Best book on the campaign....

[gettysburgerrn]

Is there a good single volume book on the Vicksburg campaign? (not withstanding Ed Bearss' 3 volume set)

Thanks
Ken

 

[Lincoln56]

The Ed Bearss trilogy (which you mentioned) is still the gold standard in my opinion despite being 30 years old now.

Ninety-Eight Days: Geographers View the Vicksburg Campaign by Warren E. Graubau
This is currently out of print and has become hard to find, there are 68 maps

Vicksburg: Grant's Campaign That Broke the Confederacy by Donald L. Miller

Vicksburg is the Key: The Struggle for the Mississippi River By William L. Shea

Everything listed below is not a one volume study of the entire campaign but thought you might be interested.

Any Book by Timothy B. Smith:

Champion's Hill: Decisive Battle for Vicksburg

The Decision Was Always My Own: Ulysses S. Grant and the Vicksburg Campaign

The Union Assaults at Vicksburg: Grant Attacks Pemberton, May 17-22 1863

The Siege of Vicksburg: Climax of the Campaign to Open the Mississippi River, May 23 - July 4, 1863 - Due out June 5, 2021

 

[NedBaldwin]

The Grabau book is amazing

The Shea book is a really good overview and is short

Years ago I read Grant Wins the War by James Arnold. I remember liking it

Michael Ballard did a book called Vicksburg which is quite good

 

[alan polk]

As mentioned above by some, Warren Grabau's book is beyond brilliant. That the work is out of print is an absolute travesty.

 

[Lincoln56]

This is a testimony to how Ninety-Eight Days is currently valued - going for $734.00 on Amazon and between $1,500.00 and $2,378.00 on Abe Books. Agree is a travesty this is out of print.

Perhaps Ted Savas might have an interest in reprinting as he's just released a reprint of the Ed Bearss Vicksburg trilogy.

I neglected to mention in post #2 that there is the book 'The Beleaguered City' by Shelby Foote which is a stand alone single volume adaptation of the Vicksburg content from his larger trilogy history.

As mentioned above by others, agree 'Grant Wins the War' is a good read as is Ballard's 'Vicksburg'.

 

[UCVRelics]

As you can see there are many great books on Vicksburg, Other than Ed's book Here are my 2 favorites.

 

[Belfoured]

The Ed Bearss trilogy (which you mentioned) is still the gold standard in my opinion despite being 30 years old now.

Ninety-Eight Days: Geographers View the Vicksburg Campaign by Warren E. Graubau
This is currently out of print and has become hard to find, there are 68 maps

Vicksburg: Grant's Campaign That Broke the Confederacy by Donald L. Miller

Vicksburg is the Key: The Struggle for the Mississippi River By William L. Shea

Everything listed below is not a one volume study of the entire campaign but thought you might be interested.

Any Book by Timothy B. Smith:

Champion's Hill: Decisive Battle for Vicksburg

The Decision Was Always My Own: Ulysses S. Grant and the Vicksburg Campaign

The Union Assaults at Vicksburg: Grant Attacks Pemberton, May 17-22 1863

The Siege of Vicksburg: Climax of the Campaign to Open the Mississippi River, May 23 - July 4, 1863 - Due out June 5, 2021

All are excellent. I'd only add the SIU essay collections (which include Tim's excellent essay on the Big Black River Bridge fight)

 

[Josh The Lighthouse Guy]

Michael Ballard did a book called Vicksburg which is quite good

I thought this was a pretty good book. It's a little weak on the siege operations and maps, but a good balanced read.

 

[alan polk]

SIU essay collections (which include Tim's excellent essay on the Big Black River Bridge fight)

What is SIU and where might one find the essays?

 

[Belfoured]

Here you go. Tim's is in the first Vicksburg volume (which is actually listed second)

http://www.siupress.com/series/civil-war-campaigns-west

 

[ErnieMac]

I have read Miller, Smith (Champion's Hill) and Ballard and enjoyed all three.

 

[gettysburgerrn]

Thank you for the choices I appreciate it!!!! Looks like some great books (Im not quite sure which one I will wind up with - I'm still trying to find a way to get the Bearss set from Savas Beattie without getting myself divorced..lol)

Ken

 

[Tompre]

Ed Bearss' book Decision in Mississippiis a good book, and is free online.
https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015014143690&view=1up&seq=5

 

[huskerblitz]

This is a testimony to how Ninety-Eight Days is currently valued - going for $734.00 on Amazon and between $1,500.00 and $2,378.00 on Abe Books. Agree is a travesty this is out of print.

This has me thinking of maybe selling my copy. Wow...that's insane.

 

[29thWisCoG]

I really enjoyed Miller's book, gives good explanations on how it was done without overwhelming details.

 

[DixieRifles]

The Siege of Vicksburg: Climax of the Campaign to Open the Mississippi River, May 23 - July 4, 1863 - Due out June 5, 2021

I need to place my order. It would be a nice birthday present and finish his trilogy on Vicksburg----plus an additional one on Grierson's Raid which occurred during the campaign.

 

[Lincoln56]

I need to place my order. It would be a nice birthday present and finish his trilogy on Vicksburg----plus an additional one on Grierson's Raid which occurred during the campaign.

Looking forward to this as well. Wondering what subject Mr. Smith will tackle next?

 

[huskerblitz]

I need to place my order. It would be a nice birthday present and finish his trilogy on Vicksburg----plus an additional one on Grierson's Raid which occurred during the campaign.

What book is part of this series other than the Assaults in May?

 

[DixieRifles]

What book is part of this series other than the Assaults in May?

@Lincoln56 listed them above.

Books by Timothy B. Smith:

1- Champion's Hill: Decisive Battle for Vicksburg (Includes Raymond and some of Jackson)
2- The Union Assaults at Vicksburg: Grant Attacks Pemberton, May 17-22 1863
3- The Siege of Vicksburg: Climax of the Campaign to Open the Mississippi River, May 23 - July 4, 1863 - Due out June 5, 2021

I would include as part of that campaign:
4- "The Read Horse Soldiers"

5 of books that I own by Smith. (One is open to show the title page as the front cover didn't have the title and I lost the jacket). I have read one other but do not own it.

 

[huskerblitz]

Okay. I guess I don't consider Champion Hill as part of a series, it's a stand-alone. That's where the miscommunication is.