NF Hoods Tennessee campaign

[Rebelsoul]

Recently became interested in learning more about Spring hill, Franklin and Nashville. Came across Wiley Swords book called "The Confederacy's last hurrah" Have read good and bad about it. Has anyone read it and if so can i get some opinions and insights before I purchase it ? Thanks!

 

[bdtex]

Recently became interested in learning more about Spring hill, Franklin and Nashville. Came across Wiley Swords book called "The Confederacy's last hurrah" Have read good and bad about it. Has anyone read it and if so can i get some opinions and insights before I purchase it ? Thanks!

Here is a good 2 page thread in our Book & Movie Review Tent forum about that book.

https://civilwartalk.com/threads/th...ka-embrace-an-angry-wind.108766/#post-1033786

 

[EricAJacobson]

Recently became interested in learning more about Spring hill, Franklin and Nashville. Came across Wiley Swords book called "The Confederacy's last hurrah" Have read good and bad about it. Has anyone read it and if so can i get some opinions and insights before I purchase it ? Thanks!

Solid book - just don't fall for the anti-Hood commentary.

 

[streetwiseprof]

Wiley hammers the theme that Hood was under the influence of laudanum during the entire campaign. This claim is very, very thinly sourced, and has been largely debunked since. That undermines many of the judgments and assessments made in the book. That said, the descriptions of movements and battles are quite good.

 

[bdtex]

Recently became interested in learning more about Spring hill, Franklin and Nashville. Came across Wiley Swords book called "The Confederacy's last hurrah" Have read good and bad about it. Has anyone read it and if so can i get some opinions and insights before I purchase it ? Thanks!

I might add that the thread I linked above cites several other very good books.

 

[Irishtom29]

Sword's book is a very good read—fast paced, clear; carrys one along. It reads like a good novel.

 

[mofederal]

Once you take away the laudanum defense, which was rightly so, you are left with the poor generalship of Hood. Nothing else is left. One can make the argument for the lack of leadership or fighting by others in the campaign. The simple question in the end is that Hood was an upward failure, promoted above his abilities. Sword's book is still very good and worth the read as is his Shiloh: Bloody April book. Well researched and written, it holds your attention to the end. I do like the original title of the book: Embrace An Angry Wind.

 

[Irishtom29]

I do like the original title of the book: Embrace An Angry Wind.

That was a great title. I had a first edition signed by Sword at an affair at the Lincoln book shop in Chicago.

As an aside, Sword wrote an excellent book on the Old Northwest Indian War of the 1790s called "President Washington's Indian War."