Grant and Sherman: The Friendship That Won the Civil War - by: Charles Bracelen Flood

"We were as brothers," William Tecumseh Sherman said, describing his relationship to Ulysses S. Grant. They were incontestably two of the most important figures in the Civil War, but until now there has been no book about their victorious partnership and the deep friendship that made it possible.

They were prewar failures--Grant, forced to resign from the Regular Army because of his drinking, and Sherman, who held four different jobs, including a beloved position at a military academy in the South, during the four years before the Confederates fired on Fort Sumter. But heeding the call to save the Union each struggled past political hurdles to join the war effort. And taking each other's measure at the Battle of Shiloh, ten months into the war, they began their unique collaboration. Often together under fire on the war's great battlefields, they smoked cigars as they gave orders and learned from their mistakes as well as from their shrewd decisions. They shared the demands of family life and the heartache of loss, including the tragic death of Shermans's favorite son. They supported each other in the face of mudslinging criticism by the press and politicians. Their growing mutual admiration and trust, which President Lincoln increasingly relied upon, would set the stage for the crucial final year of the war. While Grant battled with Lee in the campaigns that ended at Appomattox Court House, Sherman first marched through Georgia to Atlanta, and then continued with his epic March to the Sea. Not only did Grant and Sherman come to think alike, but, even though their headquarters at that time were hundreds of miles apart, they were in virtually daily communication strategizing the final moves of the war and planning how to win the peace that would follow.

Moving and elegantly written, Grant and Sherman is an historical page turner: a gripping portrait of two men, whose friendship, forged on the battlefield, would win the Civil War.

"We were as brothers," William Tecumseh Sherman said, describing his relationship to Ulysses S. Grant. They were incontestably two of the most important figures in the Civil War, but until now there has been no book about their victorious partnership and the deep friendship that made it possible.

They were prewar failures--Grant, forced to resign from the Regular Army because of his drinking, and Sherman, who held four different jobs, including a beloved position at a military academy in the South, during the four years before the Confederates fired on Fort Sumter. But heeding the call to save the Union each struggled past political hurdles to join the war effort. And taking each other's measure at the Battle of Shiloh, ten months into the war, they began their unique collaboration. Often together under fire on the war's great battlefields, they smoked cigars as they gave orders and learned from their mistakes as well as from their shrewd decisions. They shared the demands of family life and the heartache of loss, including the tragic death of Shermans's favorite son. They supported each other in the face of mudslinging criticism by the press and politicians. Their growing mutual admiration and trust, which President Lincoln increasingly relied upon, would set the stage for the crucial final year of the war. While Grant battled with Lee in the campaigns that ended at Appomattox Court House, Sherman first marched through Georgia to Atlanta, and then continued with his epic March to the Sea. Not only did Grant and Sherman come to think alike, but, even though their headquarters at that time were hundreds of miles apart, they were in virtually daily communication strategizing thefinal moves of the war and planning how to win the peace that would follow.

Moving and elegantly written, Grant and Sherman is an historical page turner: a gripping portrait of two men, whose friendship, forged on the battlefield, would win the Civil War.

"One of the big-profile history books of the season and highly recommended for all history-minded readers."

"Flood is one of the best narrators of popular history in print today. His work is readable, exciting and informative. I find his writing just good as, if not better than, such popular writers as David McCollough and Stephen Ambrose. A novelist before taking up historical narration, Flood's skill allows him to paint portraits of characters and the landscape on which they act even as the action proceeds at a lively pace."

This book is a powerful and illuminating study of a military collaboration that won the war for the Union. That collaboration flowed from an enduring friendship between men who were superficially dissimilar but profoundly alike in their understanding of the brutish, unchanging demands and consequences of war.

This dual biography of the Union's most celebrated Civil War generals, Ulysses S. Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman, examines the partnership that effectively ended the worst bloodshed in American history. The avuncular timbre of Flood's voice fits the narrative nicely, his masculine tone sounding almost battle-worn at times. His delivery, however, feels slack and his energy is too subdued in places. Authors who narrate their own stories carry the burden of rendering fresh long-lived-in material. Often, the result is a straight read rather than vivid animation of words and characters. In Grant and Sherman, you can almost see Flood reading his sentences, reading the punctuation, pausing that full moment before quotes. The production also includes an author interview, during which Flood manages to react naturally to the artificial-sounding questions. And to his credit, he doesn't encapsulate the audiobook in his answers, but offers fresh thoughts on the topic plus insight into the genesis of his project. This is a worthy subject, but one Flood likely imparts more successfully in print. Simultaneous release with the FSG hardcover (Reviews, June 27). (Oct.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Flood (Lee: The Last Years) presents the extraordinary friendship between two Union generals that changed the course of the Civil War. Ulysses S. Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman, both West Point graduates, were unlikely candidates to become heroes during this turbulent period in American history. Both men failed miserably in business ventures before the outbreak of the conflict, but their partnership on and off the battlefield enabled the North to achieve victory. The author provides an analysis of a friendship that endured despite personal, military, and political struggles. Grant's "total war" strategy, to maintain pressure on Lee's army and damage the economic resources of the enemy to wage war, found its perfect counterpart in Sherman's March to the Sea campaign. For further study of key military figures, readers should consult T. Harry Williams's McClellan, Sherman, and Grant and his Lee, Grant, and Sherman: A Study in Leadership in the 1864-65 Campaign. This work includes an extensive bibliography of secondary sources and published primary sources, but it could have been improved by more research in archival manuscript collections. However, Flood's fluid prose style makes this a very enjoyable read. Highly recommended for academic libraries that serve undergraduate programs. [See Prepub Alert, LJ 6/15/05.]-Gayla Koerting, Univ. of South Dakota Libs., Vermillion Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information. Read all 6 "From The Critics" >

"For those who think there is nothing new to be said about the Civil War, Grant and Sherman will be a pleasant surprise. The book is a unique blend of emotional power and historical insight. A must read." — author of Liberty! The American Revolution

"This book describes with force, clarity and admirable terseness the forging in the field of the historic leadership team that was essential to Union victory. Civil War scholars and general readers alike will profit from its insights." — author of American Iliad: The Story of the Civil War

"Charles Bracelen Flood's masterpiece ranges from vivid battlefield reports to intimate sketches of Grant's and Sherman's marriages to subtle cameo sketches of the officers and politicians who harassed or supported them. Fusing his talents as a resourceful scholar and distinguished novelist with a touch of the poet, Charles Bracelen Flood has achieved a moving and inspired classic of American history." — Sidney Offit

"Charles Flood's Grant and Sherman is the story of two remarkable men, an extraordinary friendship, and a partnership that won the Civil War. Shedding fresh light on these two men, it is by turns evocative, charming, and often absorbing." — author of April 1865: The Month That Saved America

"Ulysses S. Grant and William T. Sherman forged a superb partnership during the Civil War, a team of opposites drawn together, striving to end a horrendous conflict without excessive suffering and bloodshed. Ironically, they succeeded by rendering war too terrible for the South to continue. Charles Bracelen Flood skillfully explores the dynamics of an unlikely partnership formed on horrifying battlefields. Both Grant and Sherman have attracted more than their share of biographers, but never before an author been audacious enough to tackle both at once. Their subtle and complex relationship deserves attention from a sophisticated and experienced writer; Flood is up to the task." — editor of The Papers of Ulysses S. Grant

"Charles Bracelen Flood studies the friendship between Grant and Sherman and rightly concludes that it had a major impact on the results of the Civil War. Thoroughly researched and written with verve, this book is easy reading and provides rewarding insight into a friendship which influenced the lives of two significant individuals and the war in which they played such crucial roles." — Professor Emeritus of History, Mississippi State University, and author of Sherman: A Soldier's Passion for Order