Terrible Swift Sword Audiobook By Joseph Wheelan cover art

Terrible Swift Sword

The Life of General Philip H. Sheridan

Preview

Try for $0.00
Access a growing selection of included Audible Originals, audiobooks, and podcasts.
You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
Audible Plus auto-renews for $7.95/mo after 30 days. Upgrade or cancel anytime.

Terrible Swift Sword

By: Joseph Wheelan
Narrated by: R.C. Bray
Try for $0.00

$7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $19.77

Buy for $19.77

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

Alongside Ulysses S. Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman, Philip H. Sheridan is the least known of the triumvirate of generals most responsible for winning the Civil War. Yet, before Sherman's famous march through Georgia, it was General Sheridan who introduced scorched-earth warfare to the South, and it was his Cavalry Corps that compelled Robert E. Lee's surrender at Appomattox Courthouse. Sheridan's innovative cavalry tactics and "total war" strategy became staples of 20th-century warfare.

After the war, Sheridan ruthlessly suppressed the raiding Plains Indians much as he had the Confederates - by killing warriors and burning villages - but he also defended reservation Indians from corrupt agents and contractors. Sheridan, an enthusiastic hunter and conservationist, later ordered the U.S. cavalry to occupy and operate Yellowstone National Park to safeguard it from commercial exploitation.

©2012 Joseph Wheelan (P)2013 Tantor
American Civil War Historical Politicians Military War Civil War Cavalry
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Critic reviews

"Wheelan has delivered an exciting and crisply written biography that, especially in his accounts of battles, fairly gallops across the page in the company of a personality who seemed to his own contemporaries like a god of war incarnated in the body of a pint-size Irish immigrant." ( Wall Street Journal)

What listeners say about Terrible Swift Sword

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    69
  • 4 Stars
    30
  • 3 Stars
    15
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    58
  • 4 Stars
    28
  • 3 Stars
    12
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    1
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    62
  • 4 Stars
    29
  • 3 Stars
    10
  • 2 Stars
    1
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Story of his life after Civil War was better

The Civil War part lacked personal details, Indian wars and Yellowstone conservation parts were better

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Stellar account of Little Phil!

This is an excellent book about the life of Phillip Sheridan. Of all those who are attributed with the Union's Victory, Phillip Sheridan is often understated. The combination of Grant, Sherman and Sheridan proved most effective. His Life was quite impressive and every Civil War Buff should read up on him. The Narration was done very well and I thoroughly enjoyed this rendition.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

great read

well written and interesting book on one of out greatest generals. narrative was well spoken

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Very good history lesson!

Excellent insight to a historical giant...from the civi war to a founder of Yellowstone. Big book of a "little" man who changed the world as well as America.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Full of history but just a little long

I never much thought about Sheridan. Grant, Sherman and Custer yes, but not so much about Sheridan and for that I missed so much history until I listened to this book. I have really nothing bad to say and do recommend it to all those interested in the Civil War and the American West. If this book has any flaw I would say it is just a little too long but still, well worth the read.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Big things come in small packages.

Would you listen to Terrible Swift Sword again? Why?

I would listen again to follow the story with a map in hand. There is such excellent detail, it is a waste not to be able to follow it as different engagements occur.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Sheridan was my favorite because of how he handled each situation and how you could see his instinct became engaged.

Have you listened to any of R. C. Bray’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

While you think you might be right, Phil is!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Best of the best.

According to his commanding generals (Ulysses S Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman) Philip Sheridan was the best of the best amongst all Union generals, and this audiobook does a great job in explaining why that was the case. The only Confederate Gen. that came close to Philip Sheridan in warrior spirit was Stonewall Jackson

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Give it time to warm up

it really was B+ at best until it got to the point when Sheridan took over the Shenandoah Army. Then it got very good.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Oh My Ears

I know it is a matter of personal taste, but this is the first Audible book than I have found to be almost unlistenable. Some will find it otherwise, but for my sensibilities the style sounds sycophantic and hyped up.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful