NF The Bestselling Civil War Books of 2017

Non-Fiction

Pat Young

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
Featured Book Reviewer
Joined
Jan 7, 2013
Location
Long Island, NY
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The Civil War Monitor has published a list of the Bestselling Civil War Books of 2017. It only covers sales up to October. Because of that, it does not include sales of Chernow's new book on Grant, which will likely lead all other books by the end of the year. Here are the Top Three sellers this year:

1. Lincoln's Lieutenants: The High Command of the Army of the Potomac by Stephen Sears
2. Gettysburg Rebels: Five Native Sons Who Came Home to Fight as Confederate Soldiers
3. Madness Rules the Hour: Charleston, 1860, and the Mania for War by Paul Starobin

Let us know if you have read any of these.
 
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4. On to Petersburg: Grant and Lee June 4-15 1864 by Gordon Rhea
5. Theater of a Separate War: The Civil War West of the Mississippi River by Thomas Cutrer
6. "Double Canister at Ten Yards": The Federal Artillery and the Republse of Pickett's Charge by David Shultz
 
I read Double Canister. Thought it was highly informative on a very specific topic related to Picketts Charge. So if you want to get very micro into the battle, pick it up. I think I got it on Kindle for cheap.
 
Funny, "Lincoln and His Generals," the 1952 work by T. Harry Williams was one of the first deep-dive Civil War books I ever read. It's basically a 50-year-older edition of Sears' book.
 
I read "Lincoln's Lieutenants" by Stephen Sears. Although much of the information in the book has been covered extensively by many others, this work brings it all together in a concise, highly readable manner, and provides a useful timeline of the development of the Army of the Potomac from beginning to end.
 
Pat. I have read certain sections of Sears' book entitled: "Lincoln's Lieutenants" and was somewhat disappointed. I find Sears to have a habit of writing certain sentences and sometimes using quotation marks without using a footnote. Generally, if the information presented in a sentence or paragraph is common knowledge then a footnote is not required, however, I am referring to direct quotes or possible heresay between different officers wherein Sears offers his interpretation. I also do not like how he describes his bibliography; he does not break down each specific primary source into the specific research facility he acquired the information from. He just provides the name of the source and the research facility. Sometimes, these sources are gleaned from a specific collection. So if one likes to check the footnotes, such as myself and others I know, it becomes a very arduous and time consuming task. Just my opinion. David.
 
Did they give any sales figures?

There was a thread recently on declining interest in the Civil War and the question was raised whether annual book sales were declining. or not.
 
I have purchased four of the ten books on your list. I've read two (Lincoln's Lieutenants and All The Fighting They Want) and two (Meade And Lee After Gettysburg and Madness Rules The Hour) are on the pending stack.
 
I read Double Canister. Thought it was highly informative on a very specific topic related to Picketts Charge. So if you want to get very micro into the battle, pick it up. I think I got it on Kindle for cheap.
I got it on Kindle on sale as well. Have not read it yet though.
 
Funny, "Lincoln and His Generals," the 1952 work by T. Harry Williams was one of the first deep-dive Civil War books I ever read. It's basically a 50-year-older edition of Sears' book.
Hey, just about everything to do with the military side of the war has some predecessor.
 
Pat. I have read certain sections of Sears' book entitled: "Lincoln's Lieutenants" and was somewhat disappointed. I find Sears to have a habit of writing certain sentences and sometimes using quotation marks without using a footnote.

I have the same problem with Sears. Some authors point out that publishers don't allow full footnoting, however, in the age of the internet that is no excuse. Just put up a webpage with your footnotes.
 
Any idea why Rhea's book is almost the same cost for kindle vs print? $28 for a Kindle book seems insane

FYI Meade and lee After Gettysburg is $2.99 for Kindle right now
 
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