A Fire in the Wilderness: The First Battle Between Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee
John Reeves
Sep 2022 · Tantor Media Inc · Narrated by Danny Campbell
headphones
Audiobook
8 hr 50 min
Unabridged
family_home
Eligible
info
reportRatings and reviews aren’t verified Learn More
Want a 55 min sample? Listen anytime, even offline.
Add
About this audiobook
The riveting account of the first bloody showdown between Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee-a battle that sealed the fate of the Confederacy and changed the course of American history. At the outset of the Battle of the Wilderness, General Lee's Army of Northern Virginia remained capable of defeating the Army of the Potomac. But two days of relentless fighting in dense Virginia woods, Robert E. Lee was never again able to launch offensive operations against Grant's army. Lee, who faced tremendous difficulties replacing fallen soldiers, lost 11,125 men-or 17% of his entire force. On the opposing side, the Union suffered 17,666 casualties. The alarming casualties do not begin to convey the horror of this battle, one of the most gruesome in American history. The impenetrable forest and gunfire smoke made it impossible to view the enemy. Officers couldn't even see their own men during the fighting. The incessant gunfire caused the woods to catch fire, resulting in hundreds of men burning to death. "It was as though Christian men had turned to fiends, and hell itself had usurped the place of the earth," wrote one officer. When the fighting finally subsided during the late evening of the second day, the usually stoical Grant threw himself down on his cot and cried.
About the author
John Reeves is the author of The Lost Indictment of Robert E. Lee. He has taught European and American history at Lehman College, Bronx Community College, and Southbank University in London. John received an MA in European history from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He lives near Washington, DC.
A classically trained actor, director, and teacher with many regional Shakespeare plays to his credit, Danny Campbell has narrated over 150 titles and directed at least that many. He is a multiple AudioFile Earphones Award winner and was named one of AudioFile's Best of the Year 2017.
Rate this audiobook
Tell us what you think.
Listening information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can read books purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
