The Smoke at Dawn

by Jeff Shaara

First published 2014

The armies converge in Tennessee as the Civil War reaches a critical juncture. Union and Confederate forces prepare for battles that will determine the fate of the western theater. Soldiers on both sides face the brutal realities of combat while their commanders wrestle with strategic decisions that could turn the tide of war. From the smoky battlefields to the command tents where generals plot their next moves, men confront their fears and loyalties. The novel captures the human cost of a nation divided, following characters as they navigate the chaos and uncertainty of a conflict that has already claimed countless lives. Shaara brings the Civil War's western campaigns to life through the eyes of those who fought and died there.

Genres: american-civil-war, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, military-fiction, 19th-century, american-history

Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, suspenseful, thought-provoking

Tropes: loyalty, sacrifice, war

Setting: Tennessee

Period: Civil War

495 pages · Hardcover · Ballantine Books

Content warnings: death, violence

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