“Lee’s army is really whipped;†Federal commander Ulysses S. Grant believed.May 1864 had witnessed near-constant combat between his Army of the Potomac and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Grant; unlike his predecessors; had not relented in his pounding of the Confederates. The armies clashed in the Wilderness and at Spotsylvania Courthouse and along the North Anna River. Whenever combat failed to break the Confederates; Grant resorted to maneuver. “I propose to fight it out along this line if it takes all summer;†Grant vowed—and it had.Casualties mounted on both sides—but Grant kept coming. Although the great; decisive assault had eluded him; he continued to punish Lee’s army. The blows his army landed were nothing like the Confederates had experienced before. The constant marching and fighting had reduced Robert E. Lee’s once-vaunted army into a bedraggled husk of its former glory.In Grant’s mind; he had worn his foes down and now prepared to deliver the deathblow.Turning Lee’s flank once more; he hoped to fight the final; decisive battle of the war in the area bordering the Pamunkey and Chickahominy rivers; less than fifteen miles from the outskirts of the Confederate capital of Richmond. “I may be mistaken; but I feel that our success over Lee’s army is already assured;†Grant confided to Washington.The stakes had grown enormous. Grant’s staggering casualty lists had driven Northern morale to his lowest point of the war. Would Lee’s men hold on to defend their besieged capital—and; in doing so; prolong the war until the North will collapsed entirely? Or would another round of hard fighting finally be enough to crush Lee’s army? Could Grant push through and end the war?Grant would find his answers around a small Virginia crossroads called Cold Harbor—and he would always regret the results.Historians Daniel T. Davis and Phillip S. Greenwalt have studied the 1864 Overland Campaign since their early days working at Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Military Park; where Grant first started on his bloody road south—a road that eventually led straight into the eye of a proverbial “Hurricane from the Heavens.â€Hurricane from the Heavens can be read in the comfort of one’s favorite armchair or as a battlefield guide. It is part of the popular Emerging Civil War Series; which offers compelling; easy-to-read overviews of some of the Civil War’s most important stories. The masterful storytelling is richly enhanced with more than one hundred photos; illustrations; and maps.
#337710 in Books 2014-09-15 2014-09-15Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.50 x 6.50 x 1.25l; .0 #File Name: 1609949854312 pages
Review
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful. I thought this book was a current day reminder of ...By Gregory S. ZyzanskiI thought this book was a current day reminder of how power can and often does usurp the true intentions of Democracy. That throughout history; military leaders and those of the highest social status often overtake people powered governments. It is a history lesson about our forefathers and their attempt to preserve government of; by and for the people as the military leader Alexander Hamilton attempted to turn our Democracy into a monarchy. This is why our civilian president is considered commander in chief; to keep checks and balances; depriving a military leader of declaring our constitution below his authority and thus usurping Democracy. The parallels to our current society can be found in this narrative; as modern day power (corporate America; the 1%; and even religious organizations) seek to undermine the true intentions of our constitution. Those who seek power or money will always try and sell a different narrative about the true intentions of our forefathers; but this book puts into context the same struggle but in a different time. Thomas Jefferson embodied the real intentions of our constitution and by winning the presidential elections in his time solidified the paradigm that people power; not monarchy or religious or heriditary rule; is what our constitution is all about. In a way; we are still engaged in this struggle and by reading Dan Sissons book; I believe many people will get a wake up call and a real history lesson (the kind of lesson few historians have picked up on) about what the United States constitution really means and how it applies to your average citizen.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. It is a good book; but it might be a trying read ...By Art RinglerThis is a frustrating book that I keep wanting to throw.I honestly haven't finished it yet. The writer injects some of there perspwctive naturally but while the letters from Jefferson and company say one thing to me I disagree with the writer half the time; primarily that drawing parallels between present day and 1800 just doesn't work.It is a good book; but it might be a trying read for some.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. The American Revolution of 1800 - Beautifully written; easily read American History Lesson. READ IT !By m.a.b.The American Revolution of 1800 - What a wonderful easily read history lesson - every high school student and every adult should read this! Just one of bits from the book - Thomas Jefferson felt that our nation should have a revolution every 19 years so that the current generation massages the laws to better fit the current times. This revolution is a revolution of the mind - thinking; educated; informed citizens making decisions about how our country should be run and lived in.He wouldn't believe that we have allowed the CORPORATIONS to take over the governance of our country - who do you think has written the thousands of pages of laws of the current proposed legislation - TPP??Marvelous book. :)
