Sherman: Soldier, Realist, American

When you think about the men behind the Civil War, who comes to mind? The average American would probably say Lincoln, Grant, and General Lee. Two were presidents, and one is posthumously famous for leading the Confederacy and for the orange car from the television show. What about William Sherman? Who is he and why has his name been obscured by the passage of time? William Tecumseh Sherman was the General directly subordinate to General Grant and is the orchestrator behind some of the most impressive victories from the war including the campaign against Atlanta, the march through Georgia, and the final sweep through the Carolinas which effectively won the war for the North.It is curious that those great figures of history most worth remembering are often forgotten, while those we do remember are frequently less deserving of our posthumous praise and attention. For William Sherman, this was as much to his own personal desires as it was to history’s course of remembrance. In his book, Hart records Sherman’s preference to remain anonymous: “I deeply regret that I am threatened with that curse to all peace and comfort—popularity.” This sentiment remained, despite his continuous rise in the military, culminating with the prestigious rank of Major General—with a 14-year post-war stint as Commander General of the entire U.S. Army. Despite these lofty laurels, Sherman is one of the few historical figures that can be found to have actively abstained from letting his ego carry him into unwanted territories. After the conclusion of the war, he was pressured for years to enter the world of politics, and maybe even run for the office of president, but he steadfastly refused. “Why should I at sixty-five years of age, with a reasonable provision of life, not a dollar of debt, and with the universal respect of my neighbors and countrymen, embark in the questionable game of politics?” He was recorded as saying.Why is he worth remembering? Because he was unrivaled at mobile warfare. He perfected the ‘indirect approach’ on the battlefield and would often confuse his enemies by approaching multiple objectives simultaneously. Sherman is most famous for his march through Georgia—a campaign in which he decidedly abandoned his lines of supply and communication and stormed through the heartland of the Confederacy on foot and horseback, effectively living off the land. He did the same in the Carolinas, leading over sixty thousand men across open land and into hostile territory. He struck directly at the hearts and minds of the southern people along the way and smashed their hopes (and a few of their barns) to bits. General George Patton himself spent time in Georgia prior to the Second World War studying Sherman’s tactics, including how he ‘stripped’ his soldiers of all essentials in order to increase mobility. He had an excellent mind for war and tactics and his resume proves it outright.One aspect of this book that really hit me in the gut was Sherman’s diagnosis of the press and media of the times. They distorted events to devastating degree and seemed to create more anxiety and anger in the populace than was ever necessary. Sherman’s words, written in 1862, still ring with the hollow tones of truth. He describes members of the media as “the chief cause of this unhappy war. They fan the flame of local hatred and keep alive the prejudices which have forced friends into opposing hostile ranks.” Despite being on one side of the war, he was objective enough to clearly see how both the “North and South [keep] each radical class [of] its votaries filled with the most outrageous lies of the other.” I found this sentiment alarmingly true, as it could very easily have been written about the disconnect I see in my own country (the United States) today. Sherman was supremely aware of the media and politician’s ability to divide people’s hearts and minds. Hart echos Sherman when he writes that “prejudice governs. You and all who derive power from the people do not look for pure, unalloyed truth, but to that kind of truth which jumps with the prejudice of the day.” His prophetical words struck a major chord in my mind and it really made me ‘zoom out’ and try to view current events through the larger scope of one that examines history as a fluid whole. Past events have all the lessons to teach us about how to solve our current quandaries, if only we were more desirous to learn.What I grew to admire most about Sherman was his astuteness of mind. He never bit off more than he could chew. He always keep his objectives in clear view and routed all available resources to its achievement. He was supremely accurate in his diagnosis of battle tactics including the physical movement of his troops and the psychology of his army as a whole. He had an incredible ability to think inside the mind of his opposition and discern his movements. He was always the first to reject a promotion if he felt himself unworthy, and was conscious of the ever-present need to sideline his ego in support of whatever he deemed best for the Union forces overall. Even after the world acclaimed him for his success, his humility still shined brightly, exemplified by quoted lines from his personal letters such as: “Like one who has walked a narrow plank, I look back and wonder if I really did it.” Although he was describing his march through the South, I think it more accurately describes his life overall, and I think it noble that he had the courage to walk.

Liddell Hart has written a masterful book! Sherman: Soldier, Realist, American by BH Liddell Hart is my personal favorite of the many military books that I have read. Hart very carefully lays out the life and personality of Sherman, but also understands that he was a strategic genius whose indirect approach to warfare during America's bloody civil war ended the vicious stalemate in Virginia and led to the decisive Federal victory in April 1865. Hart illustrates clearly how great Generals, like Sherman, think and act in order to decisively win wars. Sherman's indirect approach to warfare was a radical departure from the static and vicious fighting in the battles in Virginia. Hart details Sherman's campaigns from Bull Run to his March to the Sea and details how Sherman took the fight directly not only to Rebel Forces, but to the people who supported, financed and had the most to gain from this war, and how Union Forces made "Georgia Howl." Sherman's goal was to make them feel the pains of war and defeat their will to fight. Sherman’s total war in Georgia was focused on the offensive and destructive, but it did just what it was supposed to do: destroy Rebel forces, hurt Southern morale, defeat their will to fight and make it impossible for the Confederates to fight at full capacity which led to the end of the war. Professional soldiers and statesmen can learn much from this masterpiece and it should make them think twice before deploying US Armed Forces into battle without identifying then exploiting the enemy's weaknesses. Although this book was written in 1928, Hart's theme carries through to today on the proper conduct of warfare. Specifically, that the principles of war do matter and must be adhered to when conducting warfare; but also that great generals must find the enemy's weaknesses and aggressively attack them until they are defeated decisively. If our American military and civilian leadership approached the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan with Sherman's bold and decisively leadership these wars could have been ended a lot sooner and in a decisive conclusion. Highly Recommended!

Written in 1929 before modern revisionists could water down Sherman’s legacy….A extremely sophisticated look at the man, the warrior, and sometimes reluctant soldier doing his job to defend the Constitution.

Like his book on Scipio Africanus, this one also gives due credit to another of the greatest generals of all time. Robert E. Lee and Hannibal are household names yet the names of two generals who beat their armies are hardly known.

I've read this book twice, the first a long time ago. No one understands the details of the campaigns better than Liddell Hart. Why can't every writer write like this? Because they aren't great military analysts like Liddell Hart. The book brilliantly studies Sherman's campaigns, and I haven't found a better book on Sherman than this. My complaint with the book is that Liddell Hart sneeringly dismisses any other generalship in the war, including Grant's, and to me them's fighting words. He calls Grant a conventional general, he doesn't like the Overland Campaign, and there is much to dislike about the Overland campaign, but it can be viewed as the anvil against which Sherman struck his might blow in conquering Atlanta, then marching through Georgia and the Carolinas. Grant fixed the main force, so that Sherman could commit his great turning movement of half a thousand miles without an army nipping at his heels (and Hood chose to self-destruct). Besides, Grant had already cut loose from his base of supplies in the Vicksburg Campaign. Etc. The denigration of Grant was so severe it made me reconsider Liddell Hart as a military analyst. Maybe he was just having a bad day. Read the book. Just realize it doesn't tell all the story, and tells some of it wrong. Liddell Hart was looking for great generals to shout up; other books of his I like better, such as his Scipio, which I've also read twice.

I followed the history of the civil war from boyhood,I'm now 76 years old and still find the American civil war as the most amazingSequence of events in the history of modern civilization.Sherman was by far the greatest most creative general in that war.the north were just so lucky to have his unbelievable knowledge of terrain and general ability to really know his enemy.this book which I admitto ignoring in my early years,is by far the best most literate I have come across. Liddell hart a great biographer and leading light ofhis day

Not as well written or with the authority of Fuller on Grant but still very insightful and informative. As with Fuller he balances praise with criticism and seeks to explain behaviour and decision making in relation to the temperament and psychology of the man.

An insightful and compelling and empathetic read by an iconoclast British military historian about an American military icon... well at least north of the Mason-Dixon line.If you have read Lidell Hart's Histories of World Wars I and II, consider putting this book on your must read list.If you are an undecided voter in the 2016 american POTUS election, read this book immediately. immediately with discerning and extreme prejudice. this book has that degree of clarity

COULDN'T PUT THIS BOOK DOWN UNTIL IT AS COMPLETED. SHERMAN READ THE COURSE OF THE CIVIL WAR FROM THE START AND TRUE TO HIS BELIEFS NOT TO GO INTO POLITICS AFTERWARDS. THOUGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Not the best of print quality,but I see why this book is so highly rated. Sherman is an intriguing character .