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November 1864: As the Civil War rolls into its fourth bloody year, the tide has turned decidedly in favor of the Union. A grateful Abraham Lincoln responds to Ulysses S. Grant’s successes by bringing the general east, promoting Grant to command the entire Union war effort, while William Tecumseh Sherman now directs the Federal forces that occupy all of Tennessee.
In a massive surge southward, Sherman conquers the city of Atlanta, sweeping aside the Confederate army under the inept leadership of General John Bell Hood. Pushing through northern Georgia, Sherman’s legendary March to the Sea shoves away any Rebel presence, and by Christmas 1864 the city of Savannah falls into the hands of “Uncle Billy.” Now there is but one direction for Sherman to go. In his way stands the last great hope for the Southern cause, General Joseph E. Johnston.
In the concluding novel of his epic Civil War tetralogy, Jeff Shaara tells the dramatic story of the final eight months of battle from multiple perspectives: the commanders in their tents making plans for total victory, as well as the ordinary foot soldiers and cavalrymen who carried out their orders until the last alarum sounded. Through Sherman’s eyes, we gain insight into the mind of the general who vowed to “make Georgia howl” until it surrendered. In Johnston, we see a man agonizing over the limits of his army’s power, and accepting the burden of leading the last desperate effort to ensure the survival of the Confederacy.
The Civil War did not end quietly. It climaxed in a storm of fury that lay waste to everything in its path. The Fateful Lightning brings to life those final brutal, bloody months of fighting with you-are-there immediacy, grounded in the meticulous research that readers have come to expect from Jeff Shaara.
Praise for The Fateful Lightning
“Powerful and emotional . . . highly recommended.”—Historical Novels Review
“Outstanding . . . Shaara combines his extensive knowledge of military history with his consummate skill as a storyteller.”—Booklist
“Readers . . . looking for an absorbing novel will be well rewarded.”—The Clarion-Ledger
“A great accomplishment and a more than fitting conclusion to Shaara’s work on the Civil War.”—Bookreporter
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Release date
June 2, 2015 -
Formats
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Kindle Book
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OverDrive Read
- ISBN: 9780345549204
- File size: 3417 KB
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EPUB ebook
- ISBN: 9780345549204
- File size: 3566 KB
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Languages
- English
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Reviews
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May 15, 2015
Shaara wraps up his outstanding Civil War series with Sherman's infamous March to the Sea. All the major players are present, but as with the author's previous volumes, some of the most fascinating characters are minor, but no less important, historical and fictional figures. Though legendary, the havoc and destruction wreaked on Georgia during Sherman's relentless assault is difficult to imagine. Shaara combines his extensive knowledge of military history with his consummate skill as a storyteller to vivify this type of Armageddon to great effect. In addition, the backstory and the behind-the-scenes decision-making processes are explored in great detail. The Union and the Confederate strategies, tactics, and points of view are both represented, providing a measure of balance and clarity to a campaign that is often viewed through a lopsided lens. By concentrating on the western theater throughout this series, Shaara has opened a welcome literary window to some of the less familiar Civil War battles and campaigns.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)
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