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Summary: Outstanding, fast paced narrative of the U.S. Civil War
Review: The Civil War: Epic, tragic, divisive, transforming. Written as part of the ten volume Oxford History of the United States, James McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom is a brilliant summary of the Civil War including the years and events that preceded it. McPherson's narrative blends social, economic, political and military history into a seamless and fast paced narrative. The first chapter titled "The United States at Midcentury" offers the reader a primer to the early years of the United States, a nation that had experienced explosive growth in population, territory and economy. The existence of slavery in the south combined with increased calls for abolition from the north were key factors leading to the Civil War. But slavery was just one aspect of the differences between the two regions. Since the American Revolution the north had developed into an industrial economy that was increasingly urban. During the same period the southern economy remained primarily agrarian. These two different worlds had evolved into two distinctive societies. McPherson's text proceeds to the key events of the 1850's that highlight the rising tides of sectionalism and divisiveness that would soon tear the nation in two. These events include: congressional conflict and laws governing the slavery issue in the territories, class riots between immigrants and nativists, bloody conflict in Kansas between pro and anti slavery factions, the Dred Scott decision, and the activities of John Brown. The controversies of the 1850's came to a head in the presidential election of 1860. Abraham Lincoln, as the candidate of the newly formed Republican Party (1854), was elected exclusively by northern voters. His election quickly led to the secession of the lower southern states beginning with South Carolina on December 20, 1860. The states of the upper south took longer to decide whether to stay in the Union or to secede, with the key state of Virginia effectively joining the new Confederacy on April 17, 1861. Four of the eight states that were considered part of the upper south stayed in the Union. From Fort Sumter to Appomattox the nation would spend four years at war. McPherson includes the key battles and the key characters of the military campaigns as he weaves into the narrative the political and social trends of the war years that were also critical to the war's final outcome. Because of technological advances, the Civil War is often referred to as the first modern war. New rifles increased the efficiency of killing, while logistical changes such as the advent and use of trains, steamboats and the telegraph set the Civil War into an entirely different category from previous wars. Another difference the Civil War brought to warfare was the concept of total warfare, with war no longer confined to the battlefield but spilling over to the homefront as well. Both sides embraced the tactic of total warfare, however McPherson emphasizes that the northern generals Sherman and Grant were the most effective with these new tactics. The Union triumphed over the Confederacy. After the war, the nation was in shreds. Lincoln was assassinated. Four million blacks were freed and needed to find a new place in society. Southern society and culture as it existed before the war was no more. The federal government had expanded powers. The balance of political power, which had resided in the south from the 1789 until 1860, shifted decisively to the north. "Before 1861 the two words 'United States' were generally rendered as a plural noun: 'the United States are a republic.' The war marked the transition of the United States to a singular noun." (p. 859) Condensing the literature of the civil war era, which includes over "50,000 books and pamphlets on the war years alone" (p. 865), into a single volume is a daunting assignment for any historian. McPherson proved himself up to the task.
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Summary: If you only read one book about the Civil War
Review: make it this one. I read this book after having read two other books on the Battle of Gettysburg. I found that I wanted to know more about the circumstances surrounding that battle, the situation of the two armies, the generals, the politicians, and the state of the economies of the two sides engaged. But I was daunted by the plethora of information on the American Civil War. I had no desire to immerse myself in some three or four volume 2000-page work because, aside from believing myself unable to keep everything in perspective and not to get bogged down in minutiae, I reasoned that plain laziness and attention span problems would keep me from ever finishing anything like that. Plus I had to admit that it was the battles that interested me the most, and I despaired of having to read a separate book or two on each of the dozens of battles that are considered "major" during those four years. Then I found this book: a single volume that encompasses the entire conflict from its military and political antecedents to the economic and sociological ingredients that forced the Union to enter into a war that would change forever the face of democracy. And this book did not give short shrift to the battles. To the contrary, the battles remain central and are accompanied by helpful maps. I took a chance on this book and now that I have finished it I have to say that it is all that I could have hoped for. Battle Cry of Freedom does what would appear to be the impossible: it includes virtually everything of consequence about the war and continues to hold the reader's interest. There are periods, especially when delving into some of the voting and politicking, the changes of party affiliations, voting data, etc., that get somewhat tedious. But if the reader is willing to work his way through these chapters he finds that he will come out the wiser, and that the next chapter, perhaps one on the next military campaign, will be better understood in itself because the larger context has been appreciated. How James McPherson (no relation to the Union general of that name) was able to do this is nothing short of astonishing, a kind of scholarly and artistic legerdemain that allows so much to be packed into so short a space. If you want to know as much as your head can comfortably hold, and you do not want to read an entire shelf of your local library to do it, then this book is a must. My wife and I read large portions of this book out loud to one another (heartily recommended) and had our own discussions about it. We also read, concurrently, a shorter book, "Decisive Battles of the Civil War" as a companion piece to get another concise overview of the military engagements themselves. McPherson has a definite Northern bias, but he is always fair about giving the other side its time in court. It is, after all, the North that won, and our country is what it is today because of that. The South's many disadvantages were built into its culture and ideology. Nonetheless, we intend to read Shelby Foote's three volumes to get a Southern perspective. I would not have had the gumption to go further if McPerson had not made the whole terrible period more understandable in the first place. Do not be afraid to take the plunge. EKW
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Summary: An outstanding account of the American Civil War
Review: In 'Battle Cry of Freedom' James M. McPherson has written an account of the American Civil War that is stunning and simply outstanding. His grasp of the subject matter is so complete that if I had to suggest just one Civil War history to a friend this book would be it. The strength of this book is in the balanced approach it presents. There are plenty of books that are either pro-confederate and pro-union. We all have an internal bias and thus particular books will appeal at particular times. If you want a biased stance then 'Battle Cry' is not the one for you. There is no moralising in this book, no great ethical debates that must by their nature get in the way of the subject. It is both refreshing and attractive that McPherson presents the facts in a clear and objective manner. However, 'Battle Cry' is no dusty acedemic text, rather there is an intense passion within its pages that will make you stay up late at night wanting to read more. McPherson has attempted and indeed suceeded in presenting so much more than an account of the battles of the war - he skillfully merges politics, the social and the economical and of course military history. The result is an overview that sweeps the reader before it. What I found particularly useful was the account of events leading up to the war. The chapters exploring the nature of the American people and their country before the war offered a detailed grounding from which the actual conflict could be viewed and thus analysed. I have no hesitation in recommending this book to you. As a piece of historical writing it is without doubt excellent, but as a piece of Civil War historical writing it is of the highest order.
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Summary: History as it should be told
Review: The opening lines of th is work on the civil war are the following sentences: "On the morning of September 14, 1847, brilliant sunshine burned off the haze in Mexico City. A mild breeze sprang up to blow away the smell of gunpowder lingering from the bloody battle of Capultepec. Unshaven, mudstained soldiers of the United States ... (p.3). In moving, often dramatic and empathic prose, James McPherson has written a simply wonderful work of history. From the "novel-like" first lines to the closing chapter, McPherson delivers solid, scholarly work with a grace and a style that lulls the reader into thinking he or she is reading a work of fiction. It is perhaps, one of the best comprehensive works on the Civil War, (and the Civil War era) not only for its depth and scholarly attention to detail, but for its expansive readability. 900-plus pages, and it IS a page-turner. Highly recommended.
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Summary: Best one-volume work on the Civil War
Review: This is easily the best one-volume work on the Civil War and is better than many two and three volume works. McPherson blends the military, political, economic, and social aspects of the Civil War era. It also has very good chapters on the 1850s, a very turbulent period in the United States' history and instrumental knowledge to understand the coming of the war. The only criticisms that could be made is that McPherson does seem to have a slight Northern bias (although the other acclaimed series, Shelby Foote's The Civil War Era, has a serious Southern bias) and I found the opening chapter AMAZINGLY boring. Still , this is a well-written, thoroughly researched, and fairly well-balanced book. A must read for all Civil War "buffs" but still enjoyable for people who aren't.
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Summary: The Best Civil War Book Of All Time
Review: I just finished re-reading this book (first time was in college), and I remembered why I liked it so much. This book is written with such a good style and use of language, it is hard to put down. It is extremely descriptive, but you are never lost in the abundance of information. It is hard to put the excellence of this book into words, so you'll just have to read it for yourself. It's like a textbook that reads like a thriller. Please, do yourself a favor, and read this book. The historical content will easily keep you interested and it winds up teaching you a few things in the process.
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Summary: US BLOODIEST WAR EXPLAINED WITH GREAT CLARITY
Review: More American soldiers died in this war THAN IN ALL OF OUR OTHER WARS COMBINED! The total is over 600,000!. This does not include civilian casualties. This is the most important war in US history, and McPherson's book is a very valuable contribution to its record. This book explores the causes, battles and conclusion. It is a highly readable story, told with such finesse that you almost feel that you don't know how it will come out. I especially like the way McPherson points out areas of deep controversy and analyses them. Also very interesting are the changing attitudes beginning with a war to perserve the Union and ending with the 13th Amendment. The amazing thing about this book is that after 130 years, the issues are still relevant, the material fresh, and the importance of this to our own lives, vital.
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Summary: The best single-volume history of the Civil War
Review: James McPherson's BATTLE CRY OF FREEDOM is, simply put, the greatest single volume of Civil War history yet written. The Civil War is a fascinating subject -- on average, a book a day has been published on the subject since the end of the war 135 years ago. The brilliance of McPherson's book is that he manages to provide a vision of the Civil War which both Northerners and Southerners can agree upon. By comparison, Shelby Foote's Civil War narrative is too much a southerner's view of the war to be considered truly objective. While an impressive feat, it is three volumes of narrative, instead of one comprehensive volume of history, like McPherson's book is. Battle Cry of Freedom is well written, well researched, and well deserves the Pulitzer Prize that it won in 1989. No stone is left unturned, and it is perhaps the closest anyone has yet come to a definitive book about such a controversial topic.
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Summary: Prize Winning Chronicle!
Review: James McPherson's has doen a beautiful job in weaving together the entire Civil War and putting it all down in an easily understandable format. Not only is this an excellent volume for Civil War buffs but for Civil War novices as well. It flows so effortlessly through material that you get caught in the thick of the war without ever lifting a finger to the fight. The detail and clarity of vision when it comes to both Union and Confederate Generals is remarkable and the overview of battles is filled with informative data and lacks the usual trivial detail that many writers throw in for filler. Not only does McPherson do justice to the the common soldier and his generals, but the common folk as well. There is simply not enough space to go into the detail needed to describe how well this book plays into the realm of Civil War studies. I highly recommend this book for even those with a mild interest in the Civil War. It reads well and is an excellent research tool for those needing background material on the war.
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Summary: Excellent one volume history
Review: McPherson has succeeded in writing the best single volume history to date of the Civil War. His treatment of the economic and social conditions prior to the war are lucid and handled in a clear fashion. Secondly, the run-up to the war, particularly Kansas-Nebraska, Lecompton, Wilmot etc are treated very well and clearly. This is especially valuable as these events are easily muddled and I have read some very confusing accounts of both the sequence and importance of these events. As for the books alleged pro-union sentiments, I can detect a slight lean towards the Union. However, the test of time has shown that the right side won. Yes, some will hew to the noble cause-states rights line but when you boil it down and strip away all of the rhetoric and mythology, the war was about slavery and the economic conditions it fostered. Yes, the war caused extreme hardship in the South but no one would argue that the South as well as the nation as whole is today not better off due to the eventual outcome of the war. An excellent read.
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