OT: Civil War-- Recommend Me Some Books

J

Josh Feltman

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Feb 12, 2001
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Well, I managed to make it all the way through school without any interest in the Civil War whatsoever. Probably had something to do with the fact that my father is a Civil War buff and always tried to force me to become interested in it. Well, the college where I teach is hosting a Civil War reenactment this weekend, and I find myself interested in learning a bit more after all these years. Can anyone recommend some good books covering the general history of the war?

Thanks in advance,
--Josh
 
Gore Vidal's LINCOLN is the very best historical novel I've ever read.

And, it is about the Civil War (talk about an oxymoron.) It may not be of help in reinactment inquiries, though.
 
Shelby Foot has an excellent 3 volume history on the war. You may also want to check out Ken Burn's documentary on the Civil War.

n2s
 
Bruce Catton's "A Stillness At Appomattox" is very well written. His other Civil War books are also highly recommended by others, but I haven't read them ("Glory Road", "Mr. Lincoln's Army"). "Stillness" is the 3rd in that trilogy. He also wrote another Civil War trilogy: "Coming Fury", "Terrible Swift Sword", "Never Call Retreat", also no personnal experience therewith.
 
Well, I ended up doing a little more online research, and I picked up a copy of James McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era at the local used bookstore for $6. It came highly recommended as a beginner's book. They has a copy of Shelby Foote's The Civil War: A Narrative, but it was in pretty ratty condition-- I may pick it up later depending on how I like the McPherson book. They also had some of Catton's books, so I have plenty of reading to keep me busy for a while. Thanks for the suggestions!
--Josh
 
Josh,
The Shelby Foote trilogy is outstanding it's full of little known facts type stories. Also "Mosby's Rangers" by Jeffry D. Wert and "Lee Takes Command" by Dowdey are outsatnding books also. Finally "The Twentieth Maine" By John J. Pullen is a great book when you can find a copy. Enjoy!
Mike
 
What if, through the battle of Gettyburg, Lee lost a greater percentage of his army than the Union forces opposing with only the exception of the utter stupidity of Fredericksburg? But that is what Lee did. From the slaughter on the Peninsula (When "Little Mac" just wanted to get away.) to the insanity of third day at Gettysburg (It wasn't even close. Meade never had to even move his reserve corp or reserve artillery.), the cult of attack ("moral ascendancy" of the attacker, and all that) drove Lee, like it drove the French generals in 1914. He even wanted to attack the day after he was nearly wiped out at Sharpsburg (Only the pleas of his generals stopped him from finishing the war there and then -- with a total Union victory even "Little Mac" could not have avoided.) Read the hard numbers - and the culteral drivers - in McWhiney and Jamieson, Attack and Die, University of Alabama (yes!) Press, 1982. Start with fewer human resources, use them up like the supply is boundless, and 20% - or more - of your army is under 18 by July, 1963 and you have only scraps by 1865.
 
Can anyone recommend some good books covering the general history of the war?
Click to expand...
The Civil War, An Illustrated History, by Geoffrey C. Ward with Ric Burns and Ken Burns (the large paperback version of Ken Burns' great PBS miniseries);
The American Heritage Picture History of the Civil War, By the Editors of AMERICAN HERITAGE The Magazine of History
Both should be available at used book stores for very reasonable prices. Like any other war, reading about the Civil War in text is no substitute for seeing the actual thing through the eyes of those who were there with pen or camera.
 
James McPhersons book, "The Battle Cry Of Freedom" is considered possibly the best single volume history of the war. I loved it!!! I would highly recommend it to anyone beginning a search for knowledge of that time in history.
 
There is also another book on Lincoln that's a good one. I can't remember the author but the title is, "With Malice Towards None."
 
I'll throw in another vote for Shelby Foot's books. Other than being very thurough, they were somewhat remarkable (to me, at least) in that they were not only informative but readable. :)
 
I found "The Personal Memoires of Ulysses S. Grant" to be a good inside story on all this. The whole thing was a very sad deal with no good solution, and ultimately a rather incomplete one. Your opinion of Grant will be different after this book - not necessarily better but different from historical depictions and certainly the black and white pictures of him. He was a very articulate man.
 
I haven't read it, but I've been told the book on General Standwatie, the Cherokee General, and the Civil War is pretty good. IIRC General Standwatie was the last Confederate General to surrender?
 
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