Why did Sherman make Georgia 'howl'?

Have you ever seen similarities between the burning of Atlanta and the bombing of Hiroshima? Two new books examine the taking of Atlanta, a turning point of the Civil War. Winston Groom, author of “Forrest Gump,” uses his reviews of “The Bonfire” and “War Like the Thunderbolt” to examine the legacy of the scorched-earth policy of Union Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman. Groom says this about the destruction of Atlanta: “What Sherman finally decided on was the annihilation of the city — itself — an instructive example, as it were, for other Southern cities; or if you will, an act of terrorism.” • More about the two books.