Book Review: War Like the Thunderbolt
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Aug 31, 2009
William Tecumseh Sherman knew without doubt that war was hell as his Union troops began the Civil War's Atlanta Campaign in 1864. Ten-year-old diarist Carrie Berry and thousands of fellow Atlantans were about to find out.
Russell Bonds, author of "Stealing the General: The Great Locomotive Chase and the First Medal of Honor," uses vivid firsthand accounts from letters and diaries in his new book, "War Like the Thunderbolt: The Battle and Burning of Atlanta," including the 36-day bombardment of the city and its surrender.
Q: What prompted your interest in the war?
A: A combination of geography and early education. I grew up in Marietta, almost literally in the shadow of Kennesaw Mountain and visited the battlefield there regularly as a kid. And I had a wonderful teacher in middle school, Dr. Patrick Price, who was a great student of the war and got me interested early.
Q: Why do historians continue revisiting the war nearly 150 years later?
A: Because it's such an important crossroads of our history. Shelby Foote once said that to understand this nation, you have to understand the Civil War. The war made us the country we are today, not only because of emancipation but also because of the enduring American Union. The war tore the nation apart, and it healed and became much stronger than it was before.
Q: How does the book break new ground?
A: It re-examines not only the battles but the characters, North and South; it balances the military and civilian perspective; and it carefully details the artillery bombardment and the burning of the city in a way that hasn't been done before.
Q: What role did the Atlanta Campaign play in the Civil War?
A: It was in many ways the Confederacy's last chance to hold off the Union tide. Atlanta's capture in September helped to ensure Abraham Lincoln's re-election and nailed down Northern support to continue the war effort.
Q: Will it surprise many readers that two burnings of Atlanta --- by Confederate and Union forces --- took place?
A: Probably so. The Confederates blew up their reserve ammunition stores when they abandoned the city, a terrible explosion, and two months later came the more widespread and more infamous burning of much of the city by Sherman's troops.
Q: Your characterization of Northern and Southern forces shows soldiers progressively numbed and hardened by war. Are there parallels today?
A: I'm sure there are. The Atlanta Campaign certainly embodies Sherman's maxim that war is hell, and of course it is widely studied by modern military commanders for its strategy and logistics. But it also shows the importance of not only military but also political resolve to achieve victory.
Q: What should Atlantans take away from the book?
A: My message to Atlantans is that these critical events in American history took place right here underfoot and deserve to be remembered. Henry Grady said in his famous 1879 speech "The New South" that every inch of soil around the city is sacred battleground. This book shows that's the case.
"War Like the Thunderbolt: The Battle and Burning of Atlanta"
by Russell Bonds (Westholme Publishing, $29.95. 544 pages)
----
Sound Off...What do you think? Join the discussion
Copyright 2009 by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
