The Fateful Lightning: A Novel of the Civil War (Civil War

1861-1865, Western Theater, #4)

Jeff Shaara | 4.45 | 2,530 ratings and reviews

Ranked #67 in Civil War

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

From Jeff Shaara comes the riveting final installment in the Civil War series that began with A Blaze of Glory and continued in A Chain of Thunder and The Smoke at Dawn.

November 1864: As the Civil War rolls into its fourth bloody year, the tide has turned decidedly in favor of the Union. A grateful Abraham Lincoln responds to Ulysses S. Grant’s successes by bringing the general east, promoting Grant to command the entire Union war effort, while William Tecumseh Sherman now directs the Federal forces that occupy all of Tennessee.

In a massive surge southward, Sherman conquers the city of Atlanta, sweeping aside the Confederate army under the inept leadership of General John Bell Hood. Pushing through northern Georgia, Sherman’s legendary “March to the Sea” shoves away any Rebel presence, and by Christmas 1864 the city of Savannah falls into the hands of “Uncle Billy.” Now there is but one direction for Sherman to go. In his way stands the last great hope for the Southern cause, General Joseph E. Johnston.

In the concluding novel of his epic Civil War tetralogy, Jeff Shaara tells the dramatic story of the final eight months of battle from multiple perspectives: the commanders in their tents making plans for total victory, as well as the ordinary foot soldiers and cavalrymen who carried out their orders until the last alarum sounded. Through Sherman’s eyes, we gain insight into the mind of the general who vowed to “make Georgia howl” until it surrendered. In Johnston, we see a man agonizing over the limits of his army’s power, and accepting the burden of leading the last desperate effort to ensure the survival of the Confederacy.

The Civil War did not end quietly. It climaxed in a storm of fury that lay waste to everything in its path. The Fateful Lightning brings to life those final brutal, bloody months of fighting with you-are-there immediacy, grounded in the meticulous research that readers have come to expect from Jeff Shaara.

Praise for Jeff Shaara’s new Civil War series

The Fateful Lightning

“Outstanding . . . Shaara combines his extensive knowledge of military history with his consummate skill as a storyteller to vivify [Sherman’s March to the Sea]. . . . The Union and Confederate strategies, tactics, and points of view are both represented, providing a measure of balance and clarity to a campaign that is often viewed through a lopsided lens. By concentrating on the western theater throughout this series, Shaara has opened a welcome literary window to some of the less familiar Civil War battles and campaigns.”—Booklist

A Blaze of Glory

“[An] exciting read . . . This novel is meticulously researched and brings a vivid reality to the historical events depicted.”—Library Journal

“Dynamic portrayals [of] Johnston, Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman.” —The Wall Street Journal

A Chain of Thunder

“Shaara continues to draw powerful novels from the bloody history of the Civil War.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Shaara’s historical accuracy is faultless. . . . The voices of these people come across to the reader as poignantly clear as they did 150 years ago.” —Historical Novels Review

The Smoke at Dawn

“Beautifully written . . . Shaara once again elevates history from mere rote fact to explosive and engaging drama.”—Bookreporter

From the Hardcover edition. less

Buy on Amazon

Similar Books

If you like The Fateful Lightning: A Novel of the Civil War (Civil War, check out these similar top-rated books:

Learn: What makes Shortform summaries the best in the world?

Learn More