Fierce Patriot

The Tangled Lives of William Tecumseh Sherman

By: Robert O'Connell

Narrated by: Andrew Garman

With a unique, witty, and conversational voice historian Robert O'Connell breaks down the often paradoxical, easily caricatured character of General William T. Sherman for the most well-rounded portrait of the man yet written. There were many Shermans, according to O'Connell. Most prominently was Sherman the military strategist (indeed, one of the greatest strategists of all time), who gained an appreciation of geography from early campaigns out west and applied it to his famed Civil War march. Then there was "Uncle Billy", Sherman's popular persona, the charismatic and beloved leader of the Army of the West, and instrumental in the achievement of the transcontinental railroad in his post-war years. This Sherman, as O'Connell writes, was "the human embodiment of manifest destiny". From north to south and east to west, Sherman dedicated his life to keeping the United States united. Finally, there was Sherman the family man, whose tempestuous relationship with his wife (and stepsister!) Ellen is out of a Dickens novel. Throughout, O'Connell breaks down the misperceptions about Sherman, bolstered both by contemporary journalists and by the work of modern historians. O'Connell makes a compelling case that Sherman's march through the south was not a campaign of unmitigated destruction, but a necessary piece of strategy and the perceived chaos has been overblown. O'Connell's Sherman is ultimately a complicated and quintessential 19th-century American. Robert O' Connell worked as Senior Analyst at the U.S. Army Intelligence Agency's Foreign Science and Technology Center and was a contributing editor to MHQ: The Quarterly Journal of Military History.

©2014 Robert L. O'Connell (P)2014 Recorded Books

Well done biography

Really interesting topic and I really enjoyed the authors tone and insight. I did question the format of how Sherman's life is presented but I get why he made the choice. I've read a few books on Sherman and this was my favorite. I will check out more from the author.

An excellent view of Sherman and his personality.

I enjoyed listening to this book. It's an excellent look into Sherman's personally and motivations.

3 books in one

A view of Sherman from three perspectives, each with its singular emphasis on the man and his image.

Lucid and well-told story

I found this to be a good general biography. The author includes much of his own analysis of Sherman and his life.

Really enjoyed this book

The narration was great! I learned a lot more about William T. Sherman than I thought I knew. This book made him into a whole person not just a military leader.