First published 1987
James Lee McDonough and James Pickett Jones deliver a comprehensive account of the Atlanta campaign, one of the Civil War's most crucial military operations. The authors examine the strategic decisions and battlefield events that culminated in the fall of Atlanta, the Confederacy's vital "Gate City." Their narrative presents both Union and Confederate perspectives with balance, tracing how each engagement moved the war toward its inevitable conclusion. The book follows the campaign from its opening moves through the final capture of the city that served as a critical transportation hub and symbol of Southern resistance. McDonough and Jones connect these military events to their broader impact on the war's trajectory. The work concludes with an epilogue exploring Margaret Mitchell's research process for Gone With The Wind, revealing how she investigated these same historical events for her novel. This dual focus illuminates both the historical reality of Atlanta's fall and its later cultural significance in American memory.
Genres: american-civil-war, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, military-fiction, military-history, 19th-century, american-history
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: dual-perspective
Setting: Atlanta, Confederacy, Union
Period: Civil War
385 pages · Hardcover · W W Norton & Co Inc