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Emerging Civil War
All the Fighting They Want: The Atlanta Campaign from Peachtree Creek to the City's Surrender, July 18–September 2, 1864
John Bell Hood brought a hang-dog look and a hard-fighting spirit to the Army of Tennessee. Once one of the ablest division commanders in the Army of Northern Virginia, he found himself, by the spring of 1864, in the war’s Western Theater. Recently recovered from grievous wounds sustained at Chickamauga, he suddenly found himself thrust into command of the Confederacy’s ill-starred army even as Federals pounded on the door of the Deep South’s greatest untouched city, Atlanta.
His predecessor, Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, had failed to stop the advance of armies under Federal commander William T. Sherman, who had pushed and maneuvered his way from Chattanooga, Tennessee, right to Atlanta’s very doorstep. Johnston had been able to do little to stop him.
The crisis could not have been more acute.
Hood, an aggressive risk-taker, threw his men into the fray with unprecedented vigor. Sherman welcomed it.
“We’ll give them all the fighting they want,” Sherman said.
He proved a man of his word.
In All the Fighting They Want, Georgia native Steve Davis, the world’s foremost authority on the Atlanta campaign, tells the tale of the last great struggle for the city. His Southern sensibility and his knowledge of the battle, accumulated over a lifetime of living on the ground, make this an indispensable addition to the acclaimed Emerging Civil War Series.
His predecessor, Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, had failed to stop the advance of armies under Federal commander William T. Sherman, who had pushed and maneuvered his way from Chattanooga, Tennessee, right to Atlanta’s very doorstep. Johnston had been able to do little to stop him.
The crisis could not have been more acute.
Hood, an aggressive risk-taker, threw his men into the fray with unprecedented vigor. Sherman welcomed it.
“We’ll give them all the fighting they want,” Sherman said.
He proved a man of his word.
In All the Fighting They Want, Georgia native Steve Davis, the world’s foremost authority on the Atlanta campaign, tells the tale of the last great struggle for the city. His Southern sensibility and his knowledge of the battle, accumulated over a lifetime of living on the ground, make this an indispensable addition to the acclaimed Emerging Civil War Series.
331 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 15, 2016
29 people are currently reading
50 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Davis
7 books2 followersStephen Davis is the author of more than a hundred articles in such scholarly and popular publications as Civil War Times Illustrated and the Georgia Historical Quarterly, and writes a regular column, “Critic’s Corner,” on Civil War bibliography, for Civil War News.
Librarians note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Librarians note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 30, 2023
Along with the first volume this is a good introduction to the campaign in the broad-strokes. Do not expect detailed tactical description. You will blink and miss Jonesboro. I do think Davis is too hard on Sherman and too easy on Hood, although I agree Hood held Atlanta longer than Johnston would have. Only big problem was his contention that cavalry raids did not work after mentioning two that did, namely Rousseau's 1864 Alabama raid.
DISCLAIMER: I am contributor to the Emerging Civil War series and their blog.
DISCLAIMER: I am contributor to the Emerging Civil War series and their blog.
July 13, 2017
I have truly enjoyed the attention which the Atlanta Campaign has been receiving lately from many different authors. But one of the series’ which I have found interesting, has been the Emerging Civil War Series due to the presentation it has given many students of the war. The series has been wholly encapsulating to the point that every battle seems to be getting a treatment from them. In All the Fighting They Want, Stephen Davis gives us a chance to understand the Atlanta Campaign from Peachtree Creek to the City’s Surrender which not only gives us some much needed information, but is also a great look into the minds of the commanders who fought there.
Stephen Davis has been a Civil War historian for a great portion of his life. He earned his Masters degree in American History from the University of North Carolina and earned his Ph.D. at Emory. He has authored previous works, many focusing on the Atlanta Campaign. He has written Atlanta Will Fall: Sherman, John Johnston and the Heavy Yankee Battalions, and What the Yankees Did to Us: Sherman’s Bombardment and the Wrecking of Atlanta. He was a review editor for Blue and Gray magazine and has also authored many articles.
Those who have been with me through most of the Emerging Civil War Series have seen how well these books can connect with readers, especially early students of the war. Presented in this book is the continuation of the information from his companion work A Long and Bloody Task. In the last work, I noted the brilliance of the writing style which Davis brings to the narrative. His dominance of the source material and the research is astounding and shows here in this work. Most works in the series are supplemented with appendices which appear here as well but not as many as usual. This does not detract from the book as it stands as a great introduction to the campaign along with the other work which came previously. For many people just getting into the American Civil War, there are some confusions as to the direct actions which took place during the Atlanta Campaign, but in this work, Davis paints a clear picture of the history of the events and even gives us some great studies in command supplying his narrative. When studying the Atlanta Campaign, there has been some fascination on my part with the study in command and I’m glad to see them here in Davis’ work.
Once again, Emerging Civil War Series knocks it out of the park. This is another welcome addition to the work which has been done. With his previous work, I think All the Fighting They Want will be used by readers and students alike who wish to delve more into the world of the Atlanta Campaign. As I said in the introduction, I feel like we often overlook the more intricate battles of the campaign, but thanks to Stephen Davis, I have more knowledge about the fighting which occurred there. I highly recommend this work and hope to read more of Davis in the time to come.
Matthew Bartlett
Stephen Davis has been a Civil War historian for a great portion of his life. He earned his Masters degree in American History from the University of North Carolina and earned his Ph.D. at Emory. He has authored previous works, many focusing on the Atlanta Campaign. He has written Atlanta Will Fall: Sherman, John Johnston and the Heavy Yankee Battalions, and What the Yankees Did to Us: Sherman’s Bombardment and the Wrecking of Atlanta. He was a review editor for Blue and Gray magazine and has also authored many articles.
Those who have been with me through most of the Emerging Civil War Series have seen how well these books can connect with readers, especially early students of the war. Presented in this book is the continuation of the information from his companion work A Long and Bloody Task. In the last work, I noted the brilliance of the writing style which Davis brings to the narrative. His dominance of the source material and the research is astounding and shows here in this work. Most works in the series are supplemented with appendices which appear here as well but not as many as usual. This does not detract from the book as it stands as a great introduction to the campaign along with the other work which came previously. For many people just getting into the American Civil War, there are some confusions as to the direct actions which took place during the Atlanta Campaign, but in this work, Davis paints a clear picture of the history of the events and even gives us some great studies in command supplying his narrative. When studying the Atlanta Campaign, there has been some fascination on my part with the study in command and I’m glad to see them here in Davis’ work.
Once again, Emerging Civil War Series knocks it out of the park. This is another welcome addition to the work which has been done. With his previous work, I think All the Fighting They Want will be used by readers and students alike who wish to delve more into the world of the Atlanta Campaign. As I said in the introduction, I feel like we often overlook the more intricate battles of the campaign, but thanks to Stephen Davis, I have more knowledge about the fighting which occurred there. I highly recommend this work and hope to read more of Davis in the time to come.
Matthew Bartlett
May 22, 2018
The Emerging Civil War series is intended to provide a concise but thorough introduction to various aspects of the War Between the States, approachable enough for the novice but detailed enough for the expert. Stephen Davis succeeds masterfully at this endeavor and this work, the companion book to A Long and Bloody Task, is a testament to what this sort of scholarship ought to be: well-researched, well-argued, and well-written.
While focusing on the Atlanta Campaign during General John B. Hood's tenures, Davis provides an in-depth analysis of the closing days of the Atlanta Campaign, covering all of the major engagements, armies, and leaders of this critical period of the war. He does not, however, allow himself to get bogged down in rattling off regiments or pedantic discourses on maneuvering: he gives the reader just what is needed to visualize how the battles played out in a way which can be easily understood. The result is a work which is certainly not exhaustive, but which serves admirably a number of purposes, whether someone merely wishes to brush up on this period of this campaign or lay the foundation for more extensive research. The book also includes several fascinating appendices which detail a driving tour of vanishing Atlanta War Between the States sites, a summation of WBTS monuments in the metropolitan area, a guide to the WBTS collection at the Atlanta History Center, and a brief history of the Battle of Atlanta Cyclorama.
If one were to criticize Davis at all, it would likely be to accuse him of having treated the subject in too cursory a way, but an introductory approach was clearly what Davis intended to offer in this book. He provides several suggestions of books for those who wish to go into greater detail, and when properly employed his own volume actually covers a very large amount of information. I imagine that some will also criticize Davis for his somewhat apologetic take on Hood, but as Davis himself notes armchair historians have been demonizing Hood far more than his actions and the historical record actually merit.
Davis' work represents the next evolution in War Between the States scholarship if authors wish to push back against the proliferation of exclusively on-line resources, I would highly recommend his book to anyone with even a passing interest in the Atlanta Campaign of the War Between the States. It would be especially useful for anyone planning a car trip to tour the battlefields.
While focusing on the Atlanta Campaign during General John B. Hood's tenures, Davis provides an in-depth analysis of the closing days of the Atlanta Campaign, covering all of the major engagements, armies, and leaders of this critical period of the war. He does not, however, allow himself to get bogged down in rattling off regiments or pedantic discourses on maneuvering: he gives the reader just what is needed to visualize how the battles played out in a way which can be easily understood. The result is a work which is certainly not exhaustive, but which serves admirably a number of purposes, whether someone merely wishes to brush up on this period of this campaign or lay the foundation for more extensive research. The book also includes several fascinating appendices which detail a driving tour of vanishing Atlanta War Between the States sites, a summation of WBTS monuments in the metropolitan area, a guide to the WBTS collection at the Atlanta History Center, and a brief history of the Battle of Atlanta Cyclorama.
If one were to criticize Davis at all, it would likely be to accuse him of having treated the subject in too cursory a way, but an introductory approach was clearly what Davis intended to offer in this book. He provides several suggestions of books for those who wish to go into greater detail, and when properly employed his own volume actually covers a very large amount of information. I imagine that some will also criticize Davis for his somewhat apologetic take on Hood, but as Davis himself notes armchair historians have been demonizing Hood far more than his actions and the historical record actually merit.
Davis' work represents the next evolution in War Between the States scholarship if authors wish to push back against the proliferation of exclusively on-line resources, I would highly recommend his book to anyone with even a passing interest in the Atlanta Campaign of the War Between the States. It would be especially useful for anyone planning a car trip to tour the battlefields.
March 4, 2018
Thoroughly enjoyed and learned a lot - was intrigued to read this book after a recent “behind the scenes” visit of the new Battle of Atlanta Cyclorama installation at the Atlanta History Center. The restoration of the painting is still being done and the Cyclorama won’t be open until the Fall of this year (2018). If you have even a moderate level of interest in Civil War history or the history of Atlanta, then I highly recommend doing this preview of the painting before it officially opens.
My only critique of the book (and this is probably more a criticism of myself rather than the author), is that I had difficulty keeping up with all of the many names of the players on both sides of the conflict (some of whom had nicknames that the author seems to use at random), the division names and Corps numbers, battle movements and other technical military terms (palisades, abatis, chevaux-de-frise, etc.). But that’s a reason you have google, right?! Still, I highly recommend the book.
My only critique of the book (and this is probably more a criticism of myself rather than the author), is that I had difficulty keeping up with all of the many names of the players on both sides of the conflict (some of whom had nicknames that the author seems to use at random), the division names and Corps numbers, battle movements and other technical military terms (palisades, abatis, chevaux-de-frise, etc.). But that’s a reason you have google, right?! Still, I highly recommend the book.
February 2, 2022
This is a good book for Civil War buffs.
The author provides details on all of the major actions that took place during Sherman's siege and subsequent taking of Atlanta. The narrative provides mini-biographies of the various commanders on each side and provided illustrations of sites and commemorative placards.
Prominent among the actions were the relentless uprootings and destruction of railroad tracks to prevent supplies from reaching the Confederates defending Atlanta.
Sherman is portrayed as a thoughtful commander willing to bypass heavily defended sites and find ways around them to achieve his goals.
The conclusion rightly states that this particular battle was probably unnecessary because by this time Atlanta was no longer the linchpin of the Confederate defense. However, the battle had a significant symbolic significance and clearly demonstrated that resisting the onslaught of the Federals was reaching a futile stage.
The author provides details on all of the major actions that took place during Sherman's siege and subsequent taking of Atlanta. The narrative provides mini-biographies of the various commanders on each side and provided illustrations of sites and commemorative placards.
Prominent among the actions were the relentless uprootings and destruction of railroad tracks to prevent supplies from reaching the Confederates defending Atlanta.
Sherman is portrayed as a thoughtful commander willing to bypass heavily defended sites and find ways around them to achieve his goals.
The conclusion rightly states that this particular battle was probably unnecessary because by this time Atlanta was no longer the linchpin of the Confederate defense. However, the battle had a significant symbolic significance and clearly demonstrated that resisting the onslaught of the Federals was reaching a futile stage.
March 11, 2025
Based on his generalship at the fiasco in Franklin and at Nashville, I’ve never been really impressed with General John Bell Hood. However, thanks to Stephen Davis’ very good book, “All the Fighting they Wanted: The Atlanta Campaign from Peachtree Creek to the City’s Surrender”, I now have a much more positive view of Hood. Still don’t think he was a great general, but he made some very good decisions, in a very bad set of circumstances, that probably bought the city time before capture.
This little book is loaded full of information about the Atlanta Campaign. As a native Georgian, the subject matter was of interest to me, and Davis doesn’t let me down. If you have any interest in the Atlanta campaign, or the war itself, I can highly recommend this volume for your reading.
This little book is loaded full of information about the Atlanta Campaign. As a native Georgian, the subject matter was of interest to me, and Davis doesn’t let me down. If you have any interest in the Atlanta campaign, or the war itself, I can highly recommend this volume for your reading.
August 11, 2023
A good continuation of the Atlanta Civil War campaign, with many pictures and a very good driving tour of sites in Atlanta.
January 26, 2025
An excellent entry in the Emerging Civil War Series. Davis is an expert on this subject and provides a narrative in his folksy style.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews