NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
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 readers 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.
**Praise for The Smoke at Dawn
"Civil War history fiends will be riveted."--Parade
"A beautifully written novel . . . Shaara once again elevates history
from mere rote fact to explosive and engaging
drama."--Bookreporter
"Shaara's mastery of military tactics, his intimate grasp of history,
and his ability to interweave several supporting narratives into a
cohesive and digestible whole . . . will appeal to a broad range of
historical- and military-fiction fans."--Booklist
"Top-notch . . . As with the best historical war novels, knowing the
ultimate outcome of the bitter fighting is not a bar to
engagement."--Publishers Weekly
