Drawn With the Sword: Reflections on the American Civil War

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Summary: A Fascinating Collection of Essays
Review: Drawn With the Sword is a collection of essays about the Civil War. The essays cover a broad range of topics, such as the movel Uncle Tom's Cabin, the movie Glory, an analysis of why the South lost, and evaluations of Robert E. Lee and Abraham Lincoln. As one of our most knoweldgeable scholars of the Civil War, McPherson's thoughts are always founded on an excellent grasp of the period. McPherson's interpretations of many of the controversial issues surrounding the war are always logical and highly persuasive, although of course there can be no definitive answers to the questions.

Unlike Shelby Foote, McPherson thinks the South could have won the war, and points out how in other wars the victorious army wasn't always the one with the most military might--our own war for independence from Britain is a case in point. But because the North had such an overwhelming advantage, it came close to winning the war in 1862. What prolonged the war was the appointment of Robert E. Lee as commander of the Army of Northern Virginia. "Within three months Lee's offensives had taken the Confederacy off the floor at the count of nine and had driven Union forces onto the ropes. Without Lee the Confederacy might have died in 1862. But slavery would have survived; the South would have suffered only limited death and destruction. Lee's victories prolonged the war until it destroyed slavery, the plantation economy, the wealth and infrastructure of the region, and virtually everything else the Confederacy stood for. That was the profound irony of Lee's military genius."

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Summary: shameful denegration of the South
Review: Had Prof. McPherson spoken of the northern abolitionists and their sexual perversions and obsessive concerns with the same virulence he uses with the southern politicians and writers he would have been denied a professorship at Princeton or any northern school. I find him shocking and his reputation sorely in need of downward revision.

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Summary: Insightful, interesting, and educational...
Review: I've really enjoyed McPherson's Drawn With The Sword. I should start off by saying that this review pertains to the audible/cassette version of this book.

The book is a collection of essays on the Civil War. This makes it a little different than my previous Civil War readings in that the book is not "all about Gettysburg" or "all about Shiloh". The book covers topics such as the differences and similarities between the North and South, period books such as Harriot Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin, total war, the characters of Grant and Lincoln, a critique of the movie Glory, analysis of the Gettysburg Address, etc...

The reading on the cassette struck me as a tad monotone. But this may be because I just finished a theatrical reading of a BBC production of Tolkein's Lord Of The RIng. But after a bit you become so absorbed in the content -- and the content is excellent -- that you don't listen how it is being said.

Very enjoyable. Recommended.

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Summary: Not another battles of the Civil War book
Review: In Drawn with the Sword, McPherson's goal is to address several different themes including slavery as a polarizing issue, the evolution of the conflict from limited war to a "total war" concept to give birth to new freedom, the role of blacks in the conflict, reasons for Northern victory, as well as political and military leadership. Each chapter deals in great detail with these topics in a clear and understandable format. Unlike many of his other books, McPherson does not deal directly with the battle field or skirmishes. Throughout the book, McPherson attempts to stay neutral by offering evidence for both arguments. Unfortunately staunch supporters of the Confederate cause may still accuse him of bias; given the polarity of the subject, this is not uncommon.
The book is divided into five sections consisting of fifteen essays previously published. This partition allows the reader to concentrate on the different subjects offered. Origins of the Civil War discusses the Antebellum South, specifically the different perspectives that surface in comparison to the North. Arguments are made using quotes from scholars to confirm and refute the idea of the South being a separate entity. For further reference, McPherson makes a comparison between Uncle Tom's Cabin and Gone with the Wind, which shows how perspective and ideals played a major role in the worst conflict in American History. McPherson then entertains the concept of The War of Southern Aggression where he provides a factual basis to substantiate that the cause of the war lay in the South rather than the more common Northern Aggression theory popular in the South.
McPherson next makes a case for how race affected the outcome of the Civil War. He devotes an entire chapter to the movie Glory and its representation while showing the positive contribution blacks made in the struggle for their freedom. For further consideration, McPherson delves into the question of "who really freed the slaves?". Using his supporting evidence, McPherson preserves his impartial view, but finally concludes without Lincoln as President of the United States, slavery would have continued and the South could possibly be a separate entity at the end of the war.
In another attempt to provide an unbiased account of the war years, McPherson includes back to back chapters delineating why the South both lost and could have won their independence. Following this assessment, the author dissects Lee as a leader and person, and then demonstrates Grant's final victory through his own eyes via his memoirs. The reader is treated to a personal glimpse into Grant's thoughts and feelings by means of his own words. This additional insight enriches the text and affords the audience a better understanding of the historical figures they study.
Chapter fifteen concentrates on the three types of audiences: professional, general readers and history buffs. McPherson compares the writing style targeted for each audience and argues for historians to write for a greater audience beyond their professional colleagues. He goes further to argue for wider acceptance of contemporary writers who write for the general audiences, especially if their work is supported by reliable sources. This chapter, while off the topic, is of vital importance to all audiences. McPherson's points prove that history books for scholars do not have to be bland and lifeless.
Overall, McPherson's book is well constructed and easy to read. It is a departure from most Civil War books in that it deals very little with battles or the military, but with the other aspects that fueled the conflict that divided a nation. McPherson uses numerous resources establishing a reliable base for his works. For any reader not interested in the military side of the war, Drawn with the Sword gives insight to events away from the field. McPherson lives up to his Pulitzer Prize reputation with this concise contribution for novices and professionals alike.


Rating:
Summary: Great Collection from Foremost Civil War Scholar
Review: James McPhereson has proven himself with "Battle Cry of Freedom" (the best one volume treatment of the Civil War) and "Why the Fought". This book is a collection of his essays and lectures on various Civil War topics. As such, it lacks the central theme of a book. It does, however, allow one of America's most learned CW historians to range over vairous topics and explore them with his insightful thinking and clear, bold prose.

The topics are varied, from a look at the origns of the war, why it turned out the way it did, the continuing impact of the war on American society (with a nice discussion of the movie "Glory") as well as a collection of essays on the Enduring Lincoln. A nice endpiece looks at problems with current day historical scholarship and historians and is a good argument for getting that important field of study back on track and away from the political agenda that has unfortunately subverted the purpose of many historians.

This is a good book for the reader who knows something of the war and enjoys an intellectual treatment of various war topics that go beyond storytelling. An important and telling addition to Civil War scholarship that will appeal to the layman as well as the deep reader.

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Summary: Interesting Essays about the Civil War from one of the best
Review: James McPherson is considered by many to be the greatest Civil War historian in the US these days. His one-volume classic about the War, Battle Cry for Freedom, is the one most recommended to those who want the best book about the war. Therefore, it was with great interest that I read Drawn with the Sword.

McPherson does not disappoint with this book which is really a series of essays about various topics from the war. The essays range from Why the South Lost to Who Actually Freed the Slaves. Based mostly on previous articles and lectures, all the essays are excellent, and McPherson pulls no punches during his detailed analysis. For example, McPherson disputes the claim by some recent social historians that argue that the slaves freed themselves, and that Lincoln played a reluctant part in the process. McPherson clearly lays out the argument that Lincoln went to great lengths to ending slavery, and that without him it probably would not have happened.

McPherson also gives his educated opinion about Lee's performance as a general, and whether or not the South actually could have won the war. Two topics which I find fascinating because they are so disputed, even among professional historians. Speaking of historians, I particularly liked McPherson's final essay about the challenge that professional historians face when trying to bring history to the masses. He offers a fresh glimpse into this problem, and spells out the potential danger that historians face by making themselves irrelevant to the general public. To find out more, read the essay.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a student of the American Civil War, like myself. The essays will add to your knowledge, and broaden your perspective of the war. If you are new to this part of history, I recommend that you start instead with McPherson's Pulitzer Winning book about the war, Battle Cry of Freedom.

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Summary: Our Finest ACW Historian collects his Thoughts
Review: McPherson reviews other historians' arguments concerning fundamental origins and drivers of the Civil War, addresses them with insight and consideration and then weaves them into conclusions that carry the whole understanding to a higher plane. For example, his analysis of why the North won the war is masterful: Northern ability to deploy industrial and other resources (at the top of a higher pyramid of literacy, solvency and economic diversity), Lincoln's rather than Davis' leadership and finallly, generals who understood the total strategy (Lee only saw Virginia; Grant and Sherman understood the whole theater). The greatest contribution, however, is his explication of the core thrust of Lincoln's rewriting of the Constitution, bringing it (with gentle, total force of will) into conformity with the Declaration of Independence's central value of liberty.

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Summary: A Historian's Reflections on the Civil War
Review: Professor James McPherson's book is a collection of essays exploring the American Civil War. These essays have appeared in print elsewhere, and most of them are reviews of other Civil War -related literature, including recent scholarly studies, the novel, "Uncle Tom's Cabin", and the movie "Glory", which focused upon the attack by Federal African-American troops upon Fort Wagner, South Carolina, in July, 1863. These essays are the product of a masterful historian who has been able to distill a great deal of factual information, reflect upon it, and present his analysis of the significance of the Civil War in an eloquent and persuasive way.

The book consists of fifteen essays arranged in five sections. The first section "Origins of the Civil War" consists of three essays focusing on the pre-Bellum South and on how its culture and commitment to its peculiar institution of slavery brought on the War.

The second section of the book, "The War and American Society" consists of four essays that discuss broadly the significance of the Civil War for future generations of Americans, the transformation of the War from a limited conflict to a "total war" that changed the fabric of American society, and on the effect of the War on the status of African-Americans, including the discussion of the movie "Glory" mentioned earlier.

The third section of the book, "Why the North Won" will be of interest to students of the military aspects of the War. (Professor McPherson does not denigrate this kind of study, as do some academic historians.) There are four essays, the first two analyze why the North won the War and why the South lost. The third essay in this section rehabilitates Robert E. Lee from some recent criticism of his leadership; while the final essay focuses on Ulysses Grant's "Personal Memoirs" written near the end of his life, which is a literary masterpiece as well as a book revealing Grant's character and generalship.

The fourth section of the book "The Enduring Lincoln" consists of three essays reexamining Lincoln's role in setting and persevering in the aims of the War, in freeing the slaves, and in keeping the hopes of a democratic society alive in a world which was hostile to government "by and for the people."

The final section of the book consists of a single essay titled "What's the Matter with History?" This essay discusses the three types of reader interested in reading about the Civil War" the professional historian, the amateur student of battles, sometimes called a Civil War "buff", and the mythical "general reader". McPherson laments the inability of professional historians to write books appealing to an audience of anyone other than their peers. It is a shortcoming that Professor McPherson's own writings manage brilliantly to avoid.

This is not a book of facts and figures, dates and statistics. It is a book of historical reflection that will help the reader think about the meaning and importance of our country's Civil War.

Rating:
Summary: A Historian's Reflections on the Civil War
Review: Professor James McPherson's book is a collection of essays exploring the American Civil War. These essays have appeared in print elsewhere, and most of them are reviews of other Civil War -related literature, including recent scholarly studies, the novel, "Uncle Tom's Cabin", and the movie "Glory", which focused upon the attack by Federal African-American troops upon Fort Wagner, South Carolina, in July, 1863. These essays are the product of a masterful historian who has been able to distill a great deal of factual information, reflect upon it, and present his analysis of the significance of the Civil War in an eloquent and persuasive way.

The book consists of fifteen essays arranged in five sections. The first section "Origins of the Civil War" consists of three essays focusing on the pre-Bellum South and on how its culture and commitment to its peculiar institution of slavery brought on the War.

The second section of the book, "The War and American Society" consists of four essays that discuss broadly the significance of the Civil War for future generations of Americans, the transformation of the War from a limited conflict to a "total war" that changed the fabric of American society, and on the effect of the War on the status of African-Americans, including the discussion of the movie "Glory" mentioned earlier.

The third section of the book, "Why the North Won" will be of interest to students of the military aspects of the War. (Professor McPherson does not denigrate this kind of study, as do some academic historians.) There are four essays, the first two analyze why the North won the War and why the South lost. The third essay in this section rehabilitates Robert E. Lee from some recent criticism of his leadership; while the final essay focuses on Ulysses Grant's "Personal Memoirs" written near the end of his life, which is a literary masterpiece as well as a book revealing Grant's character and generalship.

The fourth section of the book "The Enduring Lincoln" consists of three essays reexamining Lincoln's role in setting and persevering in the aims of the War, in freeing the slaves, and in keeping the hopes of a democratic society alive in a world which was hostile to government "by and for the people."

The final section of the book consists of a single essay titled "What's the Matter with History?" This essay discusses the three types of reader interested in reading about the Civil War" the professional historian, the amateur student of battles, sometimes called a Civil War "buff", and the mythical "general reader". McPherson laments the inability of professional historians to write books appealing to an audience of anyone other than their peers. It is a shortcoming that Professor McPherson's own writings manage brilliantly to avoid.

This is not a book of facts and figures, dates and statistics. It is a book of historical reflection that will help the reader think about the meaning and importance of our country's Civil War.