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Summary: An Iliad of American agony
Review: I read all three volumes of the great Shelby Foote's Civil War narrative in the 80s. This volume is yet another of his logically well-integrated, dramatic trio on that war and speaks a soft/loud pianoforte of war from the Southern perspective. It contains many a large gulp of its often hesitantly bitter, prolonged agony from the bloody cup of setbacks and disappointments on both sides of the conflict. Had Foote given us the same mysterious energy without frequently caricaturing the North to glorify the South, it, in my estimation, would've transcended all such history, narrative or not, in the long fog of peace and romancing of the war. Yet it's THE monumental work, forcefully contradicting the rule that only victors write definitive histories of war. I hope its brilliant histrionics are never misused by historical revisionists, or deter America from completing the Spartacan dream of abolishing all vestiges of involuntary servitude.
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Summary: Breathtaking
Review: I have read many Civil War books and none are as beautifully written as these volumes. I sometimes read passages over and over again. Mr. Foote's account of the three terrible days of Gettysburg is worth the price alone. Mr. Foote takes a balanced tone even though he is a Southerner. He treats Grant, Sherman and Sheridan as well as Lee, Jackson, and Stuart. This is great historical writing. Enjoy!
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Summary: History my eye!
Review: Anybody who thinks that Shelby Footes long winded plonk is accurate Civil War history had better really READ IT !
He thinks that any atrocity committed by the Confederates was ok (even the cowardly murders of unarmed soldiers and men and boys ect by Quantrill and his gutless crowd of psychopaths) but let the Union forces of Freedom fight back and he bleats that it was an outrage ect ect.
He must have got his research from GONE WITH THE WIND and Klu Klux Klan meetings.
Sorry but that's the facts. But then he IS a good old boy so I guess they are still whining.
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Summary: The Greatest Historical Narrative in U.S. History
Review: This masterful, and massive, narrative of the trials and tribulations of the Civil War is, in my mind, the second greatest historical narrative ever written, bested only, and barely, by Edward Gibbon's classic 'Decline and Fall'. An atmospheric and vivid account of the rise and Davis and Lincoln, repectively, begin the book. The nation then dissolves into anarchy, both side rushing to raise troops for the one, big, final battle. With the first battle, First Manassas, you get your first true glimpse into the genius of Foote. But this battle if comparatively small, so I was still unsuspecting of exactly how great he is. After a series of short and vivid small battles like Ball's Bluff and Pea Ridge that hook you, the first massive battle occurs: Shiloh. With this battle, I knew this book was great. The detail and action was amazing, and I felt right in the fighting. The book only gets better.
I can't really go through all of the book in this detail, due to the hefty size of both war and book. However, I can tell you it only gets better. As the battles and campaigns get larger and more brutal, the book pulls you further in. The Vicksburg and Gettysburg campaigns are among the most notable.
Don't let length deter you, get this book!
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Summary: I will keep this review simple
Review: No matter who you think was right in the War between the States, when Foote writes from the perspective of the underdog, north or south, you'll hope and pray; when he writes from the perspective of certain failure, you'll be moved close to tears; when writing of a successful army in its endeavor, you'll cheer as excitement grips you in anticipation of victory. If you're interested in the Civil War this is a must have. It gives a base upon which to prepare for books about specific people, battles, etc. Do not be scared by its length. It is an incredibly gripping read.
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Summary: THE definitive text on the "War of Northern Aggression"
Review: There is no better history of this multifaceted struggle than what has been given to the world by Professor Foote. Thoroughly researched and tenderly written. Get comfortable; it will prove to be a long read. But a superior read will scarce be found. For those who grow weary of the intellectual vaccuum which has become television, this is the tale which will excite the mind and deepen the understanding. Those who have read Professor Foote's opus "will greatly note and long remember" this magnificient achievement.
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Summary: Review of Volume 2
Review: The Civil War, Volume II, is a splendid narration of the Story, from the time of Fredricksburg up to the eve of the massive Union offensive about to be launched, in the east and west, by Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant. In his elegant (yet spirited) prose, Mr. Foote takes us back to this span of time, so that we may witness firsthand the high tide of Confederate military supremacy, the determination and resolve of the Union Government and People in the face of a string of crushing defeats, the turning of the tide at Vicksburg and Gettysburg (and subsequently Chattanooga), and with the appointment of the utterly unstoppable U. S. Grant as general-in-chief of all Federal armies, the beginning of the end of the war. I would like to comment on the hero who emerges as the principal figure in the second half of Volume 2, a hero on the Northern side of the conflict. (...) In Tolstoy's War and Peace, one of the (not so subtle) assertions made, was that generalship and military strategy were wholly inconsequential in determining the outcome of a battle between contending armies. Indeed, Tolstoy believed it was sheer human arrogance to think that one man could influence large-scale events which tended towards noisy chaos as they unfolded. While Mr. Foote's Volume does testify to the fact that even the best laid military plans and strategies rarely played out nicely on Civil War battlefields-nowhere in the book is this borne out more clearly than in the chapter "Stars in their Courses", wherein all of Lee's plans at Gettysburg were thwarted by bad luck, spotty performances by his lieutenants, and his own hubris-it also clearly shows that an able general can in fact make a difference. President Lincoln knew all along that the War
was to be won by attrition and hard fighting; he knew the Federal armies would have to be managed with a view towards exploiting the Union's superiority over the CSA in resources and manpower. In short, the country needed an irrepressible general who could "face the arithmetic". During the course of this Volume, it became clear that Grant was just the man for the job. The Nation's fortunes would ultimately depend on this man of few public words (although he was an extremely effective writer, as his war dispatches and later memoirs attest), of stolid courage and undiminished aggression in the field, and of unswerving loyalty to his wife and friends. The path to final victory would be led by this man who would ascend from failed, hardscrabble farmer to President of the United States, in about ten years time. The country would hand over the reins of military command to this man who had a simply incredible sense of concentration, and a bulldog-like indefatigability in the meeting of his objectives. (For example, consider his series of seven unsuccessful attempts to take Vicksburg, the great citadel of the Mississippi River and linchpin of the Confederacy, before he finally hit paydirt with his daring march though the hinterland of Mississippi to approach Vicksburg from the landward side, far from his base of supply, fighting pitched battles all along the way.) General Grant had his flaws to be sure: he had a vindictive nature towards his enemies and a cronyistic one towards his friends, traits which probably served him pretty well as a field commander, but which contributed to his utterly disasterous presidency. Also, I do not think he was quite as modest as history seems to remember him. In particular, he had a tendency to belittle the accomplishments of others, especially if these could potentially overshadow his own. For example, at the Battle of Chattanooga, in an action which inspired the entire besieged Union army, Joseph Hooker took his three divisions around the Confederate left and secured the slopes of Lookout Mountain in the famous "Battle Above the Clouds"; not a major battle to be sure, but still a nice bit of redemption for a man who just several months earlier had suffered at Chancellorsville one of the worst floggings in U.S. military history. But of this exploit, Grant merely "scoffed long afterwards: `The Battle of Lookout Mountain is one of the romances of the war. There was no such battle and no action even worthy to be called a battle on Lookout Mountain. It is all poetry.'" In like fashion, Grant has dismissed the legendary exploits of T. J. Jackson in the
Shenandoah Valley, the Hannibal-like skill of General Lee, and others. Still, living in our present world, where the ability to manifest "'tude" is considered an admirable quality, it has been a great pleasure for me to pick up Volume II and read of Grant's quiet confidence in himself and in success, and of his simple, unassuming nature, which remained unchanged all through his meteoric rise to fame. Mr. Foote's masterfully crafted Volume II is replete with stories of such inspiring figures-there are also plenty of vignettes about noninspiring figures, but these also make for great reading. To conclude, I am not an expert in the Civil War by any stretch, and so am not qualified to say that the Mr. Foote's Civil War, Volume II (and I and III) constitutes the
"standard". However, I can say that I consider these books as dear friends, and that is about as much praise as I can give any piece of writing.
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Summary: The War as Literature
Review: There has long been a conflict between historians and writers; Foote comes closest to a resolution. Drawing heavily from Andrew Nelson Lytle (if you don't know him, you should), Foote tells the story of The War, albeit from a Southern perspective, though not really a biased one. If you want to know The War, all in one piece, this is the work. You can criticize his scholarship, and many, enviously, have, but you cannot criticize his storytelling and his overall ability to communicate the full sense of America's formative experience. No one who would know The War can do without this magisterial work.
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Summary: SUPERLATIVE CIVIL WAR HISTORY
Review: Even though almost 3000 pages in length, this book is well worth your time if you want a well written, comprehensive, informative and entertaining history of the American Civil War. Shelby Foote has managed to consistently produce accurate and literate history throughout his opus. I have read all of Bruce Catton and James McPherson as well as numerous other biographies and unit, local and campaign histories of the Civil War. Although well read, I can not claim to be an expert on the Civil War and am unable (and unwilling)to verify all the facts and information contained in his book, but if Foote is inaccurate in places as claimed by some, he has certainly managed to convey the scope and essence of the Civil War to his readers. The book reads not so much as an analysis of a distant conflict occurring 140 years in the past as a discussion of current events that happened just a short time ago. The author's descriptions and explanations of campaigns and personalities make the Civil War come alive and become more understandable to the contemporary reader. In contrast to many histories which treat the western campaigns as occurring in the Shenandoah Valley, Foote gives equal treatment to the campaigns occurring in the western border states of Missouri and Kentucky and the Confederate littoral states of Florida, Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas in addition to the more commonly encountered battles of northern Virginia, the eastern border states, and the deep South. He even includes the action in New Mexico and Arizona! The book includes a complete description of naval action both North and South, the fresh water fleets and on the high seas. He explains social and economic aspects of the War on each side although necessarily the impact on the South was the most devastating. Local politics as well as cabinet level intrigues on both sides are highlighted along with diplomatic relations with Europe and Latin America. Although Foote's Southern perspective is apparent in his treatment of the Southern home front in Richmond and elsewhere, I did not detect any undue bias in favor of the Southern viewpoint as others have. I am willing to accept the author's claim to only have a viewpoint sympathetic to the underdog in the struggle. Undoubtedly, the South fought long, hard, and well and was finally exhausted and defeated by the the North's demographic and economic advantages. The maps of major campaigns and territorial changes are well done and save much confusion for the reader. I appreciated Foote including the military order of battle information helping to keep command relationships clear as changes were made. There are a few very minor complaints to make. I believe that in a work of this length and comprehensiveness, notes and a bibliography would not only be helpful but are essential. At a length of almost 3000 pages, 50-100 pages of notes and sources would not be too much for the author and publisher to include and if one doesn't read these normally, their inclusion shouldn't bother anybody anyway. I understand the reasons given by the author for omitting his sources but would have liked to have them myself and am sure others agree. I also think that chapter length could have been pared somewhat from the hundred or more pages included within each chapter. Finally, I would have liked to have seen more photo illustrations especially portraits of the leaders mentioned in the book. While we all know what Grant and Lee and probably also Sherman and Jackson looked like, in a book of this length and topic I would have appreciated a photo gallery for those who are curious how Pierre Beauregard, Irvin McDowell, Leonidas Polk, John McClernand and others appeared during the conflict. The edition I read was printed in 1987 so perhaps more recent editions incorporate some of these suggestions. If not and Mr. Foote doesn't wish to devote any more of his life to this book, a competent research or graduate assistant should easily be able to incorporate some of these additions from Mr. Foote's notes and other available sources.
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Summary: A monumental work on the Civil War
Review: This trilogy of the American Civil War is daunting to most people due to it's sheer size; right at three-thousand pages. Despite this "The Civil War: A Narrative" is THE book series to read if you want a detailed knowledge of the Civil War. Shelby Foote first came to my attention through Ken Burns' "The Civil War" on PBS. I loved Foote's unashamed southern drawl and his gift of telling a great story. That's when I decided to read his life's work. Foote has a talent for bringing the characters alive-they seem to jump off the page at you. He has that rare ability to make readers feel as if they are part of the story, looking on or even participating in events. The books are written in a way that makes it easy reading for anyone. Do not let the number of pages intimidate you. A book this well written is hard to put down, making a quicker read than you think. I think all Americans should read this trilogy-in order to understand the horror of that war and its consequences.
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