Rating: 
Summary: "Uncle Billy" on the March
Review: Burke Davis is one of America's premeir Civil War historians, and with "Sherman's March," he provides a well-balanced and highly readable account. General Sherman was a visionary whose tactics against civilians and infastructure in Georgia and the Carolinas helped speed the war to its conclusion. Of course, the human cost was high, but not by 20th Century standards in which this type of warfare would become the norm. Furthermore, the South NEEDED to be whipped as Sherman whipped them to avoid the type of "stab in the back" mentality that showed up in Germany after World War I and led directly to Hitler. Sherman's March left the South with no illusions about who won the war and about exactly what kind of Hell the war was. Sherman himself said that "War is misery and you cannot refine it," and he endeavored to bring that misery to the heretofore relatively untouched deep South.Burke does a good job of showing the grave damage inflicted by the march and holds Sherman accountable for the excesses inflicted by his army. He also shows how Sherman's tactics contributed greatly to the end of the conflict in part by causing many of the men in General Lee's command to desert. The march was a work of military genius, and Davis has documented it in fine fashion.
Rating:
Summary: "Uncle Billy" on the March
Review: Burke Davis is one of America's premeir Civil War historians, and with "Sherman's March," he provides a well-balanced and highly readable account. General Sherman was a visionary whose tactics against civilians and infastructure in Georgia and the Carolinas helped speed the war to its conclusion. Of course, the human cost was high, but not by 20th Century standards in which this type of warfare would become the norm. Furthermore, the South NEEDED to be whipped as Sherman whipped them to avoid the type of "stab in the back" mentality that showed up in Germany after World War I and led directly to Hitler. Sherman's March left the South with no illusions about who won the war and about exactly what kind of Hell the war was. Sherman himself said that "War is misery and you cannot refine it," and he endeavored to bring that misery to the heretofore relatively untouched deep South. Burke does a good job of showing the grave damage inflicted by the march and holds Sherman accountable for the excesses inflicted by his army. He also shows how Sherman's tactics contributed greatly to the end of the conflict in part by causing many of the men in General Lee's command to desert. The march was a work of military genius, and Davis has documented it in fine fashion.
Rating:
Summary: Burke Davis is an artist
Review: Having read several books concerning Shermans March, it is my opinion, this is one of the best. Burke Davis is one of the few talented authors that can make the reader feel sympathetic for one side, then for the other. Burke Davis uses words like a great artist painting a picture. You can find yourself feeling pity for the Southern women and children, and the next chapter Burke Davis makes you feel sympathetic for Shermans soldiers. In the closing chapters, you'll probably be admiring Sherman as he marches his soldiers in the Grand review. ( and you may not like Sec. of War Edwin M. Stanton as much, when Stanton attempts to defame Sherman) This is one awesome book.
I also recomend,"Shermans March through the Carolinas"-John G. Barrett, and "When Sherman Marched North From The Sea"-Jacqueline Glass Campbell.
Rating:
Summary: "Sherman Is A Hog. Yes, Sir, A Hog."
Review: If you want an "up close and personal" look at Sherman's march through Georgia and the Carolinas, this is the book for you. Burke Davis has compiled an impressive number and range of first-person accounts.....common soldiers from both sides, officers, civilians, etc. You come away from the book feeling as though you had been present.....and the author manages to provide a very even-handed account. You can see why, in the South, Sherman is reviled to this day. Sherman's men, like human locusts, cut a path of destruction....burning homes and businesses and stealing farm animals and family valuables, such as silverware as well as gold and silver coins. Many people were left hungry and destitute. Things were especially brutal in South Carolina.....intentionally so, as Sherman wanted to punish the state he held primarily responsible for causing the Civil War. The author does show that Sherman apparently suffered from a guilty conscience, at least sometimes, for the whirlwind he unleashed. It is also clear that, sporadically, he tried to restrain his troops and tried to curb some of the excesses....such as looting and rape. Unfortunately, since Sherman made it clear from the outset that the march was meant to terrorize and intimidate the civilian population, and since his efforts to restrain his men were half-hearted, it is difficult to have much sympathy for him. Mr. Davis does a brilliant job of bringing many figures to life. For example, there is the Confederate "Fightin' Joe Wheeler", who was five feet five and 120 pounds, "with a rock in each pocket and his hair combed down wet." There is also 19 year old Marie Boozer, said to be the prettiest girl in South Carolina, who became the mistress of Union general Hugh Kilpatrick...at least temporarily. Once up North, Marie left Kilpatrick for "better pickings." She married a wealthy Northerner and later on, after her well-publicized divorce, married a French count. The book is a bit short on military analysis, so if that is what you are looking for you should stay away. But if you love "you are there" history, you will love this book. By the way, the title for my review is a quote by Confederate Secretary of War John Breckinridge. During surrender discussions with Sherman, regarding Joe Johnston's troops amongst others, Breckinridge became annoyed when Sherman only offered him and Johnston one drink of whiskey each. After calling Sherman a hog for only giving himself a second drink, Breckinridge commented to Johnston, "Ah! No Kentucky gentleman would ever have taken that bottle away. He knew how much we needed it. Needed it badly." Very funny and very human....
Rating: 
Summary: Fascinating!
Review: In recommending to General Grant the he be allowed to break free from his supply lines and march from Atlanta to Savannah Sherman stated " I can make this march and I will make Georgia howl". He did just that. This is an amazingly good book by Burke Davis. Written with just a bit of Southern bias ("Federal troops...plundered their way through the South"), the author makes Sherman's point for him: "War is hell, there is no use in trying to refine it". This book accurately depicts the experience of the 65,000 Federal troops who made this march, the inability of the Confederacy to defend itself, the complete breakdown of organized resistance and the subsequent impact on the populace. Sherman's uncontested march through Georgia and the Carolinas represents the final nail in the Confederacy's coffin. After Lincoln's presidential victory in November 1864 one can only wonder why the South did not sue for peace. They must have known, had to have realized, that the end was only a matter of time. European recognition had been laid to rest 18 months earlier. In a very real sense, the South visited this horror upon themselves. After reading this book you get a good feeling for the serious disconnect, the complete lack of effective communication, between Confederate field commanders and their government's civilian administration. This book is an awesome accomplishment. It is a poignant testament to why there will never be a William T Sherman High School in Georgia, South or North Carolina.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating!
Review: In recommending to General Grant the he be allowed to break free from his supply lines and march from Atlanta to Savannah, Sherman stated " I can make this march and I will make Georgia howl". He did just that. This is an amazingly good book by Burke Davis. Written with just a bit of Southern bias ("Federal troops...plundered their way through the South"), the author makes Sherman's point for him: "War is hell, there is no use in trying to refine it". This book accurately depicts the experience of the 65,000 Federal troops who made this march, the inability of the Confederacy to defend itself, the complete breakdown of organized resistance and the subsequent impact on the populace. Sherman's uncontested march through Georgia and the Carolinas represents the final nail in the Confederacy's coffin. After Lincoln's presidential victory in November 1864 one can only wonder why the South did not sue for peace. They must have known, had to have realized, that the end was only a matter of time. European recognition had been laid to rest 18 months earlier. In a very real sense, the South visited this horror upon themselves. After reading this book you get a good feeling for the serious disconnect, the complete lack of effective communication, between Confederate field commanders and their government's civilian administration. This book is an awesome accomplishment. It is a poignant testament to why there will never be a William T Sherman High School in Georgia, South or North Carolina.
Rating:
Summary: Levelheaded and captivating view of the Man and the March
Review: It's often hard to find a book that is repelled from any bias, but renowned historian Burke Davis achieved it in this book. Sherman's March is an extremely touchy subject, but thanks to the heavy research, factual information, firsthand accounts, primary materials, quotations, and Davis' dramatic and engaging style, this book reads itself to you with no inhibitions. Davis not only includes a thorough examination of the March itself tactically, but soldier's life and pasttimes, effects on the civilians, and most intriguing of all, an in depth look at the General himself which only helps in the understanding of the March. Sherman has never been so interesting. The March was a somewhat necessary but horrible event that left scars on everyone involved and has left history in awe of it's strange grandeur, and has such been surrounded in a great amount of myth from both sides of the Mason Dixon. This clear cut and levelheaded book will let you understand what really did happen.
Rating:
Summary: Another Triumph
Review: Once again, Burke Davis has done a splendid job in profiling a great man of history. You will see Sherman as a tyrant and also as a soft hearted man, a man completely in control and completely out of control. You will feel the pain of Georgia and the Carolinas as he unleashes war on the people of the south.
Rating:
Summary: An instant classic for all Civil War buffs...
Review: This is an excellent book. It tells you about Sherman's horrific march to the sea. Burke Davis combines letters, Sherman's memoirs, and other Sherman books into the splendid narrative. It captures the feeling of his 60,000 man army. It tells about the pillaging of Georgia and the Carolinas and the determined southern women. This book brings right into the destructive path of Sherman's army. I reccomend this book to everyone!
Rating:
Summary: Awesome Book
Review: This was an awesome book. I recently finished the Shaara novels, and they left me wanting to learn more about the American Civil War. I went with Sherman's March on a whim and it paid off. I wasn't certain what it meant to describe a book as a narrative, but now I know and love it. It makes it so much easier to read and follow. They say it reads like a novel. That's failry accurate, but it's still a history book. The way he uses quotes and first-person accounts gives it that novel-like quality. The other thing I love about this book is it's size. He's chosen a relatively narrow segment of history to discuss, so the book is short and concise. My on complaint is the lack of maps. I really think history books that discuss many locations in detail need to have maps. Especially when discussing battles. I've learned that my West Point Atlas of the American Civil War has been invaluable for all my Civil War readings. However, the map on Sherman's March is lame. (The West Point Atlas of WWII is also invaluable). I definetly like this author and will try his other books.
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