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Summary: The Telling Of History At Its Best
Review: "Battle Cry of Freedom" is a skillfully researched and masterfully written historical treatment of the American Civil War, which ranks (alongside the Revolutionary War and the Great Depression) as one of the great turning points in U.S. History. Before the Civil War, Americans spoke of the United States in the plural (e.g., "The United States are comprised of several states."). After the Civil War, Americans began, for the first time, to speak of the United States in the singular (e.g., "The United States of American is a world power."). The tortured years that essentially created a new country and set America on a path toward industrial leadership and truer democracy requires a retelling by a great writer who has done his homework. James McPherson proves, in this volume, to be that kind of author. Despite its length, the book is a remarkably quick read; it is a history book that cannot be put down once started.There are other books on the Civil War, many of them great ones. But if I had to recommend one book that treats all of the issues fairly, that gives all of the war's (and the era's) heroes and scoundrels, tragedies and triumphs, their due, it is this one. Buy it; read it; keep it in your home library.
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Summary: Why Southern Apologists Dislike This Book
Review: This is an extraordinary work and it remains, over a decade since it first appeared, the single best one-volume history of the Civil War: the central event in American history. It is striking, though not surprising, that this book still attracts criticism from some who deny -- even in the face of overwhelming evidence -- that slavery was *the* critical issue in the Civil War. Directly or indirectly each soldier in the Confederate Army fought to defend the institution of human slavery. Thus, they were the enemies of both democracy and human freedom. I would suggest that critics of this interpretation conduct careful research that includes the Constitution of the Confederate States of America and the papers of Jefferson Davis, Alexander Stephens, and Abraham Lincoln on the subject. Each clearly states that slavery was the central issue of the conflict. Even if the white soldiers fighting for the Confederacy did not own slaves themselves they were part of a social order (the "southern way of life" is the common euphamism) based on human slavery. They were deeply invested in its continuation no matter how cruel or brutal it was in practice. How invested were they? These men either owned slaves, hoped to own slaves, were related to men and women who owned slaves, or protected the system (even at the risk of their lives) so that they would not have to *compete* with black labor on an equal basis. Every white who fought for the Confederate States of America benefitted from this system and knew precisely what they were fighting for. To insist on anything else presumes that these men were close to completely ignorant of the basic facts of their lives. None of them was set so far apart from the slave system that it was foreign to them. Anyone who believes otherwise is more interested in upholding biased and condescending myths of the South than with confronting historic truths.
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Summary: The best one volume treatment of the Civil War
Review: The title says it all. Much better, in my opinion, than Shelby Foote's 3 volumes.
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Summary: The most accurate account on the civil war
Review: There are thousands of books about the american civil war, and this is undoubtedly the best. Detailed, yet extremely readable and highly recommended for any civil war buff. Go get it!
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Summary: WOnderful, Wonderful Book
Review: As part of the required reading for a Civil War course at UCLA, I had to read this book from one end to the other. I LOVED IT! "Battle Cry of Freedom " is such a wonderful book. I couldn't put it down. I've read other books on the Civil War; but I enjoyed James McPherson's book most -by far. His writing style captivates his reader. I found myself reading ahead of the class assignments. As an added bonus, Professor McPherson guest lectured and I was able to ask him to sign my copy of his book. Battle Cry of Freedom should be the standard textbook for all Civil War courses.
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Summary: Single volume but thorough
Review: I am not American but I found this single volume history of the Civil War very informative. James McPherson skilfully compresses a narrative of the conflict and discussion of the causes of the War into a single volume without losing any intellectual rigour. I found the authors ability to interweave his analysis of the military campaigns with the political machinations in the North and South particularly interesting. There is also fairly detailed explanation and comment on the causes of the War in the 1850's, of the rise of the Republican Party and the schism over slavery. A very good history of the civil war that is succinct without being lightweight.
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Summary: A Vague Overview
Review: I wanted to read more about the Civil War after reading "Cold Mountain" by Frazier. I was hoping to get a better feel of the Southern perspective other than the information force-fed to me in school. However, I still feel this was very pro-North and not as rounded as I had hoped. Mr. McPherson does an excellent job leading to the how but I wanted more of the why. In addition, he has a tendency to jump years which can be confusing if you are looking for something with a straight timeline. I would still recommend it if you are not looking for a specific classification within the CW, but a generalized overview of the events. Of the entire book, the item most interesting to me is the international arena and how they viewed the war.
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Summary: The best one volume history of the Civil War.
Review: This is the best single volume history of the Civil War you can find. It contains all of the requisite dates and facts but the best thing about it is its readability. In Mr. McPherson's hands the material that you dreaded in high school becomes fasinating. This is the first book I read on the subject and still one of the very best.
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Summary: A truly enthralling single volume history
Review: Because of his two great trilogies, Bruce Catton has been my favorite Civil War historian. Along with Foote and Nevins, multi-volume works have set the standard for excellence in histories of the great conflict between the states. James McPherson's one volume history has joined these others as a great classic in Civil War literature. True, Catton authored "This Hallowed Ground." but the multi-volume works are what made him the great historian he was. McPherson joined the ranks of greatness in just one magnificent volume. He covers so much within just two covers. The first 250 pages or so covers the coming of the war....prior to Ft. Sumter. There is less military history than in other classics because he ao wonderfully covers social and political history of the era. Nonetheless, there is sufficient military history to make the work comprehensive. However, I recommend a Catton trilogy (out of print thus you must purchase second hand) or Foote, in conjunction with McPherson, to get a full understanding of military events. The book is informative, readable and (I believe) accurate. I recommend it without reservation.
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Summary: Great place to start for Civil War rookies
Review: I had never taken a course on the Civil War and most the books I read focused narrowly on a particular battle or general. Battle Cry of Freedom was a highly readable, vastly entertaining introduction to the "Big Picture" of the Civil War era. McPherson allows the reader to see the forest through the trees, so to speak. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, particularly anyone who is intimidated by the vast amounts of literature available on the topic and is looking for a well balanced and thorough introduction.
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