Embrace an Angry Wind: The Confederacy's Last Hurrah: Spring Hill, Franklin, and Nashville
Sword has written a very descriptive narrative of the self-destruction of the last remnants of the Confederate Army of Tennessee. Through a skillful interweaving of federal and Confederate strategies he leads the reader through the final battles as if from the shoulder of each commanding general. The vivid descriptions of each battle are supplemented by testimony from participants. Sword's criticisms of Generals Hood, Schofield, and Thomas are thoroughly grounded and make the reader wonder how either side finally won. Hood is pictured as a glory-seeking leader willing to sacrifice his troops no matter what the odds against him; Schofield was unwilling to make a decision unless forced to from above. This is one of the best historical accounts of the final battles of the Civil War in the Western theater. Public, academic, and specialized libraries should add it.- W. Walter Wicker, Louisiana Tech Univ . , RustonCopyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.