THE BONFIRE The Siege and Burning of Atlanta

During the Civil War, Atlanta found itself "in the direct line of the whirlwind." Anthony Heald's narration opens by setting the scene of devastation, but Marc Wortman's book is more about ordinary life in the city as it was disrupted by war and fighting. Heald provides a hint of an accent when reading period documents about the conflict with Native Americans in Georgia, a slave who became wealthy as a barber and businessman, and those still loyal to the United States, to name just a few of the account's topics. The minimal words devoted to the actual fighting are the least interesting part of this compelling history of a city in wartime. J.A.S. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2010]