Fighting for Atlanta - (Civil War America) by Earl J Hess (Paperback)

About the Book

"As William T. Sherman's Union troops began their campaign for Atlanta in the spring of 1864, they encountered Confederate forces employing field fortifications located to take advantage of rugged terrain. While the Confederates consistently acted on the defensive, digging eighteen lines of earthworks from May to September, the Federals used fieldworks both defensively and offensively. With 160,000 troops engaged on both sides and hundreds of miles of trenches dug, fortifications became a defining factor in the Atlanta campaign battles. These engagements took place on topography ranging from Appalachian foothills to the clay fields of Georgia's Piedmont. Leading military historian Earl J. Hess examines how commanders adapted their operations to the physical environment, how the environment in turn affected their movements, and how Civil War armies altered the terrain through the science of field fortification"--

Book Synopsis

As William T. Sherman's Union troops began their campaign for Atlanta in the spring of 1864, they encountered Confederate forces employing field fortifications located to take advantage of rugged terrain. While the Confederates consistently acted on the defensive, digging eighteen lines of earthworks from May to September, the Federals used fieldworks both defensively and offensively. With 160,000 troops engaged on both sides and hundreds of miles of trenches dug, fortifications became a defining factor in the Atlanta campaign battles. These engagements took place on topography ranging from Appalachian foothills to the clay fields of Georgia's piedmont.

Leading military historian Earl J. Hess examines how commanders adapted their operations to the physical environment, how the environment in turn affected their movements, and how Civil War armies altered the terrain through the science of field fortification. He also illuminates the impact of fighting and living in ditches for four months on the everyday lives of both Union and Confederate soldiers. The Atlanta campaign represents one of the best examples of a prolonged Union invasion deep into southern territory, and, as Hess reveals, it marked another important transition in the conduct of war from open field battles to fighting from improvised field fortifications.

Review Quotes

"Fighting for Atlanta is another indispensable contribution to the study of Civil War field fortifications."--Civil War Books and Authors

"Hess expertly weaves a highly readable narrative of the Atlanta campaign with an in-depth examination of how trenches and fortifications influenced operations. . . . Hess's expertise on the campaign as a whole and its major battles in particular shines through. . . . This is an excellent addition to the historiography of the Atlanta campaign."--H-War

"Hess has written another gem. It will be essential reading for any Civil War enthusiast or scholar who wants to study what was arguably the most important and complex campaign of the entire war, the campaign that ensured Lincoln's reelection and arguably saved the Union."--H-CivWar

"Fighting for Atlanta is an unqualified success. . . . Hess deftly weaves narrative and analysis to provide a compelling addition to the Atlanta Campaign's now burgeoning historiography. Anyone wanting to strengthen their understanding of how Civil War armies operated should consult Fighting for Atlanta--as should those who want a fuller comprehension of how the Union triumphed in north Georgia."--Civil War Book Review

"Civil War enthusiasts interested in a fresh retelling and appraisal of the Atlanta campaign can do no better than this."--"Journal of Americas Military Past"

"Earl J. Hess, a veteran historian, brings years of experience and an intimate familiarity with the region's geography to his analysis of Sherman's decisive four-month campaign."--Civil War Times

"Hess brings rich detail to combat engineering, resource management, equipment requirements, and troop deployment. These and similar specifics will find a receptive audience among military historians, war colleges, and battlefield guides."--Journal of Southern History

"Readers familiar with the Atlanta Campaign will find this book well worth their time, and for those who are new to the subject, it will serve as an excellent introduction."--Army History

"The author vividly evokes this strange and perilous world . . . . All serious students of Civil War military history will welcome Earl Hess's absorbing and instructive new study of the relations between terrain, trenches, and tactics in that momentous conflict."--Michigan War Studies Review

"This fresh approach adds to the understanding of this important campaign and opens new avenues for research on the Civil War and the evolution of 19th-century warfare."--CHOICE