Total War

Union Army General William Tecumseh Sherman once said, “War is hell.” yet he is viewed by many historians as an advocate for total war. Total war is war not only against an enemy army but also includes a civilian population as a military target. The idea is to crush morale and support for the war being fought so the enemy army will capitulate thus saving lives. Of course such tactics have never met with much success, at least that I can see. Think about the London blitz or the German assault of Leningrad during the early days of World War Two, these actions didn’t encourage surrender in fact they stiffened resolve. A less known quote from General Sherman reveals how he truly felt about total war. “I confess, without shame, that I am sick and tired of fighting — its glory is all moonshine; even success the most brilliant is over dead and mangled bodies…” General Sherman understood the impact of total war on people. The five stories in this collection are about ordinary people who have suffered during war or who experience small victories magnified by the bloody conflicts they are asked to face head on.