All the Fighting They Want: The Atlanta Campaign from Peachtree Creek to the City’s Surrender: July 18 – September 2, 1864
Stephen Davis
Savas Beatie, 2017, 176 pp., $14.95
ISBN: 978-1-61121-319-5
Image courtesy of amazon.com
I have truly enjoyed the attention which the Atlanta Campaign has been receiving lately from many different authors. But one of the series’ which I have found interesting, has been the Emerging Civil War Series due to the presentation it has given many students of the war. The series has been wholly encapsulating to the point that every battle seems to be getting a treatment from them. In All the Fighting They Want, Stephen Davis gives us a chance to understand the Atlanta Campaign from Peachtree Creek to the City’s Surrender which not only gives us some much needed information, but is also a great look into the minds of the commanders who fought there.
Stephen Davis has been a Civil War historian for a great portion of his life. He earned his Masters degree in American History from the University of North Carolina and earned his Ph.D. at Emory. He has authored previous works, many focusing on the Atlanta Campaign. He has written Atlanta Will Fall: Sherman, John Johnston and the Heavy Yankee Battalions, and What the Yankees Did to Us: Sherman’s Bombardment and the Wrecking of Atlanta. He was a review editor for Blue and Gray magazine and has also authored many articles.
Those who have been with me through most of the Emerging Civil War Series have seen how well these books can connect with readers, especially early students of the war. Presented in this book is the continuation of the information from his companion work A Long and Bloody Task. In the last work, I noted the brilliance of the writing style which Davis brings to the narrative. His dominance of the source material and the research is astounding and shows here in this work. Most works in the series are supplemented with appendices which appear here as well but not as many as usual. This does not detract from the book as it stands as a great introduction to the campaign along with the other work which came previously. For many people just getting into the American Civil War, there are some confusions as to the direct actions which took place during the Atlanta Campaign, but in this work, Davis paints a clear picture of the history of the events and even gives us some great studies in command supplying his narrative. When studying the Atlanta Campaign, there has been some fascination on my part with the study in command and I’m glad to see them here in Davis’ work.
Once again, Emerging Civil War Series knocks it out of the park. This is another welcome addition to the work which has been done. With his previous work, I think All the Fighting They Want will be used by readers and students alike who wish to delve more into the world of the Atlanta Campaign. As I said in the introduction, I feel like we often overlook the more intricate battles of the campaign, but thanks to Stephen Davis, I have more knowledge about the fighting which occurred there. I highly recommend this work and hope to read more of Davis in the time to come.
Stephen Davis
Savas Beatie, 2017, 176 pp., $14.95
ISBN: 978-1-61121-319-5
Image courtesy of amazon.com
I have truly enjoyed the attention which the Atlanta Campaign has been receiving lately from many different authors. But one of the series’ which I have found interesting, has been the Emerging Civil War Series due to the presentation it has given many students of the war. The series has been wholly encapsulating to the point that every battle seems to be getting a treatment from them. In All the Fighting They Want, Stephen Davis gives us a chance to understand the Atlanta Campaign from Peachtree Creek to the City’s Surrender which not only gives us some much needed information, but is also a great look into the minds of the commanders who fought there.
Stephen Davis has been a Civil War historian for a great portion of his life. He earned his Masters degree in American History from the University of North Carolina and earned his Ph.D. at Emory. He has authored previous works, many focusing on the Atlanta Campaign. He has written Atlanta Will Fall: Sherman, John Johnston and the Heavy Yankee Battalions, and What the Yankees Did to Us: Sherman’s Bombardment and the Wrecking of Atlanta. He was a review editor for Blue and Gray magazine and has also authored many articles.
Those who have been with me through most of the Emerging Civil War Series have seen how well these books can connect with readers, especially early students of the war. Presented in this book is the continuation of the information from his companion work A Long and Bloody Task. In the last work, I noted the brilliance of the writing style which Davis brings to the narrative. His dominance of the source material and the research is astounding and shows here in this work. Most works in the series are supplemented with appendices which appear here as well but not as many as usual. This does not detract from the book as it stands as a great introduction to the campaign along with the other work which came previously. For many people just getting into the American Civil War, there are some confusions as to the direct actions which took place during the Atlanta Campaign, but in this work, Davis paints a clear picture of the history of the events and even gives us some great studies in command supplying his narrative. When studying the Atlanta Campaign, there has been some fascination on my part with the study in command and I’m glad to see them here in Davis’ work.
Once again, Emerging Civil War Series knocks it out of the park. This is another welcome addition to the work which has been done. With his previous work, I think All the Fighting They Want will be used by readers and students alike who wish to delve more into the world of the Atlanta Campaign. As I said in the introduction, I feel like we often overlook the more intricate battles of the campaign, but thanks to Stephen Davis, I have more knowledge about the fighting which occurred there. I highly recommend this work and hope to read more of Davis in the time to come.
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