I love historical context! Bennett Parten's Somewhere Toward Freedom is a wonderful example of taking a deeper look at a mostly unexplored history event. In this case, Parten is looking at the mass emancipation which happened as General William T. Sherman marched to the sea. This event is certainly not overlooked, but the mass of people who followed Sherman are usually not the focus of the narrative. Parten spends a couple of chapters explaining how the march affected these newly free people and then the aftermath of which I knew very little.

I should mention that I have read a lot about the American Civil War. As such, I didn't need a lot of backstory for Sherman and other major players. I think the book stands perfectly well on its own, but it is worth mentioning that it may lose a little bit for reader's who don't have background for the overall war.

Otherwise, Parten's book is truly exceptional. I especially appreciated the fact that Parten lets the reader feel a bit of pride and hope just like the newly emancipated people of the story. However, Parten also doesn't dispense with nuance or the darker parts of the aftermath. The Union leadership could be just as cold and calculating as any Confederate. Thankfully, there are real heroes to root for including a Union officer who shouldered the responsibility of the Port Royal Experiment. This book has it all and I highly recommend it.

(This book was provided as an advance reader copy from Netgalley and Simon & Schuster.)

Thank you, Simon & Schuster, for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

I just finished Somewhere Toward Freedom: Sherman’s March And The Story Of America’s Largest Emancipation, by Bennett Parten.

I was initially unsure whether I should request this book from NetGalley. I am not usually interested in military history, but can occasionally find a book I enjoy on that topic. Something told me that, by also including the emancipation angle, this was going to be a book I could get into. And I was glad that I decided to request this one.

This book focused much more on the emancipation aspect and on the slaves who were getting their freedom by joining the march were treated and faired than the military aspects. There was actually very little, if any, discussion of military strategic maneuvers. Overall, the book exceeded my expectations and was more enjoyable than I had expected.

I give this book a B+. Goodreads and NetGalley require grades on a 1-5 star system. In my personal conversion system, a B+ equates to 4 stars. (A or A+: 5 stars, B+: 4 stars, B: 3 stars, C: 2 stars, D or F: 1 star).

This review has been posted at NetGalley, Goodreads and my blog, Mr. Book’s Book Reviews

I originally finished reading this on August 9, 2024.