The Fateful Lightning: A Novel of the Civil War

Brings to life the Sherman campaign in the South. Makes Sherman much more understandable and less of a terror, a serious and decent man with a job to do; shows clearly and sympathetically the dedication and faithful service of both armies, and particularly the suffering of the southerners. Also portrays the surrender, about which we seldom hear, of Johnston's army to Sherman, in the Durham area, days following Lee's surrender at Appomattox. Excellent and enlightening read, but best enjoyed in order as the final book in the series.

I've personally found Jeff Shaara's Civil War books less and less well written. I appreciate the fictional perspective that the characters lend to the historical events and do feel like I've gained a better appreciation of the actual events from having read his books. I just don't know if there is less research, source material or some other reason but this book felt and read very slow for me. Not a bad read but not the type of book that made me a loyal reader.

THIS AUTHOR HAS A WAY OF FLESHING OUT THE CHARACTERS IN HIS BOOK THAT ALMOST MAKES YOU BELEIVE THAT YOU ARE THERE. I LIKE THAT HE GIVES YOU THE SOLIDERS POINT OF VIEW AND HOW HE REACTS TO THE WAR. IT'S MUCH BETTER THAN WHAT WE LEARNED IN HISTORY CLASS.

This is an insightful work about the two men most responsible for prosecuting a successful conclusion ( from the Federal point of view) to this horrible war. Primarily though, it is about William Tecumseh Sherman, a very complicated man, who had his own demons to deal with.

After reading all of the books by Jeff Shaara, this one is an okay ending to the series. This portrays the ending of the war in the south from Georgia through the Carolinas. There is a lot of historical information in this longer book, but I felt at times some of the character depictions were not well-developed.

The final chapter in this trilogy is well written and factual. The end of the war and the realization that the United States has emerged as a new and stronger nation leaves the reader gingery for the next chapter.

There will always be arguments over whether actions in war are right or wrong. Shaara, as always, presents the participants from all angles in their environment so the reader can at least have a chance at understanding where they come from.

In his final installment in his Civil War series, Jeff Shaara brings Shreman's contibution to ending the war to life. With research and writing skill we see the General as a conflicted person who understood the mission he was on and the consequences he would face in achieving it.

While I enjoyed other of this series more, this story of the famous March to the Sea by Sherman was great. The blending together of the various participants was very skillful and informative. No one should skip this final chapter.

Mr Shaara always intrigues me with his use of historical content, combined with a personal narrative from the point of view of the combatants. I've read every one of his books, each I have found to be interesting and engaging. This particular novel addresses a story that has not been delved into by previous authors, and has helped me get a better understanding of the events in Mr Sherman's army in the months leading to the end of the civil war.

This book centers primarily on the actions of General William T,. Sherman from his capture of Atlanta until the end of the Civil War. Through Sherman and his primary adversaries we understand a lot more about a less well-known aspect of the Civil War that had a major impact on its conclusion. Sahara does a good job of presenting the complexity of Sherman, and in so doing, provides a strong justification for his conduct of the war and "Sherman to the Sea".

Shaara brought this unfortunate chapter of US history to it's foregone conclusion; but leaving me with a better understanding of the people who effected change and those affected by it. Hey Jeff, would you kindly add a book 5 to this series and help me make sense of Reconstruction.

Jeff Shaar's books are always excellent. This is another fine example. If you are a Civil War Buff, like I am, this book added significantly to my understanding of this particular portion of the War. The "big" battles- especially in the East - get all of the coverage. So this book provides an exciting view of, what I think anyway, is a relatively little talked about segment of the war.

I've enjoyed Jeff Shaara's novels immensely through the years. This book, however, is his finest work since the original series that began with his father's depiction of Gettysburg in Killer Angels. Never before have the complexities of William Tecumseh Sherman been so accurately and effectively conveyed. It was also wonderful to learn more about the final surrender of Johnston to Sherman, often ignored in the history books compared to the fanfare of Appomatix.

Extremely well written and full of the human pathos of war. Shaara correctly captures the character and content of the last year of the Civil War in the United States as he paints portraits of the characters involved.

This is another excellent book by Jeff Shaara. His method of using a number of specific individuals to see the war through was both enlightening and entertaining. While the story told was strictly about the war, no time was spent on strategic issues but rather on a more personal view and approach fro the individual's perspective.

Very good book!!

Jeff Shasta continues his bookshelf filling works on the Civil War with this tremendous tale of General W T Sherman's march across the country. The dialog helps to see both sides of the battles that ultimately defeated the break up of the Union. We can see that the divergent opinions about what is best for our country were as heated in the 1860's as they are today. A wonderful read.

Jeff Shaara's last installment in his Civil War series is the story of William Tecumseh Sherman, and the final eight months of the war. The Fateful Lightning picks up Sherman's march immediately after the sacking of Atlanta and follows his army through Georgia and the Carolinas.

There is little middle ground in the world of Civil War analysis regarding Sherman. The general is either hated as savage and brutal or respected as the finest battlefield commander of the war. The Fateful Lightning, through Shaara's use of the historical novel, brings a semblance of balance to the Sherman legacy. Shaara's research is excellent.

Like all of Shaara's writing, using the vehicle of the novel, the key players are humanized. The genre also allows for the creation of fictional characters to flush out the story line. In this case a young slave, freed by Sherman's march is among the thousands of former slaves who follow

Sherman's army of liberation as it heads north, taking them away from their masters and plantations. The story of freed slaves following the Union Army is also well told in another book, E.L. Doctorow's The March. Search gordonsgoodreads for an overview.

I also recommend the other three books in Shaara's series. A Blaze of Glory, A Chain of Thunder, and The Smoke at Dawn. You will find my overviews of them here at gordonsgood reads.

Shaara also wrote Gods and Generals and The Last Full Measure, two novels that complete the Civil War trilogy that began with his father's The Killer Angels.

History is more complex than any school text book can convey. And any military campaign is even more difficult to describe. Mr Shaara has been able to flesh in the outlines we all learned in school. With this novel as with all his other writings the Civil War becomes the conflict that it truly was - ideals, emotions, duty and absolute horror. The personalities of each character ultimately affecting the outcome, as well as 'the hand of God' - uncontrollable aspects like weather.

A plodding account of the Sherman campaign following Atlanta. I felt that Mr. Shaara was getting paid by the page. It would have been more interesting at half the length. Still there were some interesting details in this very often neglected phase of the Civil War.

A comprehensive account in novel form of Sherman's move from Atlanta through South and North Carolina concluding with the end of the Civil War. Sherman said, "War is hell." This novel makes that point. A good read.