The Civil War

Rating:
Summary: A Good Primer on the Subject...With some Reservations
Review: If you've never read any books on the Civil War, this is a good book to start with. Avoid the Vintage quality paperback edition which is simply the text of the book without the wonderful illustrations.

I think the illustrations and the text are made for each other and Knopf did a wonderful job pairing them together. Ward and the Burns brothers (remember, Ric Burns had a hand in this project too so Ken shouldn't get all the credit) chose judiciously and well. The book admittedly doesn't match the overall power of the series but it certainly does well on it's own. The end result is a big, beautiful book you'd be proud to have on your coffee table.

If there is a downside to this volume, it's probably in the tone in which it was written. It's definitely got a Yankee bias to it. The idea that either McClellan or Meade could have "destroyed" Lee at any time seems a bit absurd given Lee's military gifts and leadership. No doubt they could have possibly inflicted grievous losses on Lee (McClellan prior to and during Sharpsburg, and Meade following Gettysburg), but that was highly unlikely and only on the condition that the Army of Northern Virginia would have been placed in a do or die fight (except possibly Chancellorsville).

Other flaws I'd have to say is the typical slavery argument and Barbara J. Fields. Slavery was a major cause, but that isn't all. Frankly, I'd like to think that the War started simply because there was too much antagonistic feelings between North and South. They simply didn't like each other anymore. Fields' essay is utterly dismissable. Her comments on the series were annoying and her "knowledge" of the war shallow. There was much more to the war than that.

Despite these flaws, the book has far more strengths. James McPherson contributes a good essay as does C. Van Woodward. Ken Burns' two day interview with Shelby Foote (which gave the series the majority of its warmth) is included in here albeit in edited form and to me, is nearly worth the price alone.

If you're just starting out reading about the Civil War, buy this or borrow it. It's worth the time. Certainly worth the money if you can afford it.

Rating:
Summary: "The Crossroads of Our Being"
Review: In 1989, one of the finest, documentary films ever shown on TV appeared on the Public Broadcasting System (PBS). That film was the groundbreaking, multi-part documentary "The Civil War," by Ken Burns, Ric Burns, and Geoffrey C. Ward. A few months after "The Civil War" was broadcast, I found "The Civil War: An Illustrated History," the companion book to the film, in our local bookstore. It is authored by the same trio responsible for the film. (Geoffrey Ward is the principal author, ably assisted by the Burns brothers.)

"The Civil War: An Illustrated History"is an outstanding book - like its film counterpart, an excellent work of history, powerfully written by gifted writers with a genuine passion for their subject. Ward and Burns have written a graceful and eloquent basic survey of the Civil War that even the most battle-hardened Civil War buffs will find a wonderful reading experience.

The authors provide a straightforward narrative of events without much historical interpretation of events. That doesn't mean there isn't any analysis of historical events, however. In what I consider an act of literary genius, Ward and Burns enlisted the help of some of America's greatest Civil War historians - writers like James McPherson , Shelby Foote, Barbara J. Fields, and the late C. Vann Woodward. These outstanding historians, and others, wrote a series of essays that provided outstanding analyses of the causes, effects, and events of the Civil War.

"The Civil War: An Illustrated History"is far more than a few hundred pages of stuffy historical text. It's as visually appealing as it is wonderful to read. Nearly every page is crammed with Civil War era paintings, photographs and maps. The paintings add tremendous color to each page, but the photographs that pack the REAL emotional wallop! Many of them were taken by famed Civil War photographer Matthew Brady. In this book you'll see famous photographs, like Brady's renowned portraits of Lincoln, Grand and Lee; and other, starker, but less famous pictures, like the Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, and Petersburg battlefields as they appeared in the days following their respective battles.

"The Civil War: An Illustrated History"is one of those rare "companion" books that not only complements the PBS film series from which it originates; it towers alongside it. Readers should have no hesitation in reading this book without having first seen the film series.

Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Primer For Further Civil War Study
Review: It is hard to imagine the United States engaged in a savagly brutal cival war. The idea of America being literally torn in two by the emergence of seperate and opposing government seems so far-fetched as to seem surreal.

Although aware that the war indeed occured, I, like most Americans knew very little about this era in American history. However, inorder to understand one's nation and subsequently the Self, it is imperative to understand the socialization of one's native country.

The book served as an excellect primer for further study of the American civil war. It discussed the war chronologically, each chapter explaing one year of the conflict. For exaple, chapter one is entitled, "1861: A House Divided," and provides discussion on the causal events that led to the rise of secessionist parties and the division of the Union.

At the end of each chapter a reknowned scholar of the Civil War contributes an essay which serves as a synopsis and conclusion of the chapter; a very interesting and enjoyable addition. Having gathered the basic facts through the main body of the chapter the reader is prepared for the more rigorous works of the academics.

In particular, I enjoyed learning of the more peculiar and eccentric characters of the Civil War. For example, Stonewall Jackson and his religious furor towards the destruction of Northern oppressors, as well as Gen. Sherman, one of the first military commanders to wage total war on the civilian population with the goal of breaking the Confederate army, a tactic later seen in the bombing of civilian populations during World War II.

Aside from the colorful men conducting the Civil War, I was interested to learn the scholar's opinions of just what the ultimate results of the war were on the United States. Shelby Foote argues that the Civil War acctually led to a more cohesive nation, saying that the United States served as a loosly bound group of independent states, each holding strongly to their independence from Federal control. Following the war, a stronger central government emerged which served as an encompassing umbrella to all states, even regaining the cofidence of those sepratist states of the Confederacy.

I was also suprised at many of the technological advance that emerged during the war, perhaps most notably the creation of iron-clad warships and even rudimentary submarines-technology that seems out of place next to the set piece battles in which tens of thousands of men walk willingly into each other's musket balls and bayonets.

The British, for many years the undisputed King's of the Seas took special note of this naval advancements. With the creation of the Union ship, The Monitor, one British observer wrote, "About a week ago, (the British) discovered that their whole wooden navy was useless." And such began a change in the balance of global power.

Although a great first book about the Civil War, it ended abruptly with the assassination of Lincoln on April 4, 1865. I would have liked to see more discussion of the reconstruction following the war; how the shattered pieces of the Republic were reassembled.

It seems that when a reconstruction effort is run well, with a genuine desire to rebuild and reintegrate, such as the Marshall Plan in Europe, and MacArthur's rebuilding of Japan, the result is often a better and stronger entity. For at the time, America was torn assunder, but within a few short years, Manifest Destiny took control, and Americans from both North and South spread West and America grew-not only larger, but more integrated and closely woven. This being a most important histroy lesson for the present day global community.

Shelby Foote was correct in arguing that those five years did bring the nation closer together. The Civil War may have been a baptism of fire, but from the ashes a stronger America emerged.

Rating:
Summary: Epic
Review: The Civil War is probably the best book I have ever read and read and read. I originally bought this book over 10 years ago. I have recently re-read it again for the fourth or fifth time and the writing is still fresh, the story still gripping, and the photographs found and used, still riveting. It is simply one of the best if not best American History book produced. Why is it so good? I wish I knew, because then I would be writting books, instead of these reviews.

I can tell you what I liked. First, the story telling was beautiful. By "story telling", I could say editing. Anytime a writer writes, fiction or fact, he or she must choice what they put in, and what they do not. To often, especially with history stories, authors try to overwhelm us with details. Here the authors have choosen the best details, and deleted the rest.

Second, how the authors write, is superb. They have a great sense of irony. Describing Gettysberg, they describe the worst battle in American History as a battle begun over shoes. Better still, they go on to show it. Now must historians probably wouldn't know or care that this battle may have started over shoes, but these authors know that (1) it is interesting and (2) it also shows that the southern soliders, who needed the shoes, were short on supplies. The authors could have just said that at the time of Gettysberg that the South were short on supplies, but the way they wrote about it here, it was much more interesting.

Finally, this book has a great caste, if you will. In this book the authors have five historians who contribute to the story telling. Each historian brings in their perspective and each perspective is different. The combination, however, is stronger then the individual parts. I don't know why the authors chose these historians over others, but it was a good choice.

In short, a great book. The only history book I know, which compares in readability, is "The Guns of August." Since that book is better known, many people may skip over this one. Don't. This book should be bought, read, enjoyed, saved, and the re-read again, and re-enjoyed again at future dates. Bravo.

Rating:
Summary: "The Universe of Battle"
Review: The Civil War, written by Ken Burns, Ric Burns and historian Geoffrey C. Ward, is the companion volume to the outstanding 1990 documentary series from the Public Broadcasting System. Lavishly illustrated with paintings, photographs and maps, this book tells the dramatic and tragic story of America's bloodiest conflict.

Like the television series from which this project was derived, its narrative is both informative and awe-inspiring. Its prose is lovingly crafted, and one can almost hear the voice of historian-writer David McCullough, who narrated the TV episodes, when reading from any of its five chapters.

"By the summer of 1861, Wilmer McLean had had enough," write the authors in the introduction, The Crossroads of Our Being. "Two great armies were converging on his farm, and what would be the first major battle of the Civil War -- Bull Run, or Manassas as the Confederates called it -- would soon rage across the aging Virginian's farm, a Union shell going so far as to tear through his summer kitchen. Now McLean moved his family away from Manassas, far south and west of Richmond -- out of harm's way, he prayed -- to a dusty crossroads town called Appomatox Court House. And it was there in his living room three and a half years later that Lee surrendered to Grant, and Wilmer McLean could rightfully say, 'The war began in my front yard and ended in my front parlor.' "

Although the hardcover edition is a coffee table sized volume, it is not a terribly long or exhaustive work. There are only five chapters, each one dedicated to a year of the war and followed by an essay by an eminent historian. My personal favorite is the essay "Men at War" by Shelby Foote, whose award winning three volume history of the Civil War is considered by many to be among the best on the subject. More interview than essay, "Men at War" attempts to explain why Civil War battles were so bloody; "It was brutal stuff," Foote explains, "and the reason for the high casualties is really quite simple: the weapons were way ahead of the tactics." Foote also discusses the primitive medical techniques of the time, and has this to say about Lee at Gettysburg: "Gettysburg was the price the South paid for having Lee." On the issue of who won the war, Foote says, "I can tell you who lost it -- the South lost the war. But I'm not sure anybody won that war. It's a tragedy."

Other essay writers include Barbara J. Fields, James M. McPherson, Don E. Fehrenbacher and C. Vann Woodward.

The Civil War follows the structure of Ken Burns' documentary, and most of the individuals portrayed in the PBS series (ranging from Presidents Lincoln and Davis to Union soldier Elisha Hunt Rhodes -- who rose from private to colonel during the war -- and Confederate soldier-turned-author Sam Watkins) are wonderfully described in the text.

While definitely not a substitute for the film on which it's based, The Civil War is a fine book and a good one-volume introduction to the worst internal crisis the American people ever faced.

Rating:
Summary: "The Universe of Battle"
Review: The Civil War, written by Ken Burns, Ric Burns and historian Geoffrey C. Ward, is the companion volume to the outstanding 1990 documentary series from the Public Broadcasting System. Lavishly illustrated with paintings, photographs and maps, this book tells the dramatic and tragic story of America's bloodiest conflict.

Like the television series from which this project was derived, its narrative is both informative and awe-inspiring. Its prose is lovingly crafted, and one can almost hear the voice of historian-writer David McCullough, who narrated the TV episodes, when reading from any of its five chapters.

"By the summer of 1861, Wilmer McLean had had enough," write the authors in the introduction, The Crossroads of Our Being. "Two great armies were converging on his farm, and what would be the first major battle of the Civil War -- Bull Run, or Manassas as the Confederates called it -- would soon rage across the aging Virginian's farm, a Union shell going so far as to tear through his summer kitchen. Now McLean moved his family away from Manassas, far south and west of Richmond -- out of harm's way, he prayed -- to a dusty crossroads town called Appomatox Court House. And it was there in his living room three and a half years later that Lee surrendered to Grant, and Wilmer McLean could rightfully say, 'The war began in my front yard and ended in my front parlor.' "

Although the hardcover edition is a coffee table sized volume, it is not a terribly long or exhaustive work. There are only five chapters, each one dedicated to a year of the war and followed by an essay by an eminent historian. My personal favorite is the essay "Men at War" by Shelby Foote, whose award winning three volume history of the Civil War is considered by many to be among the best on the subject. More interview than essay, "Men at War" attempts to explain why Civil War battles were so bloody; "It was brutal stuff," Foote explains, "and the reason for the high casualties is really quite simple: the weapons were way ahead of the tactics." Foote also discusses the primitive medical techniques of the time, and has this to say about Lee at Gettysburg: "Gettysburg was the price the South paid for having Lee." On the issue of who won the war, Foote says, "I can tell you who lost it -- the South lost the war. But I'm not sure anybody won that war. It's a tragedy."

Other essay writers include Barbara J. Fields, James M. McPherson, Don E. Fehrenbacher and C. Vann Woodward.

The Civil War follows the structure of Ken Burns' documentary, and most of the individuals portrayed in the PBS series (ranging from Presidents Lincoln and Davis to Union soldier Elisha Hunt Rhodes -- who rose from private to colonel during the war -- and Confederate soldier-turned-author Sam Watkins) are wonderfully described in the text.

While definitely not a substitute for the film on which it's based, The Civil War is a fine book and a good one-volume introduction to the worst internal crisis the American people ever faced.

Rating:
Summary: Too Breezy
Review: This book did not hold my interest, primarily because it is too breezy. It is a companion to the PBS documentary. Unfortunately, it is not as successful as the video, perhaps because it is more difficult to write a documentary than to do a video of one. Ward provides a useful description of the difference between historians and documentarians: "Historians delight in telling us what our history is and what it means. The documentarian, on the other hand, as often delights in recording and conveying the simple fact that we have had a history at all: that there was once a time when people looked like this, or sounded like that, or felt these ways about such things. The historical documentary is often more immediate and more emotional than history proper because of its continual joy in making the past present through visual and verbal documents."

The most compelling parts of this book are not by documentarians, but by historians. These are essays by prominent Civil War scholars, including Shelby Foote and James M. McPherson, authors of the most highly regarded books about the Civil War--"The Civil War: A Narrative" by the former and "Battle Cry for Freedom" by the latter.

The illustrations in this book are not as good as those in "The American Heritage New History of the Civil War," but does have more and better maps.

Persons interested in an overview of the Civil War would be better off turning to the PBS video or to a book.

Rating:
Summary: Good 1-Volume Starting Point
Review: This book is a wonderful 1-volume history of the Civil War. It succeeds in many ways, it gives a strong historical base and perspective regarding the reasons for the war. It follows the war's strategies with great skill, and it looks at the aftermath as well.

The book is a visual delight, with pictures and maps everywhere. As someone who has complained vigorously of the lack of maps in other war books (see my complaints about Keegan's World War I history), I was quite happy with the care shown in this area. There is great first-hand information on the life of the grunt. You really get a feel for what the war felt like, from a wide variety of perspectives.

I also appreciated how the political/military relationship in the Union is covered. Lincoln did many things militarily due to political reasons. Those reasons are explained wonderfully.

Two major flaws in the book. The Shelby Foote interview is a waste of paper, he comes across sounding like a senile old man in a wheelchair, rambling on and on. The other issue I have is the way Gettysburg is covered. In the book, Gettysburg comes from nowhere. Why did both the Union and the Rebels see this as a big battle BEFORE it was fought. What did each side hope to gain from the battle outside killing the other army? There had to be some overall strategy, but the book gives none.

Overall, a great 1-volume starting point to learn about this time in American History.

Rating:
Summary: Good but no the best
Review: This book is very good.

But it is not the best Civil War book out there. That's James Mcpherson's Battle Cry of Freedom.

If you want a full, detailed account of the events leading up to the Civil War then Battle Cry is for you. It also does amasterful job on the economic and political circumstances of the era

Alternatively if you want a hefty account of the battles that took place then Shelby Foote's 3 volumes should be your choice. The 2nd volume with the section dealing with the Battle of Gettysburg is masterful. Foote's and McPherson's books complement each other very well.

This book is more about the people involved in the Civil War all the way from privates to statesmen.

Rating:
Summary: Great Overview of the Civil War
Review: This is a book for the person who wants the essence of the Civil War told by an engaging writer.

Bruce Catton is one of the best Civil War writers of the last fifty years. His detailed studies of aspects and campaigns of the war set the standard for CW writing for many who take more than a casual interest in the subject. This book displays his easy writing that mixes interesting facts with a style that never bores or bogs down in academic prose.

For the student or curious who want the broad sweep of the war explained in a couple of hundred pages this book is excellent. Its all here: the orignis, major campaigns in the East and West and the politics that often defined the conflict. Strictly an overview, it is not for the serious CW reader, but would serve as an excellent starting point for someone looking to begin an affiliation with America's most significant conflict.