The Fall of Atlanta - The Greatest Event of the Civil War
On September 2, 1864, Atlanta surrendered to General William "T" Sherman ending a bloody 4 month siege in what has been famously called "The Greatest Event of the Civil War". Russell Bond's superb, 2010 book covers the battle and burning of the city by retreating Confederate forces, immortalized years later in Margaret Mitchell's "Gone With the Wind".
Top Recommendations for September
War Like the Thunderbolt, Russell Bonds (2010 - 536pp).
Award-winning, epic story that draws the reader into the drama of the siege and burning of Atlanta in a way that makes this cataclysmic event come alive
Gone With the Wind, by Margaret Mitchell (1936 - 960pp).
Margaret Mitchell's famous 1936 first-novel about the destruction of Atlanta and the heartrending end to the Southern plantation way of life
Just finished it. Excellent book– I agree with the blurb that it is one of the best Civil War books in a long time (at least among those I have read). The book combines analytical but understandable military history, penetrating, no BS personal profiles of the leading players, and the drama of the events themselves as experienced by contemporary observers and bystanders. Thanks for the recommendation!
The fall of Atlanta also ensured Lincoln’s re-election and was cause for major celebration in the the North. A super interesting book with plenty of maps…great storytelling. Sherman relentless. Hood never had a chance.