Nope.Dare I mention Jeff Shaara's books?
A very good option for a beginner would be the Time-Life Civil War multi-volume series. It can be purchased used on Amazon and e-Bay.Hi,I have read very little on some Civil War Generals but haven't read much on the Civil War.I am hoping that some of you can give me some good ideas for starting out on what to read on the war.
I don't want to start anything, but don't all decent modern authors have a "modern bias"? All author's bring their personal baggage to their writing. I wouldn't give a nickel for a totally dry, factual, strictly academic account of the war without the seasoning of personal insight by a well-trained author. That's part of the reason we pay the big buckd for their books - their educated, trained insight into events. I will take McPherson over Hansen any day, warts and all.Lots of modern bias in a lot of intro/one volume books regarding the ACW. McPherson is one of the worst offenders, btw...
Harry Hansen's The Civil War: A History, is about as good as it gets in an intro book single volume. That's the one I always recommend. He stays with the facts and does not demonize.
I don't want to start anything, but don't all decent modern authors have a "modern bias"? All author's bring their personal baggage to their writing. I wouldn't give a nickel for a totally dry, factual, strictly academic account of the war without the seasoning of personal insight by a well-trained author. That's part of the reason we pay the big buckd for their books - their educated, trained insight into events. I will take McPherson over Hansen any day, warts and all.
Except, apparently, for James M. McPherson. Hmm?There is no "right" or "wrong" in History. No "good guys" or "bad guys".
Except, apparently, for James M. McPherson. Hmm?
Ah - I wonder what he won the Pulitzer Prize for. Wonder how he got a PhD. in History from Johns-Hopkins under no less an authority than C. Vann Woodward. Wonder how he got a professorship in American History at Princeton. Wonder how he got to be president of The American Historical Society. Just lucky I guess. I wonder what you consider a historical person. Your man, Harry Hansen, had a PhD in English - not history, and was a newspaper reporter who wrote exactly one book on the Civil War. He wrote several guide pamphlets for various states and wrote 12 non-fiction books on 11 different subjects, only one of which was on the Civil War. Who would an objective person find the greater authority on Civil War history, McPherson or Hansen? You obviously have an animus against McPherson based on what, I don't know. But your own bias disqualifies you as any kind of authority on Civil War historians. Do you like the books of Bruce Catton and Douglas Southall Freeman? They were both , like Hansen, reporters who, after journalism, immersed themselves in Civil War history and wrote some great history - replete, like McPherson, with their modern biases.If he were a historical person...