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Summary: A book necessary to fully understand the William T. Sherman.
Review: In John F. Marszalek's Sherman, A Soldier's Passion for Order (New York, 1993), Marszalek describes Sherman's life from early childhood to his death in 1891. This book is an excellent source for discovering Sherman's ethics and values prior to the outbreak of the Civil War and how they influenced his behavior throughout the war, especially during his famous march. Marszalek does an excellent job in his portrayal of Sherman as: the adopted son who never felt comfortable with his foster family, a common officer, a failed businessman, and as the general who brought the south to its knees. Marszalek does an excellent job of portraying the entirety of Sherman. His book is well written and fully documented
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Summary: The definitive Sherman biography
Review: John Marszalek has woven together the threads of Sherman's life better than any previous biographer. There have been great Sherman biographies in the past, Lloyd Lewis' brilliant 1932 offering comes to mind. But Marszalek benefits from new scholarship and a fresh approach in unearthing the passions and limitations of the brilliant and erratic Sherman.All areas of Sherman's life are explored in depth. The author doesn't stint the reader on details of Sherman's chaotic childhood, the influence of his stepfather or his years at West Point. Marszalek understands the important of Sherman's tortured marriage to Ellen and the consequences that this miserable marriage had upon Sherman. Can anyone blame him for repeatedly cheating on her when her attitudes towards sex approached that of a nun? Especially interesting are the tid-bits on Sherman's lengthy affair with Vinnie Ream, all quite engrossing. Marszalek strikes a nice balance between Sherman's private life and his military endeavors. The reader never has a sense that the man is sacrificed or buried in minutiae of the battlefield. Sherman was an enigmatic, sometimes baffling man and its hard to get a firm grasp on him personally or emotionally. Marszalek has produced a fine biography and one which will stand as the definitive look at Sherman for many years.
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Summary: One of the best Civil War biographies
Review: John Marszalek's biography of General Sherman really does its subject justice. Instead of merely recording the details of Sherman and his life, he finds something that obviously drove Sherman, the passion for order, and uses that to define his actions. This is not only limited to the Civil War, but to the Indian Wars, and his less famous years before the Civil War. Without praising or villifying, he is able to paint a remarkable portrait of the man whom Southerners hated as much as Northerners hated Jefferson Davis. This is the book to read on Sherman. Do not pass it up.
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Summary: A Misunderstood Hero
Review: John Marszalek's book is a relatively concise biography of the man who is perhaps the most misunderstood of the Civil War General's. It is ironic that Sherman is villified by many in the South today. True, he waged war on the civilian population, but he did so in order to minimize battle deaths on both sides (his soldiers plundered the civilians, but they rarely killed any of them). And his belief in a "soft peace" and his anti-reconstruction views caused many in Dixie to tout him as a Presidential candidate after the war. Marszalek brings these and many other surprising facts to life. He also manages to get inside the head of the great but insecure soldier who first and formost sought order in his life. Overall, this is a first rate biography.
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Summary: Well researched, readable bio of a complex person.
Review: Marszalek has studied Sherman for years, and his biography reflects a comprehensive knowledge of the sources on Sherman. Sherman was a highly complex and intelligent person, fourth academically in his class at West point, though a prankish student who finished sixth in his overall graduating class because of demerits. If you don't know much about Sherman, if you only know he said war is hell and marched through Georgia, this is a good book for you. Sherman's army assignments before the Civil War were mostly in the South, and he loved it, but he hated secession, though he did not oppose slavery. Under Grant's wing he became an excellent general. He believed in a hard war but a soft peace, and opposed the conduct of reconstruction after the war. The only reservation I have is the author may overpsychologize his approach to Sherman: the passion for order theme runs throughout the book. But the book's quality is saved by the mountain of details the author relates about Sherman's life and other's views of him, and by a highly readable writing style. As one of the most important generals in the Civil War and in the history of the U.S. Army, and an important influence on modern concepts of total war, William Tecumseh Sherman (aka "Cump") is well deserving of study, and this biography is well worth reading.
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Summary: An interesting look at General Sherman
Review: Marszalek's narrative of the life of Union General William Tecumseh Sherman focuses on order. It is Marszalek's contention that Sherman's early life left him with a lifelong fear of the disorganized, and that, for this reason, he strove to find and maintain order throughout his life. It is a compelling argument, and certainly worthy of consideration. Sherman WAS a stickler for order and discipline--his Civil War record testifies of that. Marszalek succeeds admirably in linking Sherman's earlier life to his later obsession with having things the 'right way.' As a biography of Sherman, however, this volume falls short in many respects. Sherman's Civil War career is given only about 200 of 500 pages. The account is sparse, and seldom is enough detail given that anyone without a previous knowledge of Sherman's campaigns would be able to understand what is being narrated. The last 100 pages or so of the book are disappointing--instead of a detailed description of Sherman's later life, there is a rambling string of thoughts with little or no reference to very important events. Sherman's promotion to the rank of lieutenant general (and later full general), his appointment as chief of the army, and his post-war relationships with men such as Sheridan and Schofield are only vaguely alluded to, and are not actually treated as separate events. When describing Grant as the President of the United States, Marszalek expects the reader to be familiar with events surrounding his coming into the presidency. Grant's, Sheridan's, and even Sherman's wife Ellen's deaths are not described until the very last chapter, and then (with the exception of Ellen) with no more detail than the simple statement that they were dead. Despite this failure of the latter part of the biography, Marszalek's work nevertheless is valuable. His analysis of Sherman's psyche is, for the most part, good (at least apart from the fact that nearly every early event in Sherman's early life is described as an 'omen' of things to come), and the argument he advances for why Sherman turned out the way he did is sound. Marszalek speaks at great lengths of Sherman's total war policy, but in this it seems, to me at least, that he is misunderstanding. His analysis of Sherman's military genius and the development of his strategy is admirable, but I do not agree with his labeling the advance on Atlanta total war. To me, at least, total war was the march to the sea, was the 50-mile swath of devastation left by Sherman's 'bummers' as they consumed everything of value in their path. Still, even if the label of total war is erroneously applied to all of Sherman's independent campaigns in 1864-65, Marszalek's examination of these campaigns, and examination what made Sherman proceed the way he did, is very thought-provoking. I cannot call this the perfect work on Sherman, but I do believe it is good. Despite any other flaws, Marszalek is fair in his treatment of Sherman, and in that respect triumphs. In short, this is a good biography of a great man, and, even considering the disappointing last several chapters, worthy to be labeled good Civil War history.
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Summary: An interesting look at General Sherman
Review: Marszalek's narrative of the life of Union General William Tecumseh Sherman focuses on order. It is Marszalek's contention that Sherman's early life left him with a lifelong fear of the disorganized, and that, for this reason, he strove to find and maintain order throughout his life. It is a compelling argument, and certainly worthy of consideration. Sherman WAS a stickler for order and discipline--his Civil War record testifies of that. Marszalek succeeds admirably in linking Sherman's earlier life to his later obsession with having things the 'right way.' As a biography of Sherman, however, this volume falls short in many respects. Sherman's Civil War career is given only about 200 of 500 pages. The account is sparse, and seldom is enough detail given that anyone without a previous knowledge of Sherman's campaigns would be able to understand what is being narrated. The last 100 pages or so of the book are disappointing--instead of a detailed description of Sherman's later life, there is a rambling string of thoughts with little or no reference to very important events. Sherman's promotion to the rank of lieutenant general (and later full general), his appointment as chief of the army, and his post-war relationships with men such as Sheridan and Schofield are only vaguely alluded to, and are not actually treated as separate events. When describing Grant as the President of the United States, Marszalek expects the reader to be familiar with events surrounding his coming into the presidency. Grant's, Sheridan's, and even Sherman's wife Ellen's deaths are not described until the very last chapter, and then (with the exception of Ellen) with no more detail than the simple statement that they were dead. Despite this failure of the latter part of the biography, Marszalek's work nevertheless is valuable. His analysis of Sherman's psyche is, for the most part, good (at least apart from the fact that nearly every early event in Sherman's early life is described as an 'omen' of things to come), and the argument he advances for why Sherman turned out the way he did is sound. Marszalek speaks at great lengths of Sherman's total war policy, but in this it seems, to me at least, that he is misunderstanding. His analysis of Sherman's military genius and the development of his strategy is admirable, but I do not agree with his labeling the advance on Atlanta total war. To me, at least, total war was the march to the sea, was the 50-mile swath of devastation left by Sherman's 'bummers' as they consumed everything of value in their path. Still, even if the label of total war is erroneously applied to all of Sherman's independent campaigns in 1864-65, Marszalek's examination of these campaigns, and examination what made Sherman proceed the way he did, is very thought-provoking. I cannot call this the perfect work on Sherman, but I do believe it is good. Despite any other flaws, Marszalek is fair in his treatment of Sherman, and in that respect triumphs. In short, this is a good biography of a great man, and, even considering the disappointing last several chapters, worthy to be labeled good Civil War history.
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Summary: Best treatment of Civil War's greatest general
Review: Sherman: A Soldier's Passion for Order, by John F. Marszalek, is a model biography of possibly the greatest general to emerge from the Civil War. Marszalek gives a very even-handed account of the general's rise from relative obscurity to command the second largest army in America, becoming a hero to most, and the equivalent of Satan to some in the process. Unlike Longacre's biography of John Buford, Marszalek did not labor under a shortage of primary information about his subject. With such a luxury, Marszalek follows the development of Sherman the man, and shows how particular events shaped his future views on warfare and towards the South. Most notably, the author points out his experience in the Seminole War as the basis for Sherman's ideas on war against populations. He also describes Sherman's time spent in the South, and how his friendliness towards its people led to leniency towards them after the war concluded. It would appear that Marszalek was somewhat influenced by B.H. Liddell Hart's Strategy, when describing Sherman's military campaigns. Hart states that he believed Sherman was the best Civil War general because he promoted the "indirect" approach to warfare. On many occasions, Marszalek refers to Sherman's "psychological outflanking" of the enemy and winning military victories without fighting battles-the very essence of Hart's tract. At the same time, the author insists that Sherman was driven by his need to have order in a chaotic world. This is in fact the theme of the entire book, and Marszalek does an admirable job of showing that Sherman fought the war in the manner he did in order to provide order (Union) the quickest way possible. Marszalek stretches his analysis of Sherman's desire for order into his post-war life. Sherman's experiences fighting the Indians, as well as "dalliances" with other women, and conflicts with politicians at caused him great distress because they were disorderly. In the end, Sherman's desire for stability led him on a campaign to provide an accurate history of the Civil War. Though his efforts made him many enemies in the South, his contributions ensured his place in American history, and the order he so desperately desired.
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Summary: Full Bio on Sherman, Service and Personal Life
Review: This is a complete bio on Sherman who had a very complex personal life and along with Grant had a horrendous start in the Civil War. The author not only details Sherman from Bull Run through the CW, Indians and commander of the Armies but also frames his personal life very well. The author relates Sherman's loss of parents along with his adoptive family in which Sherman appears to be make a gross error in marrying his step sister who seems more attached to her parents than her role as a wife and mother. Sherman leaves the military to run a bank in San Francisco while his wife goes to visit her parents for TWO years! The author relates a funny and tragic story that upon her return, she walks into the house unannounced frightening the children who do not remember her! The bank fails due to the drastic economic downturn of the 50's but Sherman squares with his investors and then Sherman ends up running an upstart southern Military academy in Louisiana that becomes LSU. Leaves to take command of forces at Bull Run and as the author notes he is termed a panic due to his early forecast that massive numbers of troops will be required to win the war, which of course is true. Best part of the book is his working relationship with Grant that blossoms after Shiloh and Vicksburg and his advice to Grant to leave Washington and stay in the field while commanding all the Armies. His performance of shuttling his forces around Joe Johnston in the Atlanta campaign is masterful except for his impatience with Kennesaw Mountain (Of course young Krick, the historian, wonders if Johnston would ever stand and fight). The author notes that Sherman is more a strategist then a tactician as he proves at the final Battle of Bentonville, which he shows not too much concern. Good description of his march, traveling light himself in contrast to Thomas and effectively living off the land to the strategic dismay of Jefferson Davis and General Hood. His ability to keep the confederates guessing as to his movements is done skillfully. The author's description of the surrender of Johnston's army is fascinating and amusing as Sherman grants terms better than Grants but is humiliated by Stanton for doing so. His post war career has him dealing with the Indians in some cases face to face in dangerous circumstances in one case backed expertly by buffalo soldiers. His handling of the Indians seems to be strained and as the commander of the Armies he moves his command away to St. Louis in a snit, as Grant seemed to bypass him to Sheridan and others. The author does such a wonderful job in capturing Sherman's personal life that one has to wonder if he was an unhappy man, the possibility that he took on a lover is almost heartening knowing his marital situation. A great book on the man who is credited with saying "If nominated, I will not run. If elected, I will not serve!"
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Summary: First in War, First in Peace!
Review: William Tecumseh Sherman was an unusually good soldier. With the exception of Grant, he prosecuted the war as the South never imagined a Yankee could. He realized early on that this war would be long and brutal. He also realized that it would profoundly change the very nature of the United States. John Marszalek gives the reader a man who never stops trying. From soldier to banker, from school teacher back to soldier, Sherman was a man who did his best all the time. He suffered quite a few set backs, some of them material, yet he always rebounded and it was this resiliency, this durability, that enabled him to persevere in his desire to end the Civil War in the only way he knew it could be ended, with the total destruction of the Confederacy. Between Grant's war of attrition and Sherman's war of annihilation the rules of warfare were simply rewritten. Sherman was one of the greatest generals the Civil War produced. The story of his life is the story of a warrior. Seen by most historians as simply a destroyer, Marszalek justifiably points out that he just may have been one of the very best friends the South had. You will enjoy this exceedingly well written book about an amazingly adaptive and creative man, one who fought hard for what he believed in and in so doing, laid the foundations for America as we know it today.
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