Loved it! Such an interesting audiobook of Atlanta and the south in the mid-late civil war, and the devestation of the March to the Sea. Learned a lot about life in the south and how, for example, there was a growing class of "free" blacks in Atlanta and how tenuous that life was. I got caught up so much in the people stories that I actually missed some of the "march" descriptions (if they were there). It was presented well, in good order to follow, and really felt like a snapshot of the south at that time. Highly recommend the audiobook (excellent narrator too). ( )

One of the quintessential moments of the Civil War was the siege and eventual destruction of Atlanta. Atlanta was a new city, less then 20 years old. In that short time it morphed from a small rail stop to one of the most important cities of the South. It's importance was due to it's rail lines that shipped materials all across the southern states. Residents believed because Atlanta was placed so far from the North, that their city was untouchable. An assumption that proved tragically wrong for them.

The Bonfire chronicles not only the history of Atlanta, but the history of the generals who fought over it and some of its citizens as well. There was General Johnston and Hood, who each fought to defend the city in starkly different ways. And of course there was Sherman, one of the most famous generals in American history. He used his experience fighting Seminole's in Florida and his past surveying work in Georgia to eventually overwhelm his opponents, take the city and make Georgia howl.
What makes this book particularly interesting is that several citizens are also mentioned. Just as not every Northerner believed the Union should be preserved, not every Southerner supported slavery or thought the South should have seceded. As the Civil War wore on Atlantans of all stripes, rich and poor, black and white realized that their location in the deep south was no guarantee of safety. They became preyed upon by alternately by lawless gangs, rouge and deserting southern soldiers and finally Yankee troops. The destruction of Atlanta was a cataclysmic event that heralded the death knell of the Confederacy itself. ( )

I have traveled through Atlanta historian Franklin M. Garrett’s multi-volume work on the history of Atlanta; but Marc Wortman’s book is much more focused in its scope and is a masterful exploration of the primordial roots to the founding, growth, and destruction of the City of Atlanta.

I have toured many of the regional battlegrounds and historical sites to discover Atlanta’s past and Georgia’s roots. Wortman’s writing, however, enlivens the area’s economic, societal, cultural, and political foundations as witnessed through the eyes of several individuals. He knits together upstart business, economic chicanery, and political strife as witnessed through primary characters that include: William Tecumseh Sherman; James Calhoun, cousin to Southern firebrand John C. Calhoun and the long-suffering mayor of Atlanta; Robert Yancey Webster, illegitimate son of Daniel Webster and clever entrepreneur; Samuel P. Richards; Cyena Stone; as well as rendering short reflections on military commanders, a few soldiers, and several scalawags.

What are quite intriguing are the inaugural travails of early settlers within Georgia and the struggles of early immigrants against the numerous Indian uprisings, conflicts and dispersals. Workman portrays the region’s early development that grows very naturally, organically—especially reflected in the maturing national political dissention and separatist fervor—and he paints a very compelling picture for the reader to understand a Civil War match point bursting in one city’s conflagration.

There are plenty of military operations drawn here, although the intention was not to concentrate merely on Sherman’s strategic military achievements. This work shows the underbelly of war as presented through its impact and suffering of civilians and soldiers. The buildup to Atlanta’s burning is considerably extensive but a brief review of the aftermath and the Gate City’s rise from ashes fosters the hopeful portrait of the City that will rise again.

Workman’s two-page “Acknowledgments” section reveals the incredible research that supports this book. He thanks museums, archives, and libraries—both public and private collections—that evidence his efforts. Certainly the 50 pages of copious endnotes for each chapter suggest more extensive and elaborate study of the material.

This is a worthy read for anyone interested in American history, especially concentrating on the War of Northern Aggression, as it has been termed around here. Now I have a keener understanding of why those Civil War re-enactors fired off the cannonade a few Saturdays ago—July 21st marks an anniversary for the Battle of Atlanta. ( )

I just visited Jamestown, both the Jamestown Settlement and the National Park Service museum,where I purchased this book. While his books certainly celebrate his own life and are selections are required reading for most high school students studying American Literature, they still truly give a flavor of this facinating man. The maps, illustrations, and text are excellent. I would recommend it for anyont visiting the Jamestown parks or wanting to learn about the first days of these Virginia settlers ( )