List Price: $45.00 Details

Save: $3.69 (8%)

& FREE Returns

FREE delivery: Wednesday, Sep 22 Details

In Stock.

As an alternative, the Kindle eBook is available now and can be read on any device with the free Kindle app. Want to listen? Try Audible.

$$41.31 () Includes selected options. Includes initial monthly payment and selected options. Details

Secure transaction

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.

Return policy: Eligible for Return, Refund or Replacement

1-Click ordering is not available for this item.

Add a gift receipt for easy returns

Get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime

FREE delivery: Friday, Sep 24 on orders over $25.00 shipped by Amazon. Details

Fastest delivery: Thursday, Sep 23 Details

Used: Good | Details

Sold by Book Lady Books

Fulfilled by Amazon

Share <Embed>

Other Sellers on Amazon

$38.70
+ $3.99 shipping

Sold by: mediaHand

$42.83
& FREE Shipping

Sold by: Book Depository US

$42.79
+ $3.99 shipping

Sold by: Blackwell's U.K. *dispatched from UK*

Flip to back Flip to front

Listen Playing... Paused You're listening to a sample of the Audible audio edition.
Learn more

See all 2 images

Follow the Author

James L. McDonough

William Tecumseh Sherman: In the Service of My Country: A Life Hardcover – June 14, 2016

by James Lee McDonough (Author)

357 ratings

See all formats and editions

Price

New from

Used from

Kindle

"Please retry"

$11.31

—

Audible Audiobook, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$0.00

Free with your Audible trial

Hardcover

"Please retry"

$41.31

$37.31

$3.80

Paperback, Illustrated

"Please retry"

$18.57

$14.57

$4.86

Audio CD, MP3 Audio, Unabridged

"Please retry"

$36.39

—

Enhance your purchase

A major new biography of one of America’s most storied military figures.

General Sherman’s 1864 burning of Atlanta solidified his legacy as a ruthless leader. Yet Sherman proved far more complex than his legendary military tactics reveal. James Lee McDonough offers fresh insight into a man tormented by the fear that history would pass him by, who was plagued by personal debts, and who lived much of his life separated from his family. As a soldier, Sherman evolved from a spirited student at West Point into a general who steered the Civil War’s most decisive campaigns, rendered here in graphic detail. Lamenting casualties, Sherman sought the war’s swift end by devastating Southern resources in the Carolinas and on his famous March to the Sea. This meticulously researched biography explores Sherman’s warm friendship with Ulysses S. Grant, his strained relationship with his wife, Ellen, and his unassuageable grief over the death of his young son, Willy. The result is a remarkable, comprehensive life of an American icon whose legacy resonates to this day. 8 pages of illustrations, 10 maps

Print length

832 pages
Language

English
Publisher

W. W. Norton & Company
Publication date

June 14, 2016
Dimensions

6.5 x 2 x 9.6 inches
ISBN-10

0393241572
ISBN-13

978-0393241570
See all details

Frequently bought together

Customers who viewed this item also viewed

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

Robert L. O'Connell
531
Hardcover
$5.60
John F. Marszalek
46
Hardcover
$32.56
Ron Chernow
7,222
Paperback
$17.58
B. H. Liddell Hart
113
Paperback
$20.99
William Tecumseh Sherman
289
Hardcover
$29.07
Joseph Wheelan
133
Hardcover
$40.00

What other items do customers buy after viewing this item?

Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1

S. C. Gwynne
1,747
Paperback
in Civil War Bull Run History
$15.99
Ron Chernow
7,222
Paperback
$17.58
Brian Holden Reid
201
Hardcover
$24.62
Robert L. O'Connell
531
Hardcover
$5.60
William Tecumseh Sherman
289
Hardcover
$29.07
Charles Bracelen Flood
237
Paperback
$14.80

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A well-rounded study.... Everything about this book will interest readers who want to know more about antebellum America and the Civil War."
― Starred Review, Library Journal

"McDonough…adroitly weaves his prodigious knowledge of Civil War-era America into this behemoth biography as he brilliantly captures Gen. Sherman’s personality…. an exhaustive biography told with considerable narrative skill."
― Publishers Weekly

"[McDonough] offers a great deal of shrewd military analysis, but what gives the book its vigor is [his] presentation of Sherman’s propulsive personality."
― Richard Snow, Wall Street Journal

"A vigorous military biography….welcome reading for any student of Civil War history."
― Starred review, Kirkus

"Masterly...the product of a historian's lifelong study....a full-blooded narrative."
― Carl Rollyson, The Wall Street Journal

"[McDonough] tells this story well."
― Thomas E. Ricks, New York Times Book Review

"Sherman's is surely a fascinating American life, in war and peace alike, and this packed book will beguile a whole summer with ease."
― John Timpane, Philadelphia Inquirer

"Superbly researched and richly detailed, James McDonough’s William Tecumseh Sherman judiciously guides the reader through the epic life of the man who might be history’s most complicated soldier. For Sherman fans it is a must-read, and for others, a worthwhile endeavor."
― Robert L. O’Connell, best-selling author of Fierce Patriot: The Tangled Lives of William Tecumseh Sherman

"James McDonough's William Tecumseh Sherman is the first major biography of this complex, challenging figure in almost a quarter century, and it is deeply researched and thoughtfully presented. Engagingly written, it brings new perspective to Sherman’s pre-war years and the benefit of a lifetime of study to his Civil War career. Perhaps no one will ever completely capture Sherman, but McDonough's wide net snares more than enough of the new with the old to make this a life well worth reading."
― William C. Davis, author of Crucible of Command: Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee―The War They Fought, the Peace They Forged

About the Author

James Lee McDonough is a Civil War historian and the author of nine books, including Nashville: The Western Confederacy’s Final Gamble. He lives in Lewisburg, Tennessee, and Flagler Beach, Florida.

Start reading William Tecumseh Sherman on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company; 1st Edition (June 14, 2016)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 832 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0393241572
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0393241570
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.85 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 2 x 9.6 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #780,881 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #733 in Civil War Campaigns & Battlefields History
- #1,113 in American Civil War Biographies (Books)

Customer Reviews:
357 ratings

Customer reviews

5 star		78%
4 star		18%
3 star		2%
2 star		1%
1 star		1%

How are ratings calculated?

Top reviews from the United States

There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.

Daniel W. Pyle

So Much More Than The March to the Sea

Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2016

Verified Purchase

Mads Madsen colorized the 1863 portrait of Sherman in uniform on this book's cover, helping the reader to imagine the general as flesh and blood in all his famously red-headed glory. The lean, roughly handsome visage looks at us with a hawk-like stare and grim demeanor. James Lee McDonough, in a sense, colorizes this important Civil War figure in his vibrant and readable biography. In addition to the carefully researched facts of Sherman's life, McDonough also depicts a complex man, almost undone by self-doubt despite his remarkable competence. And though he despised politics (this is the man who issued the "Sherman Statement" refusing the presidential nomination), he benefitted greatly from the positions held by both his foster father and his brother in the U.S. Senate. Sherman's was a fascinating life; The early death of his successful father plunged the family into poverty, he fought in the Seminole Wars, was present at the discovery of gold in California, and marched to the sea in Georgia. A favorable review in the NYT nonetheless quibbled that McDonough skimped on the details on the March to the Sea. While this campaign has indeed been the subject of entire volumes, McDonough is able to describe the genius and complexity of events at a length appropriate for a general biography. While I thought I knew W.T. Sherman's story before reading this book, I discovered I only knew the black and white portrait, not the flesh and blood man.

39 people found this helpful

Helpful

Outstanding easy to read biography of Sherman

Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2016

Verified Purchase

A very easy to read, well researched, from mostly primary sources, biography of arguably the best union general in the civil war. The sources the author uses are mostly letters (Sherman wrote an a large number of letters). While this biography does not really break new ground, it is so easy to read (the author writes as if he were writing a novel) that I had trouble putting the book down and found myself getting our of bed at night to finish "just one more chapter". I suppose the Sherman biography I like the most (maybe because I read it in school) is the biography by BH Liddell Hart, this work holds up well to that work. I highly recommend this biography and especially if you dont want to get bogged down in small unit moves during battles, this biography is for you. The author does a good job of cutting down on battle details and he tends to give good short summaries.
If I could make one negative comment it is that I wish the author had spent more time (this would have made the book longer obviously) on Sherman after the Civil War

79 people found this helpful

Helpful

Steven M. AnthonyTop Contributor: Fantasy Books

A Good, Well Balanced Biography

Reviewed in the United States on July 31, 2017

Verified Purchase

I enjoy biographies and I picked this one up because I recently read one on the life of Ulysses S. Grant and became intrigued by some of the references to William Tecumseh Sherman therein.

I found this book to be a well written and researched look at the life of Sherman, particularly as it relates to his actions during the Civil War, where he gained his greatest measure of fame and respect. Since I was well familiar with much of this through the Grant biography (though not the details of the Atlanta campaign), I was more intrigued with the period between Sherman’s initial Army career and his re-entry into the Army upon the commencement of Civil War hostilities, as well as his post-Civil War career. Before the War, he bounced back and forth in a succession of jobs and careers, all of which resulted in abysmal failure. Never has a man been better suited for a job, than Sherman in the role of Army commander.

Sherman’s greatest strengths were in the area of logistics, planning, strategy and execution of that strategy. Never was this more apparent than in the Atlanta campaign, in which he provisioned over 100,000 federal troops via a single, strung-out rail line aided by local foraging. He repeatedly flanked the Confederate troops, forcing them to abandon strong defensive positions time after time, executing numerous dangerous river crossings until he reached the outskirts of Atlanta having fired barely a shot. This, at the same time that Grant was sustaining staggering losses in his attempt to batter the Army of Northern Virginia into submission. There would be no Cold Harbor for Sherman.

While reveling in his success and enjoying the power of his position, he was nevertheless perfectly happy to defer to Grant in all things and was loyal to Grant his entire life, serving as Commanding General of the Army in the Grant administration and for many years thereafter. Questions have been raised concerning his mental stability and he clearly suffered some form of nervous breakdown early in the War when assigned responsibility for operations in Kentucky with very little support, however there is no indication that subsequent operations were ever impacted by what could have been a tendency toward depression. Certainly, the family dynamic which he faced (a less than supportive wife) would be troublesome to any man, especially one who faced as many personal financial and business reverses as did Sherman during the decade of the 1850s.

All in all, this is a good biography of a very deserving subject; one that is relatively even handed, though the author tends to support Sherman’s position on most issues. I’ve read more engaging biographies (American Ulysses for one), but can recommend this one nonetheless.

21 people found this helpful

Helpful

Top reviews from other countries

Mr. Duncan S. Mcadam

Five Stars

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 9, 2018

Verified Purchase

Excellent book well written, Read a lot of Civil war history this is up there with the best.

One person found this helpful

L. A. Graham

Disappointed.

Reviewed in Australia on April 4, 2021

Verified Purchase

The book arrived with a creased front cover. I was disappointed with this.

Client d'Amazon

Superb read!

Reviewed in France on August 8, 2016

Verified Purchase

I had the pleasure of study Mr. McDonough in Nashville some 40 years ago. After having seen the review of this book in the New Times I decided to order it. I must admit that I am neither a scholar nor enthusiasts of this period in American history, but I was intrigued by the review and I love biographies of great persons. First of all the book is superbly written and a pleasure to read. Secondly we come away after reading it with a better idea of the complexity of the issues and the people involved in this conflict. Above all what Mr. McDonough does exceedingly well is to reveal that great persons or legends, as Sherman can possess genius, iron will determination, leadership skills, loyalty and compassion as well as character flaws, moments of irrationality and self destruction.
I would recommend to anyone who is interested in American history, the civil war, and biographies of great persons of this period.

One person found this helpful

Richard Cleveland

Enjoyable read.

Reviewed in Canada on April 28, 2020

Verified Purchase

Enjoyable read. Detailed. Well written. Fair assessment of events from that era.

Steve Hajas

Five Stars

Reviewed in Canada on August 17, 2017

Verified Purchase

Great

See all reviews