Sherman Invades Georgia: Planning the North Georgia Campaign Using a Modern Perspective [Hardcover]

John R. Scales (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 2006

A longtime Special Forces officer with a Ph.D. in systems engineering presents a new perspective on one of the legendary campaigns of the Civil War, General William T. Sherman's invasion of Georgia. Unlike most Civil War books that either treat individual battles and campaigns in a historical sense and give short shrift to planning, or study campaign planning with snippets from various campaigns to document specific features, General John Scales's book takes advantage of modern planning techniques to fully examine what went into the Georgia campaign. He has limited the information in his book to that possessed by General Sherman at the time, as documented in his correspondence during the campaign and not in his after-the-fact reports and autobiography. Laid out in chapters that follow the format of an "estimate of the situation," this book doesn't simply recount the facts or attempt to provide a definitive history - other books do that - rather it offers a narrative of the campaign that illustrates a logical decision-making process as formulated in modern times. Published in cooperation with the Associations of the United States Army, the book serves two audiences: military professionals can use it for training purposes and Civil War buffs and interested laymen can gain a sense of the uncertainty that real commanders face by not having all the records of both sides at hand.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

"The historical study of operational art is an undervalued discipline. As a result, the profession of arms is deprived of perspectives which can inform our current operations. General John Scales provides a welcome addition to the field with this timely book on Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign. General Scales offers a helpful construct that illustrates the complexities of battle and walks the reader through many of the factors leaders in war must consider. It is well worth a read."--General Peter J. Schoomaker, U.S. Army

"Now listen up! Get away from that PC, roll up your sleeves and go to war alongside General William Tecumseh Sherman and Brigadier General (ret) John Scales. Why did Sherman make the decisions he did with the information he had at hand? Why might he have decided differently? What decisions would YOU have made? The author walks us methodically toward the answers and permits us to learn enthusiastically about a commander's ‘estimate of the situation.’ Such estimates remain the essence of decision in warfare--arguably any kind of warfare."--William J. Taylor, Jr., Senior Adviser, Center for Strategic and International Studies

About the Author

John R. Scales, a retired Special Forces officer, combat veteran of both Vietnam and Operation Enduring Freedom, and graduate of the U.S. Army War College's Senior Service College Fellow program, is currently working at SAIC in Huntsville, Alabama.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 213 pages
• Publisher: US Naval Institute Press (September 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591148154
• ISBN-13: 978-1591148159
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,744,150 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Learning from a pro, October 11, 2008

By 

George C. Bradley (Carlisle, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sherman Invades Georgia: Planning the North Georgia Campaign Using a Modern Perspective (Hardcover)

When I first took a look at this small book, I wondered what new such a slim volume could contain; and thought to myself, "who needs another short synopsis of the Atlanta Campaign?" Well, don't judge a book by its cover- or by its girth. The author, John Scales, has given us something quite different, so different in fact that the Naval Institute Press chose to publish a book about the Army.

Author John Scales rose to the rank of captain while serving in the army during the early 1970's. After leaving active duty, he remained in the National Guard where he rose to brigadier general. What he has done here is to take Sherman's invasion of Georgia and analyze it as a modern soldier. In so doing, he gives anyone who is not a professional soldier a solid, quick course in a soldier's approach to planning and conducting a major military campaign. I do mean "course." The book is a textbook. It comes complete with forms and sheets the reader can use to apply the analytical methods the author teaches here. These are used to dissect and prioritize the tasks that need to be done to carry the campaign to a successful conclusion. He teaches you how to "wargame" various scenarios, how to test various ideas about how to proceed.

The book is thin because it deals only with the opening phase of the campaign, the actual invasion of Georgia, and Sherman's choice of Snake Creek Gap as the best place to attack in hopes of an early and swift victory. But, to anyone curious about the application of modern methods to test the viability of Civil War planning and execution, this book is a real treat. I learned a lot. Even if you are a professional soldier, General Scales's book will give you great insight into the problems faced by Civil War commanders.

13 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Rebuttal, November 2, 2006

By 

Richard W. Scales (South Carolina) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sherman Invades Georgia: Planning the North Georgia Campaign Using a Modern Perspective (Hardcover)

I find this review hard to believe. "Civil War Buffs Beware?" Are you kidding me? You gave this book, which you admitted you haven't read, the lowest possible score because it didn't cover what YOU wanted it to cover. This particular quote says it all:

"Unfortunatey this is not that book. But in fairness to the author, it is not the book he set out to write. This is essentially a training manual for military professionals. As such it may be a fine book. Of that I am not qualified to judge. (Therefore, I found it impossible to give it a meaningful numerical rating.)"

If you are not qualified to judge, have not read the book and find it impossible to give it a numerical rating, then DON'T. Your commentary is essentially worthless, which i'm glad you finally get to toward the end of the review. Oh, also, learn how to spell skirmish. Thanks.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I finsihed the book last night, January 9, 2008

By 

Polymath (Ithaca NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sherman Invades Georgia: Planning the North Georgia Campaign Using a Modern Perspective (Hardcover)

And a nice read it was! The author writes in a conversational style I found very easy to follow.

The book is an analysis of Sherman's thinking in preparing for his Atlanta campaign using modern military planning techniques. The author pauses to allow the reader to make his or her own plans, then presents his (the author's) plans, and finally states what Sherman adtually decided. The Confederate situation is discussed, but mostly from the viepoint of how it affected Sherman's thinking. There are plentiful maps, all very useful as they do not try to show too much, nor to leave out essential locations.

So while the book is not a history of the Atlanta campaign (though the full campaign is outlined), I found it a very interesting and useful, but not lengthy, read.