Looking for the Best Atlanta Book

[redst3]

I am reading Hood's memoirs and I am starting to get tangled up. I have McPherson's Battle Cry for short summary and Foote's Volume III for good prose. I'd really like the best Atlanta campaign book for a detailed understanding before I get into Johnston's and Sherman's memoirs.

I would love something well detailed. For once, I actually have the chance to take trips to see the battlefields.

and let me add that I'd like something that starts at the beginning all the way through to Atlanta's capture.

So, help me out!

 

[Barnesville Blues]

I would recommend "Decision in the West" by Albert Castel. If you want details, it is your best bet. I would also recommend William R. Scaife's "The Campaign for Atlanta" for no other reason than for his battle maps.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/070060748X/?tag=civilwartalkc-20

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0961950862/?tag=civilwartalkc-20

 

[Buckeye Bill]

I would recommend "Decision in the West" by Albert Castel. If you want details, it is your best bet. I would also recommend William R. Scaife's "The Campaign for Atlanta" for no other reason than for his battle maps.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/070060748X/?tag=civilwartalkc-20

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0961950862/?tag=civilwartalkc-20

I concur 100!

And there is plenty of wonderful material in the Atlanta Campaign Forum......

Bill

 

[redst3]

Would buying both be redundant? I am not rich...well not in money any way...

 

[Horace Porter]

Would buying both be redundant? I am not rich...well not in money any way...

No. Castel's is the most detailed description of the campaign, and it's very provocative. There are shorter accounts of the campaign, but they are also less controversial and engaging (although Castel's preference for the present tense will be offputting to some). A map set offers a different way to get to the nitty-gritty of troop movements, although the broader issues are not always covered in such depth. Scaife helps you visualize Castel.

 

[Barnesville Blues]

Yeah, my biggest knock on Castel's book is his lack of maps and diagrams to help you visualize what he is talking about....Scaife solves this with his excellent maps...he even has maps of some of the skirmishes that occured during the Atlanta Campaign that I had never even heard of until I got his book..... He is books has the only maps that I have seen of the Battles of Jonesboro and Utoy Creek.

Castel's book is considered controversial by a lot of historians mainly because of some the conclusions he draws about some of the Generals, mainly Sherman and Grant.....I didn't have a problem with it though.. Wiley Sword drew similar criticism for his book on the late Tennessee campaign in regard to his conclusions about John Bell Hood but in my opinion, these conclusions do not take away from the vast wealth of information contained on the actual campaign it's self.

 

[Barnesville Blues]

As for William R. Scaife's book, if you live close to the Chickamauga or Kennesaw Mountain Battlefields, their book stores have it brand new for around the price that it is used on Amazon.....at least the paper back. Well, I say that, they did back when I visited both battlefields a couple of years ago.

 

[JeffBrooks]

Castel's book is not only the best book on the Atlanta Campaign, but one of the best books on Civil War history that I have ever read, period.

 

[redst3]

I ordered a used copy of Castell's book. Scaife's is a bit more pricey but you are all talking me into it. The answers are greatly appreciated.

 

[Henry Whitworth]

Do those recommending Castel feel that he really gave an accurate assessment of Sherman? Seemed like he kind of had it in for Sherman going into this. Not that it discounts the whole work but that seemed like a hang up that led to some silly conclusions.

I enjoyed this one.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002JLO75W/?tag=civilwartalkc-20

Not perfect either but a good narrative with some good details.

 

[Barnesville Blues]

You will be very happy with your purchase I think. Castel's book is not what I would call "lite" reading but it can be beat as far as the details are concerned....Scaife's book makes a great companion to Castel's book so I would get both IF you can afford it

 

[Barnesville Blues]

Do those recommending Castel feel that he really gave an accurate assessment of Sherman? Seemed like he kind of had it in for Sherman going into this. Not that it discounts the whole work but that seemed like a hang up that led to some silly conclusions.

I enjoyed this one.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002JLO75W/?tag=civilwartalkc-20

Not perfect either but a good narrative with some good details.

That is what i mentioned above, that some people didn't like the conclusions Castel made about Sherman and Grant, but in my opinion it is still the most detailed and complete work out there on the Atlanta Campaign as a whole. To me Castel's opinions on the general didn't bother me that much, just like Sword's opinion of Hood didn't bother me in his work. I have not read "The Bonfire" yet but have heard it is mainly about the Seige and burning of Atlanta, not really about the campaign as a whole.

 

[ole]

Kinda partial to a book edited by Savas and Woodbury. Good maps.

I must have liked it as it has stickies all over.

redst3, PM your address and it is yours. No kidding.

Scaife is good but his works are pricey. By the way, the book I'm offering you has Scaife's fingerprints all over it.

Caveat: You must report regularly on what you've read. Not going to give a book to someone who doesn't eat it up.

 

[redst3]

I enjoyed this one.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002JLO75W/?tag=civilwartalkc-20

Not perfect either but a good narrative with some good details.

At 4 bucks that was a no brainer, got it

 

[Henry Whitworth]

That is what i mentioned above, that some people didn't like the conclusions Castel made about Sherman and Grant, but in my opinion it is still the most detailed and complete work out there on the Atlanta Campaign as a whole. To me Castel's opinions on the general didn't bother me that much, just like Sword's opinion of Hood didn't bother me in his work. I have not read "The Bonfire" yet but have heard it is mainly about the Seige and burning of Atlanta, not really about the campaign as a whole.

Yeah, in truth most Civil War authors can't help dropping in a lot of their personal partisanship towards various leaders; moments when their analysis seems to stretch a bit far to keep painting the picture they want. Sometimes I find it distracting. I just put one down in which the author was hilariously partisan in favor of Grant. Everyone is making their case when they write. Some are just better at letting the facts speak for them.

It's been a little while since I read Bonfire but one thing I liked was that, among other things, it was a nice effort at making a portrait of the city itself and its unique character.

 

[nitrofd]

Along with the excellent recommendations Earl Hess wrote a book on the battle of Kennesaw Mountain which is only one part of the Atlanta Campaign but it is an excellent book by a very well respected author.

 

[Barnesville Blues]

I'll add Bonfire to my list then and give it a read...so many on my read list. I have "The Day Dixie Died" and found it a very good read on the Battle of Atlanta but of course the one Brigade I was interested in...it had very little information on them and what it did have appeared to be speculative based on one single source so while it is another good book...I was disappointed. Robert Jenkins books are good as well if you really want pin point locations on where brigades and even Regiments lined up during the Battle of Peachtree Creek and other smaller engagements between Kennesaw Mountain and Peachtree Creek...his works have gotten a lot of criticism on Amazon ratings but I found most of them unfounded..... I have communicated with Mr. Jenkins and he is extremely knowledgeable about the Atlanta Campaign, especially the time period between Kennesaw Mountain and the Battle of Atlanta. In fact, Mr. Jenkins is supposed to be checking his sources for me on a small skirmish the unit I am researching was involved in the day before the Battle of Peachtree Creek.

Redst3 when you have the time and Money, I would look into Mr. Jenkins's books as well.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0881463965/?tag=civilwartalkc-20

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0881465275/?tag=civilwartalkc-20

 

[Chattahooch33]

I'll add Bonfire to my list then and give it a read...so many on my read list. I have "The Day Dixie Died" and found it a very good read on the Battle of Atlanta but of course the one Brigade I was interested in...it had very little information on them and what it did have appeared to be speculative based on one single source so while it is another good book...I was disappointed. Robert Jenkins books are good as well if you really want pin point locations on where brigades and even Regiments lined up during the Battle of Peachtree Creek and other smaller engagements between Kennesaw Mountain and Peachtree Creek...his works have gotten a lot of criticism on Amazon ratings but I found most of them unfounded..... I have communicated with Mr. Jenkins and he is extremely knowledgeable about the Atlanta Campaign, especially the time period between Kennesaw Mountain and the Battle of Atlanta. In fact, Mr. Jenkins is supposed to be checking his sources for me on a small skirmish the unit I am researching was involved in the day before the Battle of Peachtree Creek.

Redst3 when you have the time and Money, I would look into Mr. Jenkins's books as well.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0881463965/?tag=civilwartalkc-20

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0881465275/?tag=civilwartalkc-20

Whoa there fellas.

If I may say before you get The Bonfire I would recommend instead War Like the Thunderbolt. They are extremely similar in many ways but Marc Whortman lives in Connecticut while Russell Bonds is a native Georgian and graduate of Georgia Tech and the University of Georgia. He practices law in Atlanta now. I feel that his book is a little more in touch with Atlanta and also includes some present day stuff. Also, it is only $3 more used.

I grew up with Scaife and took his maps as the gospel. However, after growing older, smarter, and digging deeper I have realized his maps are better than nothing, but not nearly as detailed as they should be. The text itself is second to none but I would use a combination of all the maps you can find including CWPT, Wikipedia maps, and the actual Official Records maps set to modern day maps.

 

[Buckeye Bill]

I used William R. Scaife's book with maps and the Civil War Trust maps on our Atlanta Campaign tour in 2014. My son and I did not run into any problems with our tour using these resource materials. This was my first tour of Northwest Georgia and the sites surrounding metropolitan Atlanta.

Bill

 

[Chattahooch33]

I used William R. Scaife's book with maps and the Civil War Trust maps on our Atlanta Campaign tour in 2014. My son and I did not run into any problems with our tour using these resource materials. This was my first tour of Northwest Georgia and the sites surrounding metropolitan Atlanta.

Bill

Bill, Scaife will certainly get you where you want to be, but his troop deployments are off at several places and he used the simple rectangles to denote brigade locations rather than really pinning down the troop placement.