"The fall of Atlanta in September 1864 was an important strategic and psychological victory for the war-weary North, virtually assuring that the Union would win the Civil War while assisting Lincoln in his reelection efforts. This concise volume by McMurry . . . closely examines this significant military campaign, places the struggle in its social and political contexts, and includes useful topical appendices and a bibliographical essay. Given its brevity, focus, and the author's unique insights, this readable and well-documented volume will be welcomed by Civil War enthusiasts and scholars alike."—Library Journal
"[McMurry writes] with a clarity and economy of style that provide a succinct and lucid military narrative and relate it to political events and public opinion in both North and South. He also offers incisive analyses of the strengths and weaknesses of the commanding generals in this campaign."—New York Review of Books
"McMurry . . . incorporates conventional military history at strategic, operational and tactical levels, but also pays attention to wider factors. . . . Clear prose and unrushed presentation make this a thoroughly satisfying outing."—Publishers Weekly
"This book is a little gem . . . a concise synthesis of recent scholarship, but it also bears the unmistakable stamp of its author, who manages to be both iconoclastic and authoritative at the same time. Long one of the leading scholars (and public raconteurs) on the Western Theater of the Civil War, McMurry's newest book is a sprightly and insightful narrative of the critical 1864 campaign for Atlanta."—The Journal of Military History
"Full of Richard McMurry's trenchant insights and framed by political and strategic context, Atlanta 1864 will be required reading for those interested in this pivotal and fascinating campaign. . . . Highly recommended."—Charles R. Bowery Jr., Historians of the Civil War Theater
"A masterful synthesis of narrative and analysis that is both the best introduction avaiable to the Atlanta campaign and a compelling case for its larger significance. Atlants 1894 is vintage McMurry—that is, based on evidence ranging from the broadest contexts to the most subtle details; featuring an interpretation hat is always to the point, quite persuasive, and often witty; and among a handful of the truly indispensable works on the western theater."—J. Tracy Power, West Virginia History
“Excellent analysis. . . . Raises some intriguing questions and his suggestions of possible alternatives in the campaign makes it worthwhile to examine one’s own interpretations of why the Civil War was lost in the western theater and what could have been done to rescue it.”—Marshall Scott Legan, Louisiana History
