First published 2004
In the final months of 1864, Confederate General John Bell Hood faces an impossible choice. After Sherman's forces devastate Atlanta, Hood must decide whether to chase the Union army or strike north into Tennessee. He chooses the bold gambit, hoping to draw Sherman away from his march to the sea and recapture the strategic prize of Nashville. Hood's Army of Tennessee crosses into Alabama and advances toward the occupied city, where Union General George Thomas waits with his forces. The Confederate commander believes he can cut the railroad lines and isolate Thomas from Sherman's support. But Hood's troops are spread thin across the Tennessee countryside, his cavalry is miles away in Murfreesboro, and his enemy proves more resourceful than expected. As winter approaches, Hood must confront the growing reality that his desperate campaign may cost him not just the battle, but his entire army. The fate of the Confederacy's western forces hangs in the balance.
Genres: american-civil-war, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, war, military-fiction, 19th-century, american-history
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: desperate-campaign, fate-of-the-nation, military-strategy
Setting: Alabama, Atlanta, Murfreesboro, Nashville, Tennessee
Period: 1864
358 pages · Hardcover · University of Tennessee Press