Overview

While fighting his way toward Atlanta, William T. Sherman encountered his biggest roadblock at Kennesaw Mountain, where Joseph E. Johnston's Army of Tennessee held a heavily fortified position. The opposing armies confronted each other from June 19 to July 3, 1864, and Sherman initially tried to outflank the Confederates. His men endured heavy rains, artillery duels, sniping, and a fierce battle at Kolb's Farm before Sherman decided to directly attack Johnston's position on June 27. Kennesaw Mountain tells the story of an important phase of the Atlanta campaign. Historian Earl J. Hess explains how this battle, with its combination of maneuver and combat, severely tried the patience and endurance of the common soldier and why Johnston's strategy might have been the Confederates' best chance to halt the Federal drive toward Atlanta. He gives special attention to the engagement at Kolb's Farm on June 22 and Sherman's assault on June 27. A final section explores the Confederate earthworks preserved within the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park.

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9781469629889

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Reviews

Demonstrating exhaustive research, abundant visual aids, and unusually thoughtful approaches to operational and tactical discussion and analysis, <i>Kennesaw Mountain</i> is everything serious Civil War military history readers want from modern battle studies. . . . This book bridges a significant gap in the Atlanta Campaign historiography [which] makes it all the more indispensable to the Civil War library.--cwba.blogspot.com

An exceptionally strong book for all of those readers interested in the Atlanta Campaign, the western theater, and the Civil War in general.--Civil War Book Review Readers will be engrossed by the personal story of these soldiers. . . . [A] gripping account.--Publishers Weekly Kennesaw Mountain maintains the excellence of Hess' previous work. It is highly recommended to any student of the Civil War's military operations.--Army History A highly readable, engaging story of the battle that has always been an enigma in Sherman's drive to Atlanta in the summer of 1864.--The Historian Demonstrating exhaustive research, abundant visual aids, and unusually thoughtful approaches to operational and tactical discussion and analysis, Kennesaw Mountain is everything serious Civil War military history readers want from modern battle studies. . . . This book bridges a significant gap in the Atlanta Campaign historiography [which] makes it all the more indispensable to the Civil War library.--cwba.blogspot.com Not only an outstanding study of one of the most important battles of the Atlanta campaign, but also among the best battle studies in recent memory.--H-CivWar Earl J. Hess has demonstrated the artistry of narrative military history perhaps better than any scholarly writer of history over the past several years.--Journal of American History Hess is one of the most prolific quality authors of Civil War books going today. . . . Anyone interested in the Atlanta Campaign will find [his book] to be the centerpiece of their collection.--Civil War Book Review A must read.--North Carolina Historical Review Kennesaw Mountain makes a valuable contribution to the history of the war in the West and will also be of use to anyone interested in the problem of generalship in the Civil War.--Strategy World A superbly researched account of the specifics of the battle that will appeal to scholars and general readers alike.--McCormick Messenger An excellent analysis of the most critical engagements of Sherman's Atlanta campaign.--Army Magazine A comprehensive history that never sacrifices readability for details.--TOCWOC: A Civil War Blog Reads like a staff ride organized by an officer intimately familiar with the area's topography. . . . Deftly interweaving his own insightful analysis with battle accounts, as recorded in the diaries and letters of combatants, Hess makes a convincing case for the importance of this still unappreciated battle.--Civil War Times The best book written to date on the Kennesaw Mountain phase of the Atlanta campaign and will probably remain so for years to come.--Register of the Kentucky Historical Society An entertaining mix of strategic plans and tactical detail along with anecdotes about individual soldiers and units. . . . Thoroughly researched and well-written.--Blue & Gray Magazine Although other books and articles have described the battle at Kennesaw, this is the first major stand-alone study, thoroughly researched and written in the fascinating and colorful detail readers have come to expect from Earl J. Hess.--Journal of America's Military Past Hess's understanding of the Atlanta campaign, his skillful use of primary sources, his extensive knowledge of tactics, and his familiarity with the landscape result in a first-rate study.--Journal of Southern History [Hess's] description of the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain is the most thorough in the literature.--Georgia Historical Quarterly

Hess is one of the most prolific quality authors of Civil War books going today. . . . Anyone interested in the Atlanta Campaign will find [his book] to be the centerpiece of their collection.-- Civil War Book Review

Author Information

Earl J. Hess is Stewart W. McClelland Chair in history at Lincoln Memorial University, USA and has written many books, including The Civil War in the West: Victory and Defeat from the Appalachians to the Mississippi.

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