Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman by William T Sherman
In turns fascinating and boring. General Sherman wrote a
valuable memoir for historians, but too much minutia for the casual Civil War
buff. Sherman includes innumerable orders and other correspondence and
describes his entire command structure every time there is a significant change
or battle. Although historians, especially military historians, will find this
invaluable, it can often be dull reading. Sherman frequently allows these
documents to tell the story without presenting a description in his narrative.
This means the reader must at least review the correspondence to gain a sense
of the events.
Disappointedly, Sherman seldom shares his opinions or even
thoughts about significant issues. It’s sort of the Jack Webb version of his
life. When Sherman does express an opinion, it’s pure gold, especially the
chapter when he recounts what he believes are the military lessons from the
Civil War.
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