The American Civil War & Reconstruction
Whistlestop Bookshop’s first store opened in Gettysburg in 1985. Eventually, over 19 years there, our Civil War section grew to be three large wall cases. A disproportionate percentage of it, naturally, was about the battle of Gettysburg and biographies of those who fought there. In addition to this book selling experience, my southern upbringing and Army family life created a lifelong interest in the War Between the States and all of its complexities. It is an understandable national obsession, considering how the first half of our nation’s history contributed to its ferocity, and the second half of our history has been the struggle to live with and understand the consequences.
The Memoirs of General William Tecumseh Sherman: The Complete Annotated Edition
The Memoirs of General William Tecumseh Sherman: The Complete Annotated Edition
A titan among Civil War military geniuses gives an unvarnished account of his career, presented for the first time in a definitive annotated edition, marking the 150th anniversary of the original publication.
William Tecumseh Sherman’s memoirs were a sensation when first published in 1875, as Americans grappled with the aftermath of the Civil War and its emerging place in collective memory. Today, Sherman’s account remains arguably the most significant work of Civil War military history after that of his friend and commanding general Ulysses S. Grant.
In blunt terms, Sherman chronicles his military life and leadership from the First Battle of Bull Run to the Battle of Shiloh and the Atlanta and Vicksburg Campaigns. Most notably, he gives a detailed account of his notorious March to the Sea, which instituted a new and uniquely destructive type of warfare that would include civilians in the conflict between armies ever after. Along the way, he provides candid and often unsparing commentary on his fellow officers, subordinates, and adversaries. These assessments created immediate and lasting controversy, so much so that Sherman published a second edition with extensive appendixes responding to the outcry.
This newly annotated volume, featuring an introduction by leading Civil War historian John F. Marszalek, presents Sherman’s life and legacy for today’s audience. Detailed notes shed light on his editorial process, while contextualizing individuals, places, and events that loomed large for nineteenth-century readers but have since become obscure. Reintroducing a classic work of American military history, this edition brings to life a remarkable figure whose leadership continues to be debated today.
A monumental achievement in documentary editing and historical interpretation. From the same team behind the latest edition of Grant’s memoirs now comes an essential new edition of Sherman’s, expertly introduced and annotated for a new generation of readers. The result is an invaluable and accessible resource for all serious students of the American Civil War. — Harold Holzer, author of Brought Forth on This Continent