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Shrouds of Glory: From Atlanta to Nashville: The Last Great Campaign of the Civil War
A retelling of a significant chapter in American history is presented from the perspective of young Confederate General John Bell Hood and follows his final attempt to turn the tide of the war. By the author of Forrest Gump. Reprint.
320 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1995
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About the author
Winston Groom
46 books597 followersWinston Francis Groom Jr. was an American novelist and non-fiction writer, best known for his book Forrest Gump, which was adapted into a film in 1994. Groom was born in Washington, D.C., but grew up in Mobile, Alabama where he attended University Military School (now known as UMS-Wright Preparatory School). He attended the University of Alabama, where he was a member of Delta Tau Delta and the Army ROTC, and graduated in 1965. He served in the Army from 1965 to 1969, including a tour in Vietnam. Groom devoted his time to writing history books about American wars. More recently he had lived in Point Clear, Alabama, and Long Island, New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
June 30, 2019
The novelist Winston Groom is also a Civil War buff who has dabbled in popular history. His first stab is a readable account of the campaign and a good introduction to Hood’s last gamble.
February 21, 2021
The author attributes his interest in the U.S. Civil War to Bruce Catton's and Shelby Foote's trilogies which I would recommend ahead of this particular book which tells the story of the rise and fall of Confederate General John Bell Hood pointing out his strengths and weaknesses as he ultimately commanded his Army of the Tennessee into oblivion before Nashville in December 1864.
November 22, 2021
To begin with, Winston Groom's 1995 book Shrouds of Glory is not history.
History requires rigorous assembly and presentation of documented facts. I'm always frustrated with, and disappointed by, books like this one in which the author has clearly invested an enormous amount of time doing the research only to perversely omit his sources, either from a misguided faith that readers prefer their "history" to "read like a novel" (often mentioned by the lay public and always an unwitting insult to a writer of nonfiction) or to create sugar-coated imagery in their minds like an action-adventure movie. Or, if expunging the sources is not the author's choice, it may be at the publisher's behest, warning direfully that with every footnote included, another thousand readers will decline to purchase the book in question. Regardless of the path by which we arrived at Shrouds of Glory, its disappointing non-history status remains unsatisfactory, because Winston Groom very clearly did do his homework while writing this book. It's just that, sadly, he then threw his supporting documentation away, thereby castrating his tale.
But, you may object, Groom includes an impressive "Bibliographical Note on Sources" at the end of the book in which he precisely and extensively lists his references. The problem is that none of the details included in the story can be linked to any one of those items on his bibliographical laundry list. The only way to fact-check Shrouds of Glory would be to locate and read all his sources, start to finish, reconstructing the footnotes within the text where they properly belong. Which no one will ever do. The Note on Sources proves Groom did his homework. The discarded footnotes render that homework useless.
We set aside the non-history nature of the book and move on.
A full third of this book is not about John Bell Hood's quixotic journey after he lost Atlanta through the battles of Franklin and Nashville and the destruction of the Army of Tennessee but includes long passages of flashback that tend to focus on the actions and biographies of numerous personalities earlier in the war. Presented in non-chronological order, such flashbacks are not standard in books about the American Civil War. I did not find the use of flashbacks to be so jarring as readers less familiar with the chronology of the war might. I would have preferred, however, that more of that space had been given over to the last march of the Army of Tennessee than a rehashing of what we may have missed, as the voiceover announcer would have it, "previously, in the Civil War." Still, this back-filling of story was not enough to raise my critical ire, although I did find myself occasionally wishing Groom would get on with the story I was here to read.
Eventually he does get on with the story of the last march (or, more accurately, the penultimate march) of the Confederate Army of Tennessee. Excepting the absent footnotes, it is very good.
One thing Groom does exceptionally well is to include all the gory details of battle which writers of proper history are prone to omit, presumably out of a mistaken sense of propriety. It seems to me any levelheaded history involving warfare should be accurate and through in its gory details so that a fitting level of combat-loathing is not excessively overshadowed by the glorious activities of shining heroes. Groom is not reluctant to fill the reader's nostrils with the stink of the dead, and I respect him for that.
As for the advance to and retreat from Nashville, it's a story many of us know reasonably well. Perhaps the most interesting material Groom includes is an extended discussion of the sorry circus of missed opportunities at Spring Hill. Calling this section of the book an analysis by Groom would be wrong: the unknowns far outnumber facts, and final conclusions are impossible to draw. But Groom does handle the Spring Hill section very well, provoking substantial thought in the reader.
It must be mentioned that a strong Southern bias colors Groom's narrative, which is not so very surprising. This only becomes truly problematic when he cleaves too unskeptically to Southern mythology of the war rather than to the historical record. In particular this bias is evident in the brief retelling of Sherman's march to the sea. The Southern hatred of Sherman became increasingly pronounced as the decades passed after the war had ended and not in the early years of its aftermath. Especially in the flashbacks unrelated to his main story, Groom also makes numerous historical, factual errors throughout the text as he glosses over pesky details about Shiloh . . . Vicksburg . . . Chattanooga . . . Durham Station. Shiloh was hardly a "Southern trap" but a desperate, chaotic scurrying by the South in response to the presence of Yankees in southern Tennessee. The dates given for the assaults on the battlements of Vicksburg are in error. Etc.
As far as non-history, nonfiction books about the American Civil War go, Groom's is very good. But the non-history qualification strongly impacts my final rating. Next time I decide to read a book about the march to Nashville and back it will be an actual history and not its near-beer counterpart.
History requires rigorous assembly and presentation of documented facts. I'm always frustrated with, and disappointed by, books like this one in which the author has clearly invested an enormous amount of time doing the research only to perversely omit his sources, either from a misguided faith that readers prefer their "history" to "read like a novel" (often mentioned by the lay public and always an unwitting insult to a writer of nonfiction) or to create sugar-coated imagery in their minds like an action-adventure movie. Or, if expunging the sources is not the author's choice, it may be at the publisher's behest, warning direfully that with every footnote included, another thousand readers will decline to purchase the book in question. Regardless of the path by which we arrived at Shrouds of Glory, its disappointing non-history status remains unsatisfactory, because Winston Groom very clearly did do his homework while writing this book. It's just that, sadly, he then threw his supporting documentation away, thereby castrating his tale.
But, you may object, Groom includes an impressive "Bibliographical Note on Sources" at the end of the book in which he precisely and extensively lists his references. The problem is that none of the details included in the story can be linked to any one of those items on his bibliographical laundry list. The only way to fact-check Shrouds of Glory would be to locate and read all his sources, start to finish, reconstructing the footnotes within the text where they properly belong. Which no one will ever do. The Note on Sources proves Groom did his homework. The discarded footnotes render that homework useless.
We set aside the non-history nature of the book and move on.
A full third of this book is not about John Bell Hood's quixotic journey after he lost Atlanta through the battles of Franklin and Nashville and the destruction of the Army of Tennessee but includes long passages of flashback that tend to focus on the actions and biographies of numerous personalities earlier in the war. Presented in non-chronological order, such flashbacks are not standard in books about the American Civil War. I did not find the use of flashbacks to be so jarring as readers less familiar with the chronology of the war might. I would have preferred, however, that more of that space had been given over to the last march of the Army of Tennessee than a rehashing of what we may have missed, as the voiceover announcer would have it, "previously, in the Civil War." Still, this back-filling of story was not enough to raise my critical ire, although I did find myself occasionally wishing Groom would get on with the story I was here to read.
Eventually he does get on with the story of the last march (or, more accurately, the penultimate march) of the Confederate Army of Tennessee. Excepting the absent footnotes, it is very good.
One thing Groom does exceptionally well is to include all the gory details of battle which writers of proper history are prone to omit, presumably out of a mistaken sense of propriety. It seems to me any levelheaded history involving warfare should be accurate and through in its gory details so that a fitting level of combat-loathing is not excessively overshadowed by the glorious activities of shining heroes. Groom is not reluctant to fill the reader's nostrils with the stink of the dead, and I respect him for that.
As for the advance to and retreat from Nashville, it's a story many of us know reasonably well. Perhaps the most interesting material Groom includes is an extended discussion of the sorry circus of missed opportunities at Spring Hill. Calling this section of the book an analysis by Groom would be wrong: the unknowns far outnumber facts, and final conclusions are impossible to draw. But Groom does handle the Spring Hill section very well, provoking substantial thought in the reader.
It must be mentioned that a strong Southern bias colors Groom's narrative, which is not so very surprising. This only becomes truly problematic when he cleaves too unskeptically to Southern mythology of the war rather than to the historical record. In particular this bias is evident in the brief retelling of Sherman's march to the sea. The Southern hatred of Sherman became increasingly pronounced as the decades passed after the war had ended and not in the early years of its aftermath. Especially in the flashbacks unrelated to his main story, Groom also makes numerous historical, factual errors throughout the text as he glosses over pesky details about Shiloh . . . Vicksburg . . . Chattanooga . . . Durham Station. Shiloh was hardly a "Southern trap" but a desperate, chaotic scurrying by the South in response to the presence of Yankees in southern Tennessee. The dates given for the assaults on the battlements of Vicksburg are in error. Etc.
As far as non-history, nonfiction books about the American Civil War go, Groom's is very good. But the non-history qualification strongly impacts my final rating. Next time I decide to read a book about the march to Nashville and back it will be an actual history and not its near-beer counterpart.
June 29, 2018
Novelist Winston Groom has written some very good general audience looks at battles in the western theater of the America Civil War, but somehow I had missed this one. Written in the 1990s, I understand this was his first foray into Civil War history.
In this narrative, the author looks the CSA’s Army of Tennessee’s (AofT) invasion of its namesake state following the Union capture of Atlanta. In telling this story, Mr. Groom gives us a good look at the commander of the army and driving force of the invasion – John Bell Hood. The author looks at just why he was appointed commander and both his faults and assets in that role. One of his major assets in the eyes of Jefferson Davis was his aggressiveness. While Hood had never commanded an army, he had made a name for himself with his aggressive attitude throughout the army. According to Mr. Groom, President Davis was fed up with the previous commander’s, Joe Johnston, tactics of constantly giving ground to Gen Sherman as he slowly retreated from Chattanooga towards Atlanta. When he took command of the AofT, Hood was not a well man. He had lost the use of his left arm at Gettysburg and at Chickamauga lost his right leg just below the hip. The author tells that during the drive to Nashville, he had to be strapped into his saddle. Mr. Groom makes the point that at this point of the war; the south was running out of commanders. He cites a statistic that 18% of the Southern Generals died during the war. At this point in the war, men who should have been leading companies had regiments, brigade commanders should have been leading regiments, and so on. In looking at Gen Hood, Mr. Groom also spends quite a few pages on his personal life, including his ill-fated engagement to Buck Preston, which was ultimately called off.
While his major asset was his aggressiveness, it was also one of his major weaknesses. He let his aggressiveness affect his judgement at both the Battles of Franklin and Nashville when he ordered nearly suicidal assaults on prepared Union positions. In addition to his aggressiveness, Mr. Groom also speculates how his health affected both his decisions and his availability. This is really brought to light with the his conduct of the Battle of Spring Hill, where Hood misses several chances to destroy the army of John Schofield or at a minimum prevent him for linking up with Gen Thomas at Franklin.
With the authors focus on Gen Hood, the personalities of his Union foes are not as well painted. The feud between Grant and Thomas goes almost uncommented on. Grant felt that Thomas was not aggressive enough and was at the point of relieving him, just prior to the Battle of Nashville.
All in all in spite a few historical errors; this is a well written and more importantly considering the target audience readable narrative. Mr Groom does bring a novelists writing style to his history that makes his books a joy to read. Civil War aficionados will be able to find fault with some of his conclusions and research, but as I pointed out before, Mr. Groom writes for the general audience and really does justice to this little known story of the American Civil War. For me this is a solid 4 star read on Goodreads.
In this narrative, the author looks the CSA’s Army of Tennessee’s (AofT) invasion of its namesake state following the Union capture of Atlanta. In telling this story, Mr. Groom gives us a good look at the commander of the army and driving force of the invasion – John Bell Hood. The author looks at just why he was appointed commander and both his faults and assets in that role. One of his major assets in the eyes of Jefferson Davis was his aggressiveness. While Hood had never commanded an army, he had made a name for himself with his aggressive attitude throughout the army. According to Mr. Groom, President Davis was fed up with the previous commander’s, Joe Johnston, tactics of constantly giving ground to Gen Sherman as he slowly retreated from Chattanooga towards Atlanta. When he took command of the AofT, Hood was not a well man. He had lost the use of his left arm at Gettysburg and at Chickamauga lost his right leg just below the hip. The author tells that during the drive to Nashville, he had to be strapped into his saddle. Mr. Groom makes the point that at this point of the war; the south was running out of commanders. He cites a statistic that 18% of the Southern Generals died during the war. At this point in the war, men who should have been leading companies had regiments, brigade commanders should have been leading regiments, and so on. In looking at Gen Hood, Mr. Groom also spends quite a few pages on his personal life, including his ill-fated engagement to Buck Preston, which was ultimately called off.
While his major asset was his aggressiveness, it was also one of his major weaknesses. He let his aggressiveness affect his judgement at both the Battles of Franklin and Nashville when he ordered nearly suicidal assaults on prepared Union positions. In addition to his aggressiveness, Mr. Groom also speculates how his health affected both his decisions and his availability. This is really brought to light with the his conduct of the Battle of Spring Hill, where Hood misses several chances to destroy the army of John Schofield or at a minimum prevent him for linking up with Gen Thomas at Franklin.
With the authors focus on Gen Hood, the personalities of his Union foes are not as well painted. The feud between Grant and Thomas goes almost uncommented on. Grant felt that Thomas was not aggressive enough and was at the point of relieving him, just prior to the Battle of Nashville.
All in all in spite a few historical errors; this is a well written and more importantly considering the target audience readable narrative. Mr Groom does bring a novelists writing style to his history that makes his books a joy to read. Civil War aficionados will be able to find fault with some of his conclusions and research, but as I pointed out before, Mr. Groom writes for the general audience and really does justice to this little known story of the American Civil War. For me this is a solid 4 star read on Goodreads.
December 23, 2019
Good info on Hood, but I wished for more on Sherman. Excellent maps!
October 10, 2019
Excellent book by the author of Forrest Gump!
August 20, 2020
Not your typical war related book. There was enough technical data for readers that look for that and yet it was peppered with anecdotal info from soldiers and civilians of the time.
June 16, 2017
It was good and well researched. It wasn't as dry as some Civil War books, which was refreshing. The subject matter was a little depressing, but he did it justice. I'm glad I read it.
September 9, 2019
The description of the Battle of Franklin is the most exciting and entertaining chapter of militart history I have ever read. And I have read a lot!
December 17, 2017
A good book, covering the late 1864 Franklin-Nashville Campaign, the last major offensive push by a significant Confederate Army in the Civil War. This was the author’s, Winston Groom’s, first non-fiction book (he is better known for Forrest Gump). The lengthy development of the various personalities and the well painted pictures of the toils of the common soldiers are obvious benefits of an author who can tell a good story. I thought the opening descriptions of the Atlanta campaign was a bit too long, enough in fact to justify a title which implies Atlanta is a subject of the book, vice just a scene setter. I also would have appreciated a bigger emphasis on Union General George Thomas, one of the most under-represented federal generals. Though, to be fair, Groom stayed supportive, or at least non-aligned, in the Grant/Halleck-v-Thomas fight, which is better than many other authors. But, those two complaints aside, this was a good book with lots of details. A great book for those wanting to know more about this particular campaign and about the dynamics of campaigning in the last year of the Civil War.
September 22, 2018
As stated, this text on Hood's tenure with the Army of Tennessee definitely reads like a novel.
The book is fast-paced and easy to read. It provides insight into the character of John Bell Hood, from his religious conversion to his courtship, and most importantly, his style of command. It suggested that Hood was either incapable of or unwilling to learn from his mistakes at Atlanta and Franklin, leading to the debacle outside Nashville. It also discussed his willingness to divert blame on to others for the failed battle strategies.
I particularly liked the inclusion of colorful anecdotal stories by personalities such as Mary Chestnut and Sam Watkins. Additionally, I liked the inclusion of the postscript stories on the fates of many of the most prominent actors that Groom included in the closing chapter.
My one criticism is the lack of footnotes/references in the body of the text. Footnotes help those who are interested in a particular passage in the text engage in follow up reading. However, all in all, I recommend Groom's text for those who are interested in learning more about John Bell Hood and his time with the Army of Tennessee.
The book is fast-paced and easy to read. It provides insight into the character of John Bell Hood, from his religious conversion to his courtship, and most importantly, his style of command. It suggested that Hood was either incapable of or unwilling to learn from his mistakes at Atlanta and Franklin, leading to the debacle outside Nashville. It also discussed his willingness to divert blame on to others for the failed battle strategies.
I particularly liked the inclusion of colorful anecdotal stories by personalities such as Mary Chestnut and Sam Watkins. Additionally, I liked the inclusion of the postscript stories on the fates of many of the most prominent actors that Groom included in the closing chapter.
My one criticism is the lack of footnotes/references in the body of the text. Footnotes help those who are interested in a particular passage in the text engage in follow up reading. However, all in all, I recommend Groom's text for those who are interested in learning more about John Bell Hood and his time with the Army of Tennessee.
September 7, 2019
Wonderfully created narrative of the desperate attempts by the Confederacy to stave off defeat. At the end of the Civil War, the south was drained of manpower and resources. They held on with the hope the north would tire of Lincoln and the horrendous loss of life in a war that lasted well beyond anyone's expectation. Perhaps one more Confederate victory would lead to a negotiated peace. With Robert E, Lee bottled up by Grant, John Bell Hood was Jeff Davis' best hope as he replaced the more cautious Joseph Johnson. Instead, his aggressive stance, whether through poor planning, failure of subordinates or underestimation of the Union forces lead to defeat and virtual destruction of his army.
Interesting vignettes of all the participants helps draw you into events as they happen.
Interesting vignettes of all the participants helps draw you into events as they happen.
July 7, 2018
A look at Hood's Nashville campaign
This book is good at putting the events of December 1864 into an easy to follow narrative. How, the book does lean strongly towards the Confederacy and I feel that limits how historically useful the book is.
This book is good at putting the events of December 1864 into an easy to follow narrative. How, the book does lean strongly towards the Confederacy and I feel that limits how historically useful the book is.
June 10, 2019
I read this because I plan on visiting Franklin and Spring Hill and felt it provided an excellent overview of John Bell Hood's campaign into central Tennessee in the waning months of 1864. It was very readable and accessible.
January 1, 2022
In my opinion, the beginning of the book read rather slow, but it picked up steam and was an enjoyable read by the end! I do think the author was overly kind when talking about the south. Regardless, the book was a good and interesting read.
February 23, 2023
Highly readable account of Hood's 1864 campaign into Tennessee.
Pleasant and well paced narrative with plenty of biographical details of the major participants in the campaign. The carnage at Franklin is truly disturbing given the futile nature of the campaign.
Pleasant and well paced narrative with plenty of biographical details of the major participants in the campaign. The carnage at Franklin is truly disturbing given the futile nature of the campaign.
October 12, 2023
An excellent review of John Bell Hood's 1864 campaign from Atlanta to Nashville which was effectively the last great Confederate offensive of the Civil War and ended with the annihilation of Hood's Army of Tennessee.
May 4, 2019
Very dry...the last section detailing what happened to the participants was interesting though
July 7, 2021
Much of the writing (at least in the first 2/3 of the book) is dry and repetitive, with an occasional inaccuracy, but the narrative description of the battle of Franklin is the best I've read.
December 19, 2022
A very detailed story of Sherman and his march. Great resource for research and / or term paper. Enjoy!
February 29, 2024
Great book. About Hood and all the difficultly it face in the Civil War.
November 14, 2009
In hindsight, it is clear that the Confederacy made a major error giving command of their Army of Tennessee to General John Bell Hood. He was excellent at division command. There is some question about his ability at Corps command (note his hesitation at a critical moment during Joe Johnston's retreat toward Atlanta, with Sherman pressing his army). This book, most literately written by the author of "Forrest Gump" and other novels, depicts the leadup to and campaign toward Nashville. This was the last major offensive effort by Southern forces--and it was a disaster, in effect destroying one of the two great armies of the Confederacy.
The author, Winston Groom, begins by noting (Page 3): "[This story:] is about the last big Confederate campaign of the Civil War--the trek of the Armey of Tennessee from Atlanta to Nashville. . . ." The book traces the movement by Sherman, with three component armies (Ohio, Tennessee, and Cumberland) against Joe Johnston's forces. Slowly, Johnston gave ground, until his forces were pushed back to Atlanta itself. In part because of Hood's intriguing, Johnston was removed, to be replaced by Hood. Hood himself is an intriguing figure, and this book captures his persona (including his ill-fated courtship of Sally Preston).
We see his forces being used to try to save Atlanta, but--ultimately--defeated by Sherman. Then, his retrograde movement and his ultimate decision to take the offensive toward Nashville, hoping to turn the fortunes of the Confederacy around. His advance and the coalescing of a scratch force made up of many disparate forces under Union General George Thomas is well told. The near great victory at Spring Hill (and speculation as to what went wrong) and its ghastly consequence at Franklin are related. Then, the foolhardy drive to Nashville, after the decimation of his forces at Franklin. And, ultimately, Thomas' smashing victory over Hood.
The final segment of the book traces the lives of key figures after the war's end. . . .
Overall, a well written work. Not much new is related here. But for the person who wants a literate review of the final offensive by the South, this will be a useful work.
The author, Winston Groom, begins by noting (Page 3): "[This story:] is about the last big Confederate campaign of the Civil War--the trek of the Armey of Tennessee from Atlanta to Nashville. . . ." The book traces the movement by Sherman, with three component armies (Ohio, Tennessee, and Cumberland) against Joe Johnston's forces. Slowly, Johnston gave ground, until his forces were pushed back to Atlanta itself. In part because of Hood's intriguing, Johnston was removed, to be replaced by Hood. Hood himself is an intriguing figure, and this book captures his persona (including his ill-fated courtship of Sally Preston).
We see his forces being used to try to save Atlanta, but--ultimately--defeated by Sherman. Then, his retrograde movement and his ultimate decision to take the offensive toward Nashville, hoping to turn the fortunes of the Confederacy around. His advance and the coalescing of a scratch force made up of many disparate forces under Union General George Thomas is well told. The near great victory at Spring Hill (and speculation as to what went wrong) and its ghastly consequence at Franklin are related. Then, the foolhardy drive to Nashville, after the decimation of his forces at Franklin. And, ultimately, Thomas' smashing victory over Hood.
The final segment of the book traces the lives of key figures after the war's end. . . .
Overall, a well written work. Not much new is related here. But for the person who wants a literate review of the final offensive by the South, this will be a useful work.
September 20, 2013
As I have said in previous reviews, Winston Groom writes history that reads like a novel. Shrouds of Glory recounts the ill-fated Confederate campaign in Tennessee following the fall of Atlanta. Some might see it as a paean to General John Bell Hood, the confederate commander. In actuality, as in any account of war, it should focus on the soldiers who's bravery and sacrifice made it possible for the Generals to become heroes in the public eye. If the incredible valor of these men, as described in this book, doesn't bring a little mist to your eye, you need a heart transplant. A very worthwhile read.
May 7, 2013
Excellent book about the Tennessee campaigns of the Civil War with a close focus on the leadership of John Bell Hood. An outstanding and aggressive operational leader, it would appear from this book the best leader may indeed be less of a fighter and more focused on the end objective. The book gives one a true feeling of the violence of the Civil War, with cannister blowing men literally to pieces and depositing their remains on their brothers in arms. Well worth the read for the Civil War Buff.
December 18, 2023
Groom is a much better historian than novelist. Watch Tom Hanks play Forrest Gump, it is much better than the book, however this is a well written balanced history. I have found that the best Civil War histories are always written by novelist, not historians. I think this is because the Civil War is really the last great epic war in western history, from there we descend into mechanical butchery. books like Grooms , Shelby Foote’s, and Michael Sahara’s have more in common with Homer than most modern academics scholars dry writing. Highly recommend Groom’s histories.
July 13, 2024
Pretty good book about the Franklin-Nashville campaign, with some good maps covering the three main battles at Spring Hill, Franklin, and Nashville. However, several other parts of the campaign (such as northern Georgia and 2nd Murfreesboro) lacked maps. Also, the author probably spent too much space covering the background of Hood and Sherman, compared with the space given to the other generals in the campaign (especially considering that Sherman had only a brief role in the campaign).
May 12, 2014
Disappointing. I had hoped to find the literary sylist and historical popularizer who produced an outstanding work like "A Storm in Flanders." Sadly, no. Not only is the wordsmithing not up to snuff, but the historical insights are few and often bogus. For example, he depicts Sherman as opposed to high casualty operations as a way to Union victory, a position not borne out by the record.
March 29, 2010
Awful book due to poor research. Writing style was hard to read. Groom never focused on a particular person or event for more than a paragraph. Book was also full of errors.
Johnston surrended Army of Tennessee in Greensboro, NC? Any historian that did their research knows it was Durham Station (now Durham, NC).
Johnston surrended Army of Tennessee in Greensboro, NC? Any historian that did their research knows it was Durham Station (now Durham, NC).
March 9, 2009
A straightforward handling of complcated military history, told with the utmost lack of verve or color. If this hadn't concerned the Battles of Franklin and Nashville, I wouldn't have bothered finishing.
July 11, 2011
Straight-forward story of a lesser-known campaign of the Civil War. Groom is clearly a fiction writer, because his research is both scanty and poorly done. Also, several sections in the book either repeat themselves or are out of order.
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