1992ref. 2337753New York: University Press of Kansas 1992. 1st Printing. Trade Paperback. Very Good. 6x1x9. First paperback printing. Edges soiled laminate on spine just beginning to lift. 1992 Trade Paperback. xii 499 pp. Though he barely escaped expulsion from West Point John Bell Hood quickly rose through the ranks of the Confederate army. With bold leadership in the battles of Gaines' Mill and Antietam Hood won favor with Confederate president Jefferson Davis. But his fortunes in war took a tragic turn when he assumed command of the Confederate Army of Tennessee. After the fall of Atlanta Hood marched his troops north in an attempt to draw Union army general William T. Sherman from his devastating "March to the Sea." But the ploy proved ruinous for the South. While Sherman was undeterred from his scorched-earth campaign Hood and his troops charged headlong into catastrophe. In this compelling account Wiley Sword illustrates the poor command decisions and reckless pride that made a disaster of the Army of Tennessee's final campaign. From Spring Hill where they squandered an early advantage Hood and his troops launched an ill-fated attack on the neighboring town of Franklin. The disastrous battle came to be known as the "Gettysburg of the West." But worse was to come as Hood pressed on to Nashville where his battered troops suffered the worst defeat of the entire war. University Press of Kansas paperback books