Book Description
The frontiersmen were a remarkable breed of men. They were often rough and illiterate, sometimes brutal and vicious, often seeking an escape in the wilderness of mid-America from crimes committed back east. In the beautiful but deadly country which would one day come to be known as West Virginia, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, more often than not they left their bones to bleach beside forest paths or on the banks of the Ohio River, victims of Indians who claimed the vast virgin territory and strove to turn back the growing tide of whites. These frontiersmen are the subjects of Allan Eckert's dramatic history.
Against the background of such names as George Rogers Clark, Daniel Boone, Arthur St. Clair, Anthony Wayne, Simon Girty and William Henry Harrison, Eckert has recreated the life of one of America's most outstanding heroes, Simon Kenton. Kenton's role in opening the Northwest Territory to settlement more than rivaled that of his friend Daniel Boone. By his eighteenth birthday, Kenton had already won frontier renown as woodsman, fighter and scout. His incredible physical strength and endurance, his great dignity and innate kindness made him the ideal prototype of the frontier hero.
Yet there is another story to The Frontiersmen. It is equally the story of one of history's greatest leaders, whose misfortune was to be born to a doomed cause and a dying race. Tecumseh, the brilliant Shawnee chief, welded together by the sheer force of his intellect and charisma an incredible Indian confederacy that came desperately close to breaking the thrust of the white man's westward expansion. Like Kenton, Tecumseh was the paragon of his people's virtues, and the story of his life, in Allan Eckert's hands, reveals most profoundly the grandeur and the tragedy of the American Indian.
No less importantly, The Frontiersmen is the story of wilderness America itself, its penetration and settlement, and it is Eckert's particular grace to be able to evoke life and meaning from the raw facts of this story. In The Frontiersmen not only do we care about our long-forgotten fathers, we live again with them.
Researched for seven years, The Frontiersmen is the first in Mr. Eckert's "The Winning of America" series.
Customer Reviews:
Writing at its best.......2007-10-08
If you like compelling writing that generates a lightning bolt narrative about manifest destiny and those who were major players in this exciting but heart breaking game, this book is for you. I also recommend another thunder storm of a book: Walking the Trail, One Man's Journey Along the Cherokee Trail of Tears by Cherokee author Jerry Ellis. He was the first person in the modern world to WALK the 900 mile route of the Trail of Tears and the book was nominated for a Pulitzer and National Book Award.
Couldn't Put It Down.......2007-08-27
This was a great read. Once I started I couldn't put it down. I plan on reading the other 5 books by Allan Eckert. It takes you back to pure human nature and puts you in touch with yourself. You have to ask how you would respond to the situations encountered by these brave frontiersmen. I'm telling most of my friends about this book.
The Frontiersmen.......2007-08-15
A very powerful and informative historical narrative of some of the personalities that shaped the settlement of this country ;from the perspective of Simon Kenton. A "must read" !
What a book!.......2007-07-28
I can't decide which I like better, this book or Eckert's 'Dark and Bloody River', but they are both MUST READ's for any history fan. For even a casual reader this book will hold your attention, and provide you with a facinating insight into our nation's history.
My All Time Favorite Historical Narrative !!!!.......2007-06-05
This is a fantastic book if you love Early American Historical Narratives which I love. I first read this book about twenty years ago, and recently read it again. The author's foot notes and reference material allow you to really dive into the time period of the book!
Customer Reviews:
Good Read, Amazing Life.......2005-12-02
I highly recommend this biography for older children (15+) or anyone interested in the early American history. It is about Tecumseh, a Shawnee warrior in the Ohio territory in western America during the period from 1768 to 1812. He was witness to the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War and the War of 1812.
The book reads like a colorful novel with plenty of "amplification" notes for extra historical detail. Life was rough in those days for Indians and settlers. There was a lot of distrust on both sides. During this time England, France and America are vying for control of the new world and the various Indian tribes were in the middle of it all. Much of the story takes place in locations familiar to many of us; Ohio, Michigan, Indiana and Illinois for example.
It is the story of Tecumseh's amazing life and his efforts to unite native Americans to defend all Indians against the white settlers and their government. It is brutal at times.
The narrative is told from the perspective of the Indian. But I found Eckert to deal pretty evenly with both sides. That was one of the reasons I enjoyed the book so much. Indians and whites both had their fair share good and evil characters. Hope you check it out!
Here is a quote that I really liked:
"So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide. Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and grovel to none. When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision. When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home."
Chief Tecumseh, Shawnee Nation
great book about great man.......2004-04-21
I have a new hero. I recently came across this excellent biography of the great Indian leader Tecumseh, and I'm stunned. First, by Tecumseh. This brilliant warrior and visionary understood that civilization is insatiable, and that one must never make peace with the culture that uses any means necessary to kill the indigenous, and to kill the land. This is a powerful account of necessary resistance to the depredations of the dominant culture.
I'm stunned also by the writing. Allan W. Eckert is an extraordinary writer, and tells Tecumseh's story beautifully and movingly. The book is very hard to put down.
A Masterpiece of Algonquin Historical Writing.......2001-11-21
Eckert's A Sorrow in Our Hearts is nothing short of a masterpiece, and will assuredly stand the test of time, perhaps as no other "Native American" history book before it. I have read many hundreds of books on Algonquin history, and nothing I have seen comes close to A Sorrow In Our Hearts in being fair to the individuals involved. Eckert's portrayal of Tunskwatawa as a misguided opportunist may irritate some, but it holds together as the most credible explanation of how things turned out. I turn to this volume over and over again and it never ceases to amaze me the amount of useful information that it contains. It maintains a high level of historical accuracy without losing the mystical feeling of standing in Tecumseh's presence, seeing the world through his eyes, and the bracing sense of strength, courage and upliftment that those around him must have felt. If there were a sixth star to award this book, I would not hesitate to add it to my review.
I have stood by that battlefield where he died and heard the accounts of his demise and burial from a descendant of those who were there and I sense the greatness of the man, and somehow Eckert has managed to do him justice through a medium that is not always compatible with the Algonquin way, and it makes me feel that sorrow to which he refers. We all must die sooner or later, but Tecumseh was still a young man (younger than I am now) when he died at the battle of the Thames. When I am buried, let them lay me to rest with only a well worn copy of Eckert's A Sorrow In Our Hearts in my hands.
Evan Pritchard
Professor of Native American History, Marist College
author of Native New Yorkers, The Remarkable Legacy of the Algonquin People of New York;
No Word For Time, the Way of the Algonquin People, etc.
One of Eckert's Best.......2001-09-27
"A Sorrow In Our Heart" is definately one of Eckert's best historical novels, right next to "The Frontiersmen" and "Dark and Bloody River". It, of course, tells the story of the Shawnee leader Tecumseh, who has been hailed by many as the greatest Indian leader of all time. Tecumseh came closer than any other before or after him to saving his people from total destruction by the whites on the eastern frontier in the early 19th century. In the end, Tecumseh's death is not just a loss in the Indians' long struggle against the Americans, it signals the death knell for their way of life, as their defeat in the War of 1812 sealed their fate on the North American continent. A great and a wonderfully entertaining book, history has never been so hard to put down.
EXCELLENT book.......2001-05-19
This is an amazing true story woven expertly by Eckert!
Book Description
Before his spectacular career as General of the Union forces, William Tecumseh Sherman experienced decades of failure and depression. Drifting between the Old South and new West, Sherman witnessed firsthand many of the critical events of early nineteenth-century America: the Mexican War, the gold rush, the banking panics, and the battles with the Plains Indians. It wasn't until his victory at Shiloh, in 1862, that Sherman assumed his legendary place in American history. After Shiloh, Sherman sacked Atlanta and proceeded to burn a trail of destruction that split the Confederacy and ended the war. His strategy forever changed the nature of warfare and earned him eternal infamy throughout the South.
Sherman's Memoirs evoke the uncompromising and deeply complex general as well as the turbulent times that transformed America into a world power. This Penguin Classics edition includes a fascinating introduction and notes by Sherman biographer Michael Fellman.
"Because [Sherman] was a ruthlessly sharp intellect and a writer of considerable power, his memoirs succeed in presenting a vivid picture not only of his actions and reactions, but of the world through which he moved with wit and bluster and broadsword."--Michael Fellman, from the Introduction
Customer Reviews:
Read it !.......2007-10-06
Sherman is (perhaps arguably) the most articulate and intelligent autobiographer (and biographer) of the Civil War period. Yes, he was controversial, but that, in great part, came from the times, and the period politics, and later from the political agendas of modern politically correct historians/writers. The overriding elements in Sherman's autobiography are the matter-of-factness and the fairness with which he describes events and people in his life. With much the same exquisite Dignity as U. S. Grant in his memoiors, Sherman speaks to the reader with a clarity and honesty no decent person can help but admire. He is painstaking in relating military associations - sometimes wearily so. But his thorough and candid descriptions of events, people and places still present themselves in an entertaining manner time and time again. For the reader mature enough to accept those times without tainted sanctimonious judgement, Sherman's memoirs will be a fascinating and enlightening glimpse of the people and the soul of our country during one of our most trying eras.
"MEMOIRS" BY W.T. SHERMAN.......2007-06-28
INTERESTING TO READ "SHERMANS" SIDE OF THE STORY !! GOOD READ IN CONJUCTION WITH "CITIZEN SHERMAN" BY MICHAEL FELLMAN !!!
Sherman in his own words..........2007-06-27
General William T. Sherman's memoirs, first published in 1875, are primarily an account of his service in uniform during the Civil War. Sherman rallied to the Union colors early in the conflict, but had indifferent success until the searing crucible of the Battle of Shiloh, where he fought under the command of the stalwart U.S. Grant. Shiloh was a turning point. With increasing confidence as a leader, Sherman played key roles in the siege of Vicksburg and in the relief of beseiged Union forces at Chattanooga. When Grant was called east to head up all Union forces, he hand-picked Sherman as his successor in the West. Sherman would go on to take Atlanta, march to the sea at Savannah, and pillage his way through the Carolinas to hasten the end of the war.
Sherman the man, and his memoirs, stand in vivid contrast to his contemporary and close friend U.S. Grant. Where Grant was modest and reserved, Sherman comes across as all nervous energy, talking up a storm and hardly able to sit still doing it. His memoirs are reflective of his personality, passionate and argumentative in between inserted copies of key correspondence. While less polished than Grant's, they are in many ways more entertaining and certainly more revealing of Sherman's feelings and personality.
Sherman expresses an opinion on practically everything. His battles with newspaper reporters, whom he despised, date from an alleged nervious breakdown in the first year of the war. His exchange of correspondence with Confederate General John Hood over the forced evacuation of Atlanta, are a malstrom in miniature of the passions behind the war itself. Sherman is more than frank about the politics within the Union Army, and its sometimes troubled relations with civilian authority. Above all, Sherman recognized the cruelty of the war, and was unwilling to sugarcoat that reality for anyone. Sherman and Grant each understood the grim arithmetic that the Confederate Armies must be bled to death in order for the Confederacy to be defeated and were prepared to carry out that strategy.
This book is highly recommended to students of the Civil War, who will find Sherman to be an instructive and even at times entertaining guide through those portions that he personally experienced.
timeless lessons.......2006-11-10
Clearly historians and civil war buffs will acknowledge the brilliance of this memoir for its obvious window into the mind of this most important figure of his time.
I didn't come to this as either one of the former,but as a reader interested in understanding how this man accomplished the most decisive strokes in the war with such skill.
The greatness of book lies not so much in its explanation of military strategy(which it is) but the powerful definition of the principles of freedom as expressed through a common foot soldier.
Sherman understood that no elitist and patrician society could stand however strong there reputation ,against a soldier who fought for this principle.
I found it inciteful that Shermans experience in the prewar south,and his views of its imbalanced society, became more valuable in breaking it than his geographical knowledge.
That Lincoln approved Shermans plan to march through the heart of the confedreacy at the disapproval of all his advisors shows his wisdom to Shermans argument that the south was a shell,and hollow inside.
Grants reluctance to this plan,which he approved only out of his loyalty to Sherman, is poignant to read.Grant thought he'd never see his best friend again.
The genius of Sherman was his utter conviction in the goodness of men to destroy that which was evil,knowing that when his men saw not the soldiery of the south,but its hideous society,he needn't do more to motivate them.
The miserable condition of slavery was known,but the site of 90 percent of a white population virtually no better off provided Sherman with a civilian population unable and unwilling to resist.Noone but Sherman thought this important,and that his diary records this as a current fact and not analysis years later is powerful reading.
Defeating the confedracy on this march with no major battles and losing but 100 men of his 62,000, told the south, as well as the north the myth of southern military advantage.
Sherman became so feared ,Southern commanders as well as thier soldiers fled before him,offering almost no opposition.
Shermans Army of the West,recruited and trained by him,became the most feared army in the world,for it fought under the true belief of a free people against real evil.
His own words to that effect are awe inspiring.
Illuminating Generals Memoir.......2006-08-21
I just finished reading this book (from the library, a 19th century edition) and came to search for other books. There are modern histories, but reading the original memoirs is very satisfying. The book by Julius Ceasar of the Gallic wars comes to mind. Sherman is a clear and satisfying writer. He does remind me of Ceasar in his matter of fact recollections.
I enjoyed the section on the taking of California during the Mexican war. Talking about hundreds of ships abandoned in Yerba Buena (to become San Francisco) due to the desertion of all the crews was interesting.
The period between California and Louisiana and secession is less interesting, but he was preparing a memoir of his life.
The war is what everyone will be looking for, and specifically the March to the Sea. The advance down from Tennessee to Atlanta is more militarily interesting. After the fall of Atlanta the battle was all logistics. Could such a large army separate from it's supply lines? According to W.T. Sherman this was all his idea and he documents it exhaustively. Presumeably this was due to disparagements of his leadership in the decades after the war and the presidency of Johnson.
The extensive documentation of lines of battle and effective strength and copies of tremendous amounts of coorespondence can be tedious, but are easily scanned for what is of interest or skipped altogether.
Great read, interesting book. Tecumseh Sherman is one of my heroes.
Book Description
nto the Prairie continues Rosanne Bittner's retelling of the growth of America through the descendants of Noah and Jess Wilde, featured in the first book of this series, Into the Wilderness. Grandson Jonah Wilde, his wife Sadie, and their three-year-old son, Paul, head into the prairies of Indiana to build on Jonah's dream of a farming empire. But an encounter with the Shawnee Indians, who believe the land still belongs to them, changes that dream forever. Paul and his mother are led to Tippecanoe, where they are placed at the mercy of a Potawatomi leader, Windigo, and of the famous Shawnee leader, Tecumseh. Will they have the strength-and the luck-to survive when their dreams are destroyed?
Customer Reviews:
fabulous historical romance.......2004-06-30
In 1810 Ohio, middle brother Jonah Wilde decides that the family farm is not big enough for his growing family, his older brother, spouse and children, and their teenage younger sibling. He, his wife Sadie, and their three-year-old son Paul move to the Fort Wayne, Indiana Territory area planning to start their own spread in spite of increased unrest from the Indian tribes united under brilliant tactician Tecumseh.
During a skirmish, the Indians abduct Sadie and Paul. One warrior, Wingo believes Sadie is the woman he has envisioned as his squaw for years. Thinking that Jonah is dead, Sadie will do anything to keep Paul alive so she agrees to marry the Indian. To her surprise, she finds her husband is kind to her and her son and begins to fall in love with him. However, Jonah lives and searches for his wife and son. If he finds them, Sadie has a difficult dilemma to deal with as she loves both men and has Wingo's baby growing inside her.
The third America West tale, INTO THE PRAIRIE is a fabulous historical romance that does more than just bring to life an era although the story line clearly does do that. Sadie's dilemma is the key extra element that makes for a fantastic tale. The support cast consists of warm fully developed protagonists regardless of natural origin, but Rosanne Bittner's deep novel belongs to the stupendous Sadie. Readers will want to obtain the previous "Into" novels starring relatives of Jonah (see INTO THE VALLEY: THE SETTLERS and INTO THE WILDERNESS: THE LONG HUNTERS)
Harriet Klausner
Amazon.com
Of Indian chief Tecumseh, U.S. president William Henry Harrison said, "If it were not for the vicinity of the United States, he would, perhaps, be the founder of an empire that would rival in glory that of Mexico or Peru." As it was, however, he was born just more than a decade shy of the discovery of the New World, and came of age in an era of violence and cultural decay in which Indian tribes across the continent expended all their energy to repulse the Europeans who were commandeering their land. By the end of the century, Tecumseh, a member of the Shawnee tribe, was an accomplished warrior; after losing his father and two older brothers to battle, he assumed the role of war chief. There seemed to be only two courses of action that might preserve his tribe: assimilation or war. After watching other tribes fail in their bids to mimic European society, the charismatic Tecumseh, aided by his brother (known as "the Prophet"), attempted a short-lived but inspired strategy of organizing a pan-Indian alliance to put down the European encroachers. It was while fighting alongside the British in the War of 1812 that Tecumseh was killed. His body was never found. Richard Johnson, the man who claimed to have taken the great chief down, went on to become Martin Van Buren's vice president.
With Tecumseh, biographer John Sugden expands the scope of his earlier book Tecumseh's Last Stand, which focused exclusively on the chief's final, fatal battle. In both books Sugden displays intimate knowledge of his subject; Tecumseh, however, takes a much more in-depth look at this complex man, his life, and the times that shaped him, and thus should appeal to American-history buffs as well as anyone interested in a carefully crafted biography of a fascinating character.
Book Description
If Sitting Bull is the most famous Indian, Tecumseh is the most revered. He does not stand for one tribe or nation, but for all Native Americans. He remains the ultimate symbol of endeavor and courage. Over thirty years in the writing, this is the first authoritative biography of the principal organizer and driving force of Native American confederacy. For anyone studying the early years of the Republic or Native American history, it is essential reading.
Customer Reviews:
A helpful, critical biography.......2005-12-14
Sugden has put together a very important biography of this critical figure in the early national period. Tecumseh was uniquely gifted at seeing the larger picture. The tragedy of the volume is that, even given his gifts, Tecumseh was not able to bring the Native Americans together to resist those who would change their way of life. What Sugden makes clear is that, demographically speaking, it was unlikely that they could have done so. Nonetheless, that does not in any way diminish Tecumseh's accomplishments.
Unlike the Eckert volumes, which feature an uncritical inclusion of many of the myths that developed regarding Tecumseh, this is a critical biography. As a result many of the stories that grew up around Tecumseh are examined carefully--many are debunked. What emerges is an all the more remarkable individual who created a legend by serving a cause greater than self. We have Sugden to thank for painting that picture compellingly.
Excellent History But Not For Light Reading.......2005-09-22
The Shawnee war chief Tecumseh was a man of true, unbridled genius. He was hailed by nineteenth-century Americans as the epitome of the "noble savage" and later became the namesake of many thousands of boys born in the early decades of that century (including Union General William Tecumseh Sherman). Whereas in death Tecumseh was hailed with pride as a worthy adversary, in life his name struck nightmarish fear into whites from Cincinnati to Buffalo, and caused nearly the whole of the US Army to be sent west in opposition to his highly successful war against what he saw as the American invasion of his native soil
This book does a spectacular job of filtering through the legend and finding the real biography of a figure whose life reads like a story of fiction. Tecumseh was a visionary (some say literally) who looked ahead and saw what the consequences of US expansion would be for the aboriginal populations of the North American continent. The preservation of his people and its culture being this wise leader's greatest priority, this amazing man laid aside his grief over the murders of two family members by expansionist whites, and at first sought to make treaties with the American government. Tecumseh kept his word and maintained peace on the frontier border, but after Washington broke its word again and again and used episodes of one-sided peace to slaughter whole Shawnee villages in Ohio, Tecumseh saw there was no alternative but to begin a war that he knew would have but one possible outcome: either the expansion of the United States into the west would be halted, or his and other native cultures would be destroyed within a generation.
Tecumseh used his charisma and eloquence to persuade ardent enemies among Indian nations to lay aside their grievances and unify in an effort to stop the white man who was yearly seizing territory in the Ohio Valley homeland of so many tribes. Tecumseh crisscrossed North America, from Florida to Canada, whipping up fierce hatred of the whites and raising an army to strike at their mutual enemy. Under Tecumseh's fearless leadership, the Indian forces--warriors from a score of diverse peoples--won victory after victory over the American settlers, militia and armies. For a time US settlement into the Shawnee homeland was halted and Tecumseh's dream almost seemed within reach...and then this tactical genius made a horrible error in allying with the English in the War of 1812. Tecumseh, a man of deep personal honor, aided this European superpower in its goals of preventing the US takeover of Canada, but the English in their stead betrayed their Indian allies, whom they regarded as mere primitives, and ultimately set them up for a battle that would result in their doom.
An American President once said that were it not for the presence of the United States, a man as gifted in all the arts of leadership as Tecumseh was would have established an empire that enclosed all of eastern America and surpassed that of the Aztecs in greatness. Certainly Tecumseh was a rare individual who came close to becoming for his people what George Washington was for his. This book untangles fact and fiction and gives us the story of one of the great men of the North American continent. It is a hefty, fulfilling read.
Tecumseh: A Life...Better the Second Time Around.......2003-10-29
John Sudgen's "Tecumseh: A Life" is one of the more recent biographies of the famous Shawnee leader. Upon first reading of this book, I was not greatly impressed as the text was rather dry and languid. However, after delving more deeply into other works on Tecumseh's background and history of the War of 1812, I felt this work perhaps deserved another look.
Tecumseh of course is the famous Shawnee war leader who resisted American expansion into the Northwest Territory in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. He has been the subject of many books and movies, many of them fanciful presentations of the mythical image that has grown up around the man that many have called the greatest Indian leader of all time. Tecumseh's dream of a powerful pan-Indian confederacy was visionary in scope as he hoped to unite not just a few, but ALL the Indian tribes east of the Missisippi and beyond against the flood of white settlers pouring across the Appalachian Mountains. Tecumseh came closer than any others to succeeding in that vision, but the British defeat in the War of 1812 and Tecumseh's death at the Battle of Moraviantown in 1813 ended that dream forever.
Sudgen's book helps to dispel many of the myths and tries to present the known facts about Tecumseh's life. While not nearly as engaging as Allan Eckert's "A Sorrow In Our Hearts", this book serves as a decent, if still somewhat slow going telling of the life of an undeniably capable leader. Sudgen also takes time to bash research of other historians who have done work on Tecumseh, ostensibly to help clarify the many myths and misconceptions that have grown up around the Shawnee leader in the past 200 hundred years, but the chapter comes off as more of a rant against other authors and diminishes the impact of the book. After reading Sudgen's work, I would recommend checking out not only Eckert's books on Tecumseh, but also "A Wampum Denied" by Sandy Antal and "The Shawnee Prophet" by R. David Edmunds for a more in-depth understanding of Tecumseh's life and times.
Entertaining in the least.......2000-08-22
I am a fan of Tecumseh's, and this book was a good read. However, it fails in comparison with the works of Alan Eckert. Eckert's book, titled "A Sorrow In Our Heart", is a much better read and goes into more detail of Tecumseh's life and the life of his people. If you were going to read a book on Tecumseh I would only recommend Eckert's version. It is much more engrossing and by far much harder to put down. It is also three times the length of John Sugden's version.
Phenomenal, inspiring, poignant.......2000-02-01
I picked up this book after hearing a review on the radio. I could not put it down. Richly detailed, laden with facts and references which give it a credibility that many books on the topic do not have. Sugden gives us enough facts, enough history, and enough context that he does not need to fictionalize. I'm not a Tecumseh buff, had never read a book about him. This left me with not only a sense of the man but an understanding of the context of the time and environment in which he arose.
Book Description
The first major modern edition of the wartime correspondence of General William T. Sherman, this volume features more than 400 letters written between the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 and the day Sherman bade farewell to his troops in 1865. Together, they trace Sherman's rise from obscurity to become one of the Union's most famous and effective warriors.
Arranged chronologically and grouped into chapters that correspond to significant phases in Sherman's life, the letters—many of which have never before been published—reveal Sherman's thoughts on politics, military operations, slavery and emancipation, the South, and daily life in the Union army, as well as his reactions to such important figures as General Ulysses S. Grant and President Lincoln.
Lively, frank, opinionated, discerning, and occasionally extremely wrong-headed, these letters mirror the colorful personality and complex mentality of the man who wrote them. They offer the reader an invaluable glimpse of the Civil War as Sherman saw it.
Customer Reviews:
A man of war, a man of letters...a magnificent collection of Uncle Billy's writings!!.......2007-07-19
William Tecumseh Sherman was a brilliant military genius and a true eccentric.
A fascinating and complex man, who found his destiny in war. Sherman revelled in war and owed much to it: he began it as an former officer of modest means and ended it hailed as the Union greatest general next to Grant. At the same time he loathed and despised war and was horrified by it. He was shocked by what the war did to his country, his people, his soldiers and to himself. At times he was appalled by his duties as an officer, but he was always highly resolved to perform these duties.
Everybody who has ever read his memoirs knows that Sherman was not only a great general but also a very talented writer. His memoirs are not a dry succession of events and his part in it, but they convey how he lived through the war and how and why he did what he did in it.
Now professor Brooks D. Simpson has edited a big volume of his Sherman's correspondence from the Civil War years. Again it is the quality of the Sherman's writing which catches the eye and pleases the mind. His letters, as are his memoirs, are a joy to read. This book offers an interesting perspective on Sherman and his part in the war. Reading the memoirs is like having Sherman telling his war experiences to you, long after the facts. This is interesting enough but reading his letters is even more so. It feels like being there with him in his tent, in some Union camp during the war, looking over his shoulder while events are shaping. A truly fascinating experience.
He pours his heart out to his brother John, to his wife Ellen, to his friend Grant and to many others.
So many aspects of his personality appear: his quicksilver intelligence, his warmth and humanity, his wicked and dry sense of humour, his fundamental decency and his military capability.
Read this book and look intro Sherman's mind: it is an interesting place.
The book itself is a big b*gger, but once you've started, you'll be grateful that is is so big: you'll hate to finish it. It looks great, which I like in books and it's very nicely turned out, with good quality binding , high grade paper, a pretty typesetting and a nice dust jacket design. Listings and indexes are clear and elaborate, which is useful in a book like this. So here's a big thumbs up to the publisher's (Chapel Hill North Carolina State University Press): very well done, a fine piece of work!!!
I can't recommend this too highly. A must for all those who are interested in history, in the American Civil War and/or in Sherman. Read and enjoy the letters uncle Billy wrote in those four years of war and enjoy the sight and the feel of this beautifully made book.
A great collection of primary documents.......2006-05-16
It's difficult to rate a collection of primary documents such as this one for several reasons. The quality of the documents themselves might be very good but the arrangement or editing of them might be very poor, in which case it becomes a question of whether you should rate the volume well for the documents themselves or poorly for the editing job. Fortunately this collection does not have that issue, as both the primary documents themselves and the editing of them are excellent.
This massive volume contains much of Sherman's correspondence during the war. Surprisingly, these letters are enjoyable to read, and the editors have done a great job of compiling and editing them. Reading these letters, orders, etc of General Sherman can give someone a very unique perspective of the Civil War as Sherman himself saw it, without the bias of authors who have written about it since and without the inevitable coloring of events that happens later when war heroes write about their experiences (and which certainly affected his memoirs, though I do believe they were very honest and straightforward). General Sherman is one of my heroes from the Civil War, and this collection of glimpses into his brilliant mind certainly fed my understanding and fascination of the man.
Wonderful glimpse into the mind of Sherman.......2000-12-31
William T. Sherman was an irascible, unpredictably brilliant man and his letters bring out these myriad traits. He was a fascinating man and his own words illuminate his fiery personality. Sherman's own 1875 memoirs are a mixed bag, marred by an over-abundance of wartime correspondence and ancillary material. This collection of his letters actually makes for more engrossing, instructive reading. We hear his opinions on the major players of the Civil War: Grant, Halleck and Lincoln. We gain an understanding of his tortured relationship with his wife, Ellen, to whom many of the letters are addressed. His visceral hatred of the press and reporters is well represented.
The collection is expertly edited by Brooks Simpson, someone who thoroughly understands both Sherman and the civil war era. The notes are instructive and unobtrusive and the introduction lays the groundwork for appreciating Sherman and his correspondence. This is an outstanding book for anyone who wishes to get to know the erratic and intellectual General who was second only to Ulysses S. Grant in ability and results.
Book Description
Bright, compulsively articulate, famous, loved, hated, and deeply troubled, William T. Sherman was perhaps one of the most compelling personalities in American history. This groundbreaking, in-depth portrait of this significant Civil War figure reveals much about Sherman--and about the concept of manliness in his culture. 8 pages of photos.
Customer Reviews:
Beautifully written, excessive psychoanalysis.......2006-11-07
Fellman's prose is dynamic and his knowledge of the events of Sherman's life is apparently up to the task, but his psychoanalysis is overblown. Sherman's psychological problems clearly must be discussed and psychohistory is valid within limits, but almost all of Fellman's paragraphs drip with analysis of what Sherman or Ellen was thinking, why they thought or said it, and, worse, what they might have said but didn't. One example: Sherman hated newspapermen, claiming, with a degree of truth, the military is chained to a rock while reporters were vultures that flew freely. Fellman claims, "Sherman fancied himself the modern Prometheus, the vulture-tortured embodiment of truthful duty." The mere presence of a rock and vultures, frequently used analogies, does not by definition constitute a paranoic self-vision. Fellman paints an ugly picture of W. T. Sherman that smacks of late 20th century attitudes. If you consider Fellman's approach to be valid, ask youself why a used hardback version only costs $1.39 while a used hardcover of Isaac Robertson's Stonewall Jackson bio starts at $19.30. I want to read one of his competitors' works.
Outstanding Character Study.......2006-04-01
Citizen Sherman is not so much an attempt to put Sherman on the couch, so to speak, as a study of his character and personality as evinced through his personal relationships and in his voluminous correspondence. Fellman isn't just making things up or shooting from the hip as some reviewers imply; most of the light shed on Sherman's life and character comes from his own words. You will not find most of this information anywhere else. If you want an analysis of Sherman the Civil War general you won't find it here. But that doesn't mean that an understanding of Sherman the man is not worthwhile. This is a wonderful biography, a beautifully constructed and poignant character study of Sherman the man. If all the Civil War buffs out there don't like its lack of reliable military information, too bad; there are many other places to find that. And since when should an author be hesitant to seek an understanding of an individual's motives, emotions, and psychological processes? This is what the finest biographers do. Fellman does not cross the line by asserting theories that are not backed up by evidence. Indeed, his assertions as to Sherman's feelings and emotions are supported by a great deal of evidence.
I will acknowledge that Fellman, on occasion, does let his liberal bias show as when he claims Sherman was "an utterly inhumane warrior" and the like. After making a brilliant case for the necessity of Sherman's kind of warfare, and letting Sherman speak for himself as to his motivations, very human motivations we all can relate to, Fellman seems to be one of those authors who feels it is necessary to damn any kind of practice that seems to make liberal minded Americans uncomfortable with humanity or themselves. He, as an author, seems to be one of those people who just couldn't live with himself if he didn't somehow pretend he is beyond that, and we all should be too. Well, sometimes just plain old nasty stuff just has to be done, and when it does need doing, we should be glad we have guys like Billy Sherman around to do it for us. This is more a minor annoyance, however, and does not detract from the power of the character study. All-in-all, this is a book well worth reading. You will surely come away with a much enhanced picture of Sherman the man.
This book left a huge impression on me - couldnt put it down.......2003-07-19
I have read dozens of autobiographical accounts of the Civil War by its leaders, both Northern and Southern. Most of these accounts were, of course, written in the sentimental, shielded, "polite society" style of the post-civil war/turn of the century years. Although these books offer valuable insight into the author's actions and reactions, philosophy, and basic moral structure, they leave the modern reader without a real knowledge who the author was as a person. It is only through a thorough understanding of the subject of a biography/autobiography that the reader can truly appreciate the way in which a subject continues to influence us years after that person made his mark on the world. For example, everyone knows that Sherman was a hard-headed, all-out warrior whose unwavering determination helped the Union win the Civil War. But not everybody knows about the Sherman who, during the war years, was an unhappily married man whose heart died when his favorite son did; a man who, years after the dust and gunsmoke settled, sought to recover dormant emotional feelings by seeking the companionship of women half his age. It does seem that there are a few very minute points in this book that are historical misrepresentations, most likely caused by oversight. But despite its few flaws, it gives a full and complete portrait of Sherman, the human being - someone we must see for all he was in truth, before we can truly understand his impact on American History.
an enjoyable read left me wanting for more info.......2003-06-01
Some of the above reviews have merit, Fellman definitely puts Sherman on the couch, and, I also don't usually like this, as it takes some liberties that may not be entirely correct. However, it will take more than one source on Sherman to help the reader draw their own conclusions about the man. This said, I very much enjoyed reading Fellman's analysis. I did find it light militarily, however, I really wasn't looking for that kind of bio on Sherman. A history teacher, this was my first exposure to "Cumpy" the man, as opposed to military commander. I found myself wanting to research him more as a result of reading this book, as I feel it inspired me to learn more about him. There is an implication here that the book did not tell me everything I needed to know, but, as stated above, I found myself not really minding as I enjoyed Fellman's ease with words and the simplicity of the smooth flowing text. Therefore, I didn't critique it so much for being a bit on the lighter side of research work. I found that I would need to consult other sources for more information anyway. Having read Grant's bio and Foote's Civil War trilogy, I found this to be a good introduction to Sherman as an individual, especially after hearing Grant's praise of the man in his own work. I'm interested to read Sherman's own book after reading Citizen Sherman, can compare some of Fellman's analysis with Sherman's own. I very much enjoyed the section on Sherman's women, and the way that the text was oriented less chronologically than in the different departments of Sherman's life.
Psychobiography at its best.......2001-01-21
I usually loathe any historical book which puts its subject on the couch, but this is a notable exception. Fellman infuses this book with his own spin on certain matters, but much of the interpretation is accurate! If you enjoy a "National Enquirer" approach to biography, then this is your bag, though a more intellectual, sobering and accurate analysis of events than a tabloid rag. Fellman delves deeply into Sherman's womanizing and the reasons behind it: Ellen, WTS's wife, was a passionless prig, obsessed with Catholicism and being the type of prim, straightlaced wife that Sherman would ultimately abhor. Can we blame him for repeatedly cheating on Ellen? Of course not.
Fellman is much weaker on the military end of the biography and his limitations show. There are numerous factual gaffes and the author is on safer ground when restricting himself to purely personal matters. This is hardly the definitive treatment of Sherman, try John Marszalek's biography (available on Amazon) for an exceptional and scholarly approach. But if you want a book focused primarily on the private life of Sherman, this nicely fits the bill
Average customer rating:
|
Life And Military Career Of Major-General William Tecumseh Sherman
P. C. Headley
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Military & Spies
| Professionals & Academics
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Military
| Leaders & Notable People
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Tecumseh
| ( T )
| People, A-Z
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0548297614 |
Book Description
This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature.
Books:
- The Garden of Ruth
- The Heart of Change: Real-Life Stories of How People Change Their Organizations
- The Invisible Wall: A Love Story That Broke Barriers
- The Journey of Desire: Searching for the Life We've Only Dreamed of
- The Land Remembers: The Story of a Farm and Its People
- The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse: A Novel
- The Lexus and the Olive Tree: Understanding Globalization
- The Memory Keeper's Daughter
- The Motley Fool Investment Guide for Teens: 8 Steps to Having More Money Than Your Parents Ever Dreamed Of (Motley Fool)
- The Mystery of the Kaddish: Its Profound Influence on Judaism
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- The Reluctant Shaman: A Woman's First Encounters with the Unseen Spirits of the Earth
- King Harold II and the Bayeux Tapestry
- Die Like the Carp ! The Story of the Greatest Prison Escape Ever. In August 1944 - Just Outside the
- Frederick Douglass : Autobiographies : Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slav
- How to Spot a Dangerous Man Before You Get Involved: Describes 8 Types of Dangerous Men, Gives Defen
- Mathematical Structures for Computer Science: A Modern Treatment of Discrete Mathematics
- National Security and The Nuclear Dilemma, 1945-1991
- Back in Orbit: John Glenn's Return to Space
- How to Buy and Manage Income Property
- The International Directory of Importers : Middle East : Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Iran, Israel,
Wilderness Empire: A Narrative (Eckert, Allan W. Winning of America Series.)
The Conquerors (Winning of America Series)
The Wilderness War: A Narrative (Eckert, Allan W. Winning of America Series.)
Twilight of Empire (Eckert, Allan W. Winning of America Series.)
Gateway to Empire (Eckert, Allan W. Winning of America Series.)
