The Smoke at Dawn

By: Jeff Shaara

Narrated by: Paul Michael

Length: 19 hrs and 42 mins

Publisher's Summary

New York Times best-selling author Jeff Shaara returns to the Civil War terrain he knows so well, with the latest novel in the series that started with A Blaze of Glory and A Chain of Thunder. In The Smoke at Dawn, the last great push of the Army of the Cumberland sets the stage for a decisive confrontation at Chattanooga that could determine the outcome of the war.

Summer, 1863: The Federal triumph at Vicksburg has secured complete control of the Mississippi River from the Confederacy, cementing the reputation of Ulysses S. Grant. Farther east, the Federal army under the command of William Rosecrans captures the crucial rail hub at Chattanooga. But Rosecrans is careless, and while pursuing the Confederates, the Federal forces are routed in north Georgia at Chickamauga Creek. Retreating in a panic back to Chattanooga, Rosecrans is pursued by the Confederate forces under General Braxton Bragg. Penned up, with their supply lines severed, the Federal army seems doomed to the same kind of defeat that plagued the Confederates at Vicksburg. But a disgusted Abraham Lincoln has seen enough of General Rosecrans. Ulysses Grant is elevated to command of the entire theater of the war, and immediately replaces Rosecrans with General George Thomas. Grant gathers an enormous force, including armies commanded by Joseph Hooker and Grant's friend, William T. Sherman. Grant's mission is clear: Break the Confederate siege and destroy Bragg's army. Meanwhile, Bragg wages war as much with his own subordinates as he does with the Federals, creating dissension and disharmony in the Southern ranks, erasing the Confederate army's superiority at exactly the wrong time.

Blending evocative historical detail with searing depictions of battle, Jeff Shaara immerses listeners in the world of commanders and common soldiers, civilians and statesmen. From the Union side come the voices of Generals Grant, William Tecumseh Sherman, and George Thomas - the vaunted "Rock of Chickamauga" - as well as the young private Fritz "Dutchie" Bauer. From the Rebel ranks come Generals Bragg, Patrick Cleburne, and James Longstreet, as well as the legendary cavalry commander, Nathan Bedford Forrest. A tale of history played out on a human scale in the grand Shaara tradition, The Smoke at Dawn vividly recreates the climactic months of the war in the West, when the fate of a divided nation truly hangs in the balance.

©2014 Jeff Shaara (P)2014 Random House Audio

The best one yet

This is my favorite of the series yet. The characters, the controversy around Brag and the battle of Missionary ridge make this book must. Paul Michael does an awesome job!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Another knockout!

There has not been a book yet by Mr Shaara that has not disappointed me! The book is another masterpiece and Paul Michael's reading is superb as always. A revealing and in depth look at the campaign around Chattanooga, TN.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Civil War buffs rejoice

Fascinating narrative of the western campaign of the Civil War. I learned more by listening to this book than I did in a year long American history class.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Historical And Opinionated

Much of the color comes via the charistics of the main players. That is, however, according to what most historians say about each. Very interesting.

Totally gets you immersed in history. Fantastic storytelling!!

This was my 6th book by Jeff Shaara and all I can say is wow. I love history and have very much enjoyed the great historical works of Foote and Catton among others. Shaara’s historical novels on audible, however, are far and away the most entertaining. His words spoken by a great narrator brings the history to life. The Smoke at Dawn is a great example of this. After I write this review I will immediately start the Fateful Lightning. I hope we soon see an unabridged Gods and Generals.

Excellent

Well researched, well presented. Jeff Shaara remains one of my favorite authors of Historical fiction.

Re. The Smoke At Dawn

Awesome, entertaining & as riveting as usual for another Jeff Sahara masterpiece. Well worth your time!

Paul Michael at his best

The story is good as others have mentioned here. But the real star is Paul Michael who is wonderful bringing the story to live. It is simply fantastic to listen to him talk especially southern accent. It is a job very well done and it has been a true pleasure listening to the series.

Making sense of this battle

Where does The Smoke at Dawn rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This is a well written and well performed book. No doubt this is on the top of the productions at Audio.

Any additional comments?

I have known of this battle for a long time, but never the details of what had occurred. This put things together and made sense of what happened. The key of this battle, like so many, was the thoughts and behavior of the key leaders, which this historical novel is able to convey very well.

An excellent program!

The characters were brought to life by the story and performance. Knowing the ending did nothing to diminish the excitement. The how and why of the story was fascinating. We all know Lincoln had trouble finding the right generals what was interesting to learn was that Jefferson Davis was much worse at it due to his own character flaws.

A very good book well read

I really enjoyed this book a period of history I did not know much about.