Chattanooga: A Death Grip on the Confederacy

by James Lee McDonough

In the wake of the bloodshed at Chickamauga, the struggle for Chattanooga became a decisive engagement of the Civil War. McDonough reconstructs the siege and battles as they appeared to both Rebels and Yankees, giving the reader a front-row seat at one of the major dramas in American history.

298 pp., 26 photos, 6 maps.

Genres: Civil War, History, American Civil War, Civil War Western Theater, Military History, Nonfiction

298 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1984

About the author

James Lee McDonough is professor of history at Auburn University.

Reviews

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily the best book I've read concerning this pivotal Western campaign. The author does a great job of balancing the narrative with eyewitness accounts of the fighting. We come to appreciate Grant's genius for conducting large scale operations against diverse enemies at the same time. Even though this book was written 30 plus years ago, it has stood the test of time and is well worth reading.

[Jerome Otte · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-written and well-organized history of the battles for Chattanooga. McDonough does not present anything in the way of revisionism but he does address all of the questions surrounding the campaign.

McDonough’s book is mostly a traditional military history. He gives us a great portrait of Bragg, his conflict with the other generals, and the problems of his command structure, and his criticism of Bragg is scathing. He does a great job presenting the action from both sides, and clearly describes the challenges of attacking and defending the area above Chattanooga, and his coverage of the tactics used is thorough. There is little, however, on Sheridan.

A balanced, well-written and well-researched history.

[Anson Cassel Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

This competent military history of the Chattanooga campaign is organized in a supremely logical fashion, and its literary merit is above average if no challenge to Bruce Catton or James McPherson. McDonough occasionally seems puzzled by emotions that the war generated, and his attempts to humanize the campaign are sometimes lame. For instance, he treats professed reliance upon God as a sign of weakness.

[WKOCH · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent overview of the topic, although it has a tendency to ramble a bit at times. If you're wanting a more in-depth treatment of the campaign, I would recommend Cozzens' "The Shipwreck of Their Hopes" over this one.

[Read1000books · Rating 3 out of 5]

Subtitled "Death Grip On The Confederacy". A thorough account of Chattanooga's fall to the Union Army in the Civil War. Covers Wauhatchi Pike, Lookout Mountain, Orchard Knob, Missionary Ridge, etc..

[Joel Manuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good introduction to the Chattanooga campaign; new students of those actions might want to read this before Cozzens' "Shipwreck of their Hopes," the definitive work on Chattanooga.

[FSU Alumni]

James Lee McDonough (Ph.D. '66)