The March

novel by Doctorow

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July 16, 2026

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E.L. Doctorow's novel, The March, is a fictionalized account of William Tecumseh Sherman's destructive march through Georgia during the American Civil War. This campaign, from November to December 1864, involved Union troops pillaging the countryside and destroying military and civilian property. Historians view this as an early example of total war, aimed at weakening the Confederate economy and waging psychological warfare. Doctorow was known for skillfully using traditional genres to explore historical periods, often incorporating historical figures into his narratives.

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E.L. Doctorow
The March (2005) follows a fictionalized version of the Union general William Tecumseh Sherman on his infamously destructive trek through Georgia, aimed at weakening the Confederate economy, during the American Civil War. Doctorow trained his sights on historical figures of less eminence in Homer and…
Read More
The March (2005) follows a fictionalized version of the Union general William Tecumseh Sherman on his infamously destructive trek through Georgia, aimed at weakening the Confederate economy, during the American Civil War. Doctorow trained his sights on historical figures of less eminence in Homer and…
Read More