Sherman: Lessons in Leadership - (Great Generals) by Steven E Woodworth (Paperback)

About the Book

A FRESH EXPLORATION OF THE TACTICS AND LEGACY OF THE NOTORIOUS CIVIL WAR GENERAL WHO STORMED THROUGH THE SOUTH

Book Synopsis

General William Tecumseh Sherman famously said "War is cruelty, and you cannot refine it." This statement has contributed to his mythic status as a grim-visaged Civil War character who embodied implacable war. Utilizing unique and highly successful maneuvering techniques, Sherman was an original, decisive, and efficient leader.

Rising steadily through the ranks during the Civil War, Sherman quickly became Ulysses S. Grant's right hand man. He went on to lead the Union capture of Atlanta, a major victory that contributed to Lincoln's reelection during a tough phase of the war. Legend has him burning a sixty-mile-wide swath of desolation across the South, but while he held the harsh view that the Southern people must feel the pain of the war if it were ever to end, he also showed courtesy and restraint to those Southerners he encountered and strictly limited the destruction to strategic targets. An integral component to the North's success, Sherman was directed and single-minded in his pursuit of Union victory and a re-united country. Acclaimed Civil War historian Steven E. Woodworth delivers a nuanced, insightful portrait of General Sherman, as a man who shied away from the spotlight and only wanted the war to end as quickly as possible.

Review Quotes

"With the clarity and lucidity of style that has become his hallmark, Steven Woodworth has given us a splendid brief biography of William T. Sherman. Concise without sacrificing important details, this book analyzes the qualities of personality and leadership that made Sherman a great general and an essential partner with Ulysses S. Grant to win the Civil War." --James M. McPherson, Pulitzer-Prize winning author of Battle Cry of Freedom and Tried by War: Abraham Lincoln as Commander in Chief

"Woodworth has cracked the code of one of the Civil War's best-known, complex, and most controversial commanders -- William Tecumseh Sherman. A larger-than-life figure of decided opinions, prejudices and passions, Sherman was also a sharp strategic thinker with the character and wherewithal to put his thoughts into action. That he changed the course of the Civil War there is no doubt, neither is there any question that Woodworth has fully captured the man with concision, precision, and style." --Noah Andre Trudeau, author of Southern Storm: Sherman's March to the Sea and Gettsyburg: A Testing of Courage

"A fast-paced look at the military career of Grant's most trusted, effective subordinate, the latest from the publisher's handy Great Generals Series." --Kirkus Reviews

"An excellent brief life of a major and controversial figure." --Booklist

"It has long been evident that Steve Woodworth has a mastery of Civil War history that allows him to write on any aspect of it with vast knowledge, understanding, perception, accuracy, and dramatic flair. He has brought all of that skill into play again in this gem of a military biography. To read it is to cut through the myth and see the real William T. Sherman." --John C. Waugh, author of The Class of 1846: From West Point to Appomattox--Stonewall Jackson, George McClellan and Their Brothers

About the Author

Steven E. Woodworth is a professor of history at Texas Christian University, and an acknowledged expert on the Civil War. He has written a number of well-received books on the topic, including Nothing But Victory. He lives in Fort Worth, Texas.

General Wesley K. Clark was NATO's Supreme Allied Commander, Europe, and the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He is author of A Time to Lead, as well as the best selling books Waging Modern War and Winning Modern Wars.