Sherman's Civil War: Selected Correspondence of William T. Sherman, 1860-1865 (Civil War America)
Sherman once remarked that his letters were "sought after like hot cakes." With this superb edition of more than 400 letters drawn from the general's vast personal and official correspondence, it is easy to see why. Sherman wrote much and wisely about war though too often hastily and even angrily about politics and society. The letters read like an epistolary novel, showing Sherman as a loving husband and ambitious military man who found his calling in war. Sherman's devotion to the Union echoes throughout, as does his racism and impatience with posturing politicians, bungling officers, intractable civilians, and anyone else he could not control. The letters show how the famous Grant-Sherman friendship formed, how Lincoln rose in esteem among military men, and how military policy shaped emancipation and Reconstruction. Sherman's prejudices and arrogance will infuriate, just as his insights on war will inform. This well-edited collection is a triumph, sweeping all other editions of Sherman's and other generals' letters before it. Highly recommended.ARandall M. Miller, St. Joseph's Univ., PhiladelphiaCopyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.