What's your least favourite civil war book?

[wt_jimbos]

We have plenty of discussions on books we are reading and like, what I would like to know is what book people haven't liked.
The reason for this post is simply because when I am look for books to read I always read the reviews that give low scores, simply because "usually" when someone posts a review that is negative they can't just say it was no good, so it forces them to explain more in depth why, rather than when most people support a book they seem more likely to just paint on the praise.

So if you weren't happy with a book please give it a review that you think fits, but remember it's harder to bag a book than praise it, because you are more likely to attrach negative attention and tend to need to back your ideas.

I'll try and go through my book collection and find a book that I felt wasn't up to scratch rather than set this challange and run.

[cwrose]

Well, I've got quite the collection of books, but I haven't had time to read them all. There are kind of two that I would say qualify for me. They are both works of fiction, so does that count?

The first one that comes to mind is Grant Speaks (I'm sorry, but I can't recall the author). I started reading this book and decided that I should probably read Grant's memoirs first so that I would be able to understand the satire. After reading Grant's actual memoirs I couldn't bring myself to pick up Grant Speaks again because from what I had managed to read it was almost like they were taking potshots at him. Perhaps I am way off base, but I don't know if I'll be able to pick that book up ever again.

The second one that ties is the book Cold Mountain. I know that this is supposed to be a wonderful novel, a great piece of literature, but I just have a VERY hard time sympathizing with the main characters. I know how it ends (thanks to friends who were willing to divulge the ending), and I feel that Inman got what he deserved, and Ada... don't get me started on her. I just can't get into her mindset. I think that that's my biggest problem with her. I was raised by a strong woman and am therefore a strong woman myself, and faced with adversity I would actually make the attempt to do something. I guess that I identify with Ruby more. It upsets me, though, that I have a complete lack of compassion for these characters. That usually doesn't happen with me. Anyways, so that's why Cold Mountain is one of my least favorite books. I don't know if my reasons are valid, but that's just how I feel.

[Johnny Rube]

I was unable to wade through "Pickett's Charge" by Earl Hess. I made it about 2/3 of the way and became so confused (and annoyed) by the constant references to unfamiliar commanders, finding myself backtracking frequently to figure out who they were (my memory isn't great) that I finally gave up. I'll try again when I'm more familiar with the Gettysburg battles.

[bill_torrens]

My nomination would be "Lee Considered: General Robert E. Lee and Civil War History", by Alan T. Nolan - easily the most irritating book published since the invention of the printing press.

In it a slick Yankee lawyer castigates Lee for not having the attitudes of a late 20th century Northern liberal. What else is in the book? Er, nothing.

[8thvacav]

James McPherson's book Battle Cry For Freedom is one of the driest books I ever tried to read. I read a quarter way through it and gave up. It is also one sided. I gave the book away.

I liked Cold Mountain but I thought it had a very poor ending. The movie was all right till they put the sex scenes in. It did nothing for the movie but I thought it took away from it. There were young kids setting all a round me and that wasn't something they should see.

I love to read but a book has to hold my interest. I love Shelby Foote's books. That guy can write!

[max]

Only in a place or two did I have a problem with Battle Cry of Freedom. Also I thought the movie Cold Mountain was good but overrated, I would hope the book is better. For qutie awhile I've been trying to struggle through the book Traveller. Sections are interesting but I've had trouble following what Traveller has to say. I've always said that animals are smarter than people, and I think Traveller has shown me that I need more horse sense than what I have.

Max

[sockknitter]

I agree with cwrose about Grant Speaks (by Ev Ehrlich). Not only does this fantasy try to make Grant look like an imposter and a drunken dimwit, it puts words in his mouth that disparage Lee as a person. I am so glad I bought it at a steep discount, and would throw it out of my house, but think I need to keep it out of the hands of anybody else.

[CBar]

I think this is a great thread, which makes me want to defend as well as attack certain books. I will have a candidate for a very irritating and weakly argued book, Jim Cullen's The Civil War in Popular Culture: A Reusable Past (Smithsonian), and I very much want to defend Cold Mountain, which I think has been misunderstood. I will have to return when I have time to do justice to both in posts of greater length.

[ole]

Sears' "Gettysburg." Nothing new. Obviously, he's in the mode of Patricia Cornwell, Tom Clancy, and Stephen King -- never mind the content, just do a book!

"The South was Right," Kennedy brothers. Interesting for the viewpoint but useless as history.

It's been so long since I've read McPherson's "Battle Cry of Freedom" that I can't comment. But it's long and very likely has been superceded by more recent scholars.

[unionblue]

The South Was Right! by the Kennedy brothers. The book is used mainly as a sermon to the converted, not as any serious take on history.

Unionblue