamauga. A fine biography, welcome reading for any student of Civil War history.
| BN ID: | 2940170864614 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Tantor Audio |
| Publication date: | 06/15/2016 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
| Sales rank: | 959,791 |
