Rating: 
Summary: Great General, Great Book.
Review: William Tecumseh Sherman was one of the great figures of the Civil War, a visionary whose views on tactics and strategy reshaped the way observers looked at warfare. It's hard not to admire the touchy, angry general. Sherman's armies marched hundreds, if not thousands, of miles across the south, devastated the south's ability to make war, and defeated tens of thousands of Confederate troops. His strategy for the Atlanta campaign and his March to the Sea were brilliant. Few Civil War generals appreciated the destructive power of weaponry of the era, or realized that total warfare was the only way to vanquish the South and end the war. After the war Sherman angrily fought off attempts to draft him into political life, remaining true to his ideals as a soldier. But it is hard to reconcile the brilliant general with his racist views on African-Americans and his prickly personality that alienated as many people who respected Sherman's keen sense of warfare. "A Soldier's Passion For Order" makes that attempt and does it quite well. Those interested in learning about the most complex of the Civil War Generals would do well to read this book.
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