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I've run out of books to read! I've already read McPherson's "Battle Cry of Freedom" and am interested in reading another book that covers the main points of the whole war before delving into the specific battles, generals, units, etc.
I considered Foote's Trilogy however, a Civil War buff that I have a lot of respect for dissuaded me from reading it because of the "novelist's" approach Mr. Foote took to writing the books.
Long story short...
Does anyone have any suggestions for my next book?
How Private George W. Peck Put Down the Rebellion. It's the story of the Union Sad Sack of the Civil War (and Peck became a governor).
Company Aytch by Sam Watkins. Get the revised edition. I bought mine at Stones River battlefield. Sam Watkins wrote the most memorable (and cited) memoir from a Confederate perspective.
The Life of Billy Yank and The Life of Johnny Reb by Irwin Bell Wiley. Absolute must-reads.
Battle Tactics of the Civil War by Paddy Griffith.
Ignore your "buff" friend, read Foote and Catton, tho not technically "historians", they both bring a vibrancy to the history. I can guarantee you won't be disappointed.
One 'problem' with "historians" is that many of them are just not good writers, so you are doing the right thing to get recommendations. Another point is that "historians" generally tend focus on specific areas or topics, and rarely attempt to tackle the big picture as McPherson has done.
Frankly, there are very few books (even fewer single volumes) which cover the entire war and are are good reads.
Some single volume accounts might be American Iliad by Charles Roland (a respected historian), or None Died in Vain by Robert Leckie, and A Great Civil War by Russell Weigley (on that last one, one reviewer says "I honestly wondered why Russell Weigley had written it. This is not Foote, nor Nevins, nor Catton. A passable 500 page history, this book could serve as a basic textbook for a survey course of the Civil War.). I haven't read any of these but they get pretty good ratings at Amazon. Or maybe an old one by Henry Steele Commager (an old school historian), The Blue and The Gray (actually 2 volumes, but you can find a combined version). I found The Longest Night by Eicher to be "the longest read" and put it away after a hundred pages, it just wasn't enjoyable.
My personal advice, if you want the big picture from a real good historian, is to read the entire Ordeal of the Union series by Allan Nevins. That's about 7 or 8 volumes, but great writing and undeniably comprehensive. Well worth the effort.
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__________________
"It was a very peculiar time." - Franklin D. Cossitt
Ancestors in USA Army: 6th IA Inf, 11th IL Cav, 1st AL Cav; 122nd NY Inf; 6th MI Cav; 35th MA Inf; 100th IL Inf; 1st CO Inf/Cav; 22nd IN Inf
In the "community," Foote is not highly regarded as a historian, but if you want an overall view that's fun to read, go for it. Was in our B&N just Sunday and they were selling the books for $15 each. The $45 for the set will be the best $45 you ever spent.
When you get to where you want to concentrate on specifics, hang around. Just a casual reading of the threads will suggest more books than you will read in your lifetime.
Your "buff" friend probably had good intentions in steering you away from Foote's story-telling style -- you can't take his history to the bank -- but skipping him altogether will leave a big hole in your development.
By the way, I've never heard of someone who has run out of books to read. Can you tell us what it's like? Just to relive those early days when there weren't 100 books stacked up just waiting for attention.
The eight-volume Nevins work is formidable, but it is one of the most comprehensive overall views of that nasty war. Do Foote first.
ole
__________________ I never knew a man who wished to be himself a slave. Consider if you know any good thing that no man desires for himself. A. Lincoln
The Shaara books are fun, but they aren't history. Perhaps if you're looking for a stimulous ....
ole
__________________ I never knew a man who wished to be himself a slave. Consider if you know any good thing that no man desires for himself. A. Lincoln
The Shaara books are fun, but they aren't history. Perhaps if you're looking for a stimulous ....
ole
There's history in there ole. They get the names and faces right and the sequence of events. They may not be that high brow red white and blue tintend history you academics like, but for a young man .....
I'll chime in and also recommend you read Foote. Not perfect history, but eminently readable and gives a good overview. For three volumes, its a pretty quick read.
I also like Bruce Catton. Not perfect, but he writes very well.
Some history is extremely well researched, excruciatingly accurate and, unfortunately, excruciating to read. Go for something that is enjoyable to read first, get a feel for the whole war, then you can pick out areas you want to delve deeper in.
__________________ "There must be more historians of the Civil War than there were generals figthing in it... Of the two groups, the historians are the more belligerent." David Donald, Lincoln Reconsidered (1961)
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