The story of General William Tecumseh Sherman's campaign from Atlanta to the sea is an American epic, with elements of tragedy and heroism strongly intermingled - all the greater a story because it is a true piece of history from the conflict that had the greatest impact on the American nation and people. E.L. Doctorow's novel is but the latest attempt by writers of fiction to capture this narrative from the historians for their own genre.

Such an endeavor is not new to Doctorow who has based a number of his novels upon historical events, places, and times. In this work, as he has often in the past, the great event of Sherman's march becomes background and context within which his characters move, act, talk, and attempt to survive the experience of the march. The author's narration brings together individuals and stories from within the ranks of the armies contending with each other as well as from the civilian population, both white and black, through which the armies moved.

This is not "War and Peace" and the cast of characters is not vast, focusing on about a dozen individuals. Given that a number of them are clearly also iconic representations of the soldiers of both armies, the Southern civilians, and the freed or soon-to-be freed slaves - it is not surprising that the character development is sometimes uneven, but those individuals whose stories form the backbone of this novel are not so disadvantaged.

The result is a rather picaresque adventure for all of the characters lives are traced against the overall progress of the march. This focus upon the stories of these characters prevents the book from becoming the epic novel of the war, but it held my interest to the end, even knowing how the story ends. Doctorow offers something for everyone - skirmishes and battles; clashes between Sherman's foraging and marauding 'bummers' and Southern soldiers, militia, and civilians; slaves dealing with the approach of liberation and defining its impact on their futures; and the struggles of Confederate civilians to survive and find a new way of living in war's aftermath.

I do not think that this the great novel of the American Civil War, though it should rank among the recommended ranks of fiction on the war (though I'm likely to reread "Killer Angels" before I have another go at Doctorow). ( )

A Quick Doctorow Read: Those not familiar with Doctorow's style may have an initial problem with this book. Doctorow is infamous for paragraph-long sentences and multitudes of characters (both factual and fictional). Once the appreciation is realized that the author's style is more impressionist than photographic, The March becomes a moving picture in words and provides the reader a sensual experience, bringing the reader into the story as a participant in events, rather than an observer.

Having read and enjoyed some of his other works, Ragtime (The March's Coalhouse Walker's son featured as a key character), Billy Bathgate, Loon Lake and World's Fair, The March is far less `difficult' a read. Doctorow remains true to using words as Renoir brush-strokes, myriad touches of color that together make an amazing picture, but moves the story more quickly. The March is the blur of experience one might have had being part (or a victim) of Sherman's march to the sea.

This is a great read for Doctorow or Civil War fans.

I approached this book with mixed feelings. I've loved the previous Doctorow books I've read, but having been raised in the South knew that the story was likely to be painful.
I should have known that I could trust Doctorow to create fully-realized characters on both sides of this terrible conflict .
This is a beautifully written, important book for anyone interested in gaining a deeper understanding of the impact this event in American history. ( )

Very good historical fiction focusing on Sherman's destructive path through the south at the tail end of the Civil War. The story is told through the eyes of multiple characters both real and imagined as their lives intersect and intertwine on this march that begins to take on a life of its own.

It was a bit hard to get into at first as there are numerous characters and the storyline flits amongst them frequently. But it all begins to come together righteously despite some storylines coming to an end and other new ones spinning off. Throughout the gruesome, ridiculous, horrific realities of war are made clear in an original an artful format.

It fell short of 5 stars as some characters whom I found most compelling were dropped -- such as Emily Thompson and the fate of Mattie Jameson and her one remaining son. And others such as Pearl, who did not ring true for me, were the most enduring.

Overall though, quite good -- I would definately read more by this author and will continue my exploration of the historical fiction of this tragic, yet fascinating time in my own country. ( )

The March is classic Doctorow, starting with a notable historic event (in this case Sherman’s march to the sea during the Civil War) and a handful of historic characters (Sherman, Grant, the Lincolns, Major General Hugh Judson Kilpatrick, Confederate General Joseph E Johnston). On this framework, Doctorow hangs a wild assortment of fictional characters, who do whatever is necessary to survive under the extraordinary circumstances in which they find themselves.

The book is in three parts, covering Sherman’s progress through Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. Most characters are described in the third person, but Doctorow attempts to get inside Sherman’s head, treating him more sympathetically than most portrayals. Doctorow takes a few liberties with the facts - misplacing in time Sherman’s breakdown earlier in the war, referencing the wrong Confederate general in the defense of Atlanta, and inserting a fictional account of an assassination attempt on Sherman. These diversions cause unnecessary distraction to a reader who expects the segments involving real characters to be reasonably factual.

Other than these minor faults, the story rolls along inexorably, with freed slaves, displaced Southern belles, deserters, Army surgeons, wounded soldiers, British observers, and others following in Sherman’s wake. Although the story is awful, Doctorow is brilliant in giving the reader a real sense of the horror of war. ( )