The History Buff's Guide to the Civil War

by Thomas R. Flagel

"The single best kickoff to the American Civil War...I can't imagine a better guide for any of us, whether student or scholar."

-Robert Hicks author of the New York Times bestselling novel The Widow of the South


"A detailed and enjoyable set of facts and stories that will engage every reader from the newest initiate to the Civil War saga to the most experienced historian. This book is a must have for any Civil War reading collection."

- James Lewis,

Park Ranger at Stones River National Battlefield


Do You Think You Know the Civil War?


The History Buff's Guide to the Civil War clears the powder smoke surrounding the war that changed America forever. What were the best, the worst, the largest, and the most lethal aspects of the conflict? With over thirty annotated top ten lists and unexpected new findings, author Thomas R. Flagel will have you debating the most intriguing questions of the Civil War in no time. From the top ten causes of the war to the top ten bloodiest battles, this invaluable guide to the great war between the states will delight and inform you about one of the most crucial periods in American history.

Genres: History, Civil War, Nonfiction, American History, Military Fiction, Military History, Ebooks

514 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 2003

About the author

Dr. Thomas Flagel is an associate professor of History at Columbia State Community College in Franklin, Tennessee. He holds degrees from Loras College (B.A. History), Kansas State University (M.A., European History), Creighton University (M.A., International Relations), MTSU (Ph.D.m Public History) and has studied at the University of Vienna.

A national speaker, particularly on the Civil War, he also serves on several historic preservation boards and has worked with the Library of Congress and the National Park Service,

Originally from the Midwest, he has also lived in Austria and the Czech Republic. Among his ancestors are several American Civil War veterans, including a great, great, great grandfather from the 2nd Iowa Volunteer Infantry.

Reviews

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

The American Civil War was a watershed in U.S. history, one of the country’s defining moments. But in many ways, the conflict is so far removed from 21st century culture (it began 150 years ago next April) and is filled with so many details that to thoroughly wrap one’s 21st century brain around it can be a daunting task. Battles, commanders, weapons, camp life, the home front, not to mention the actual causes (was it slavery or wasn’t it?) can be difficult to completely understand if one is new to the study of this war. And as one who has studied Civil War music – 10,000 war-related songs were composed during the five-year conflict – this reviewer can personally attest to the mountains of information available on the conflict and the occasional need for a tool with which to sort through it all.

Enter Thomas R. Flagel’s book, “The History Buff’s Guide to the Civil War.” Flagel organizes his book into lists of 10. For instance, the first chapter, entitled “Antebellum,” contains the following lists: “Top Ten Causes of the Civil War” (Flagel places slavery last but its influence, of course, permeates most of the other nine causes he mentions), “Top Ten States with the Highest Percentage of Slaves” (South Carolina, the first state to secede from the Union, sits at the top of this list), “Top Ten Events of Slave Life” (not a pretty picture: yes, they were considered property, not people), “Top Ten Abolitionists,” and “Top Ten Fire-Eaters” (a Civil War-era term for secessionists).

Those whose interests lean solely towards military issues -- ammunition, battles, and generals -- can find ample information in the chapter entitled “Military Life” as well as “In Retrospect” which includes “Top Ten Most Significant Battles,” “Top Ten Best Commanding Generals, “Top Ten Military Blunders,” and several others.

Each entry is composed of approximately three to six paragraphs but they include a surprising amount of information. And because the list idea is such a cleverly simple means of presenting Flagel’s accessibly-written facts, “The History Buff’s Guide to the Civil War” is an excellent tool with which to initiate a personal study of the conflict -- while being a solid reference for those with some previous knowledge -- on the eve of the war’s 150th anniversary.

(This review also appears at BookPleasures.com).

[Glen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is a book of lists, Ten of the greatest generals, ten of the worst, Lists about hospitals, battlefields, National Parks, and so on.
Each part of each list had details and statistics about the event to cover a couple of pages. Why was this prison the worst, how it began as a prison, what were the camp conditions, the death rate. The ten worst follies, as far as campaigns go, the ten most successful, back and forth. What were the weapons, how was the food.

The most amusing thing for me is that we have several army forts named after failed (according to the vignettes contained in this book) leaders such as Dix, Polk, Hood and a couple others. I also enjoyed reading about a few of the battles near where I live (Hampton Roads). I have ancestors, both paternal, a great, great Uncle who wore the C.S.A uniform and who was killed in action on Island 10 and possibly buried there before it disappeared) and maternal, a great (great) Uncle who a member of one of the Maine regiments and who survived the war.

I enjoyed this book. It isn't a story, but well researched datum presented in a clear and concise way for consumption by people who want to learn more.

[Nooilforpacifists · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a modest book, and it delivers modestly. Its best feature is its organization into “Top 10” lists. Yes, this becomes horrific when the topics turn to “worst blunders” or “deadly prison camps”—and those are, in fact, two of the Chapters. Still, the organization easily allows readers to skim or skip sections.

The worst feature is the book’s charmless writing. Oh, to be fair, the writing isn’t terrible. But it rarely conveys any awe of Southern dash or Northern industrialization, though both topics are covered. Author Thomas Flagel at one point references the “magisterial” Gettysburg battlefield, and (quite properly) condemns bush league Civil War buffs for bothering less with Western battles (Ft. Donaldson, Shiloh, New Orleans, Stones River, Chattanooga, Chickamauga, and Vicksburg). But the game-show gimmickry of list after list became boring. The italicized paragraph after each entry actually is more interesting than the entry.

Plus, his “Top 10” format forces some rather ill-fitting facts: such as the 9th most common weapon of the Civil War was “pikes and lances.” Yet, two paras later, the author concedes that (with one exception) they only were used in the first year of the war. Remind me not to take “Pikes and Lances for $1,000.”

Again, the best thing about this book is skipping ahead after, say, the fifth most common food in soldier’s fare (beans). The single most interesting fact I learned is this: of the Africans kidnapped and sold into slavery in the Americas and Europe, only 8 percent were shipped to the United States. Boomity!

[Steve T · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the perfect book of Civil War facts for someone like me who knew enough before reading it to speak about it intelligently for about 40 seconds. Now I feel I can go on for about 10 minutes, which is still not great, but it's enough to get me through a conversation with someone educated on America's costliest war in terms of lives (over 620,000 as opposed to 405,000 in WWII).

(Note: I used the Overdrive app for the first time which connects to my library card. Free e-books! And audiobooks, if you like those. Give it a try.)

[Tom Darrow · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't your typical book of Civil War trivia. It contains a series of top ten lists of all sorts of things relating to the war from top ten causes and largest battles to Civil War heroines and causes of death. Each list contains a page or two of introductory material and then the ten things. Each item on the list has several paragraphs explaining it and then a sentence or two of random trivia. Some of the top ten lists can't really be argued with like, for example, the top ten bloodiest battles. For others, though, the rankings seem somewhat arbitrary (a fact that the author admits in places). For example, why did he choose certain abolitionists as being the most influential, but not others. Some of the rankings just seem wrong... for example, Joseph Johnston is on the list of "worst generals" along with other more deserving commanders like Ambrose Burnside.

Some of the sections are a bit repetitive and don't need all the text to describe the event or situation. For example, when describing the 10 worst prison camps, they all end up sounding about the same.

A good bit of Civil War trivia. A lot of it was information I already knew, but I did learn some new things.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not one's typical read, even for a history book. Perhaps channeling Nick Hornsby's character from High Fidelity, Mr Flagel regales us with a remarkable "top tens" of the Civil War. Handled differently, it could have come out sort of dry, but he succeeds in making all these myriad facts about the CW into an interesting read. This was my recent "gym read", a non-fiction book that I can read while on the elliptical and still follow reasonably well by reading for 30 minutes or so several times a week and still keep the continuity. I would recommend it for anyone who wants to know more about that bloody war but isn't ready to tackle any of the many, excellent (and long) written histories of the conflict.

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book works for me, but it may not for you.

Flagel has created a book of lists, but not just of lists. Want to know what were the origins of the Civil War? Here are ten. Want to know who were the worst generals for the Union or the Confederacy? You can find that easily.

What distinguishes this book, is the several paragraph of explanation for each listing, and the documentation.

What I liked best was how easy it was to find a topic. If you have an e-reader, the search by word or phrase also works well. In addition, this is an easy book to read a bit and then put down. Perfect for bedtime.

Is it for the already knowledgeable? Probably, less, but let's not quibble.

[Michel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Definitely not for the history buff, who will be very disappointed to read mostly elementary facts that every history buff knows about the Civil War: the primary events before the Civil War, the events which immediately led to the Civil War, the best generals on both sides, the primary campaigns etc.

Instead, by its content, it is a good introductory book to discuss the US Civil War. However, because the book is organized in the form of lists ("Top 10 xxx", with a different topic for each chapter, someone casually interested in the Civil War may never finish it, because it provides no continuity. So it is likely also unsuitable to the casual reader who wants to learn about the Civil War.

I am somewhat at a loss to think of what the proper audience for this book is. In the end I find it a gimmicky book with little value.

What I know, though, is:
* don't buy it for someone who has been interested in the Civil War for a while (because they will know most everything in the book already)
* don't buy it for someone who has expressed casual interest in the Civil War (because they'll never finish it)
* don't buy it for someone who has not expressed any interest in the Civil War (because they won't go beyond the first chapter).

Oh. I think I know. If you find it for $1 in a thrift store (because I am sure that is where most of them end up), get it for someone towards whom you have no interest and whose birthday you are invited to.

[Thomas Steffen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exhaustive research to make great lists.

Strong research makes a series of lists resonate for anyone interested in the Civil War. It can be taken individually by listing or list of comprehensively as a whole. The lists are helpful in seeing some of the depths of different topic areas.
I would have liked more about some of the personalities but the best and worst generals caught a good portion of the varied humanity of the participants.
An enjoyable read with footnotes and other ways to connect with this most American war.

[Beau Yeiser · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book to provide a general, entertaining and broad overview of the Civil War. This book achieved my goal to stimulate an interest to read more about specific battles and issues of the War. I rank it 3 stars because there were a few chapter topics that were not terribly exciting, at least not compared to the greatest battles or the best generals. Overall, this book met my wishes and I would recommend it to novice War enthusiasts looking to generate interest.

[Presley Roush · Rating 5 out of 5]

Words can never describe the rich history, raw emotion, horror, and lessons to be learned from the American Civil War. For any history buff or civil war nerd wanting a break down of all things civil war, this is an essential. This book was clearly and deeply thoroughly researched. Flagel’s work is informative and emotional. The epilogue hit me hard so I leave you with these last words- I will continue to learn from history and remember those who made it.

[Jarred Goodall · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book represents fascinating read for a book, which provides overviews and reseached-backed rankings with regard to the war between the states. Dr. Flagel provides a unique reference book, opening up a smooth read, from novice to veteran studies of the Civil War. Browsing his other topics, it looks like Dr. Flagel found a niche with applying the model he used from this work to his others. I cannot want to read those, as well.

[Leonard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read. The Time line at the end of the book is very helpful, An extensive bibliography is also a great help. I enjoyed the little notes at the end of each entry. How these professional soldiers knew each other before the Civil War. One thing I failed to learn was the use of the Gatling Gun in the war. It was created before the Civil War, but was it ever used in the Civil War?

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting collection of history trivia on a very wide range of subjects. Because this is not a book on the war itself, nor any specific aspect of it, the reader is exposed to a variety of different subjects that they otherwise probably wouldn't read about.

[Harry Moskowitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great overview of civil war

Wonderful overview. Entertaining while really educating the reader whether new to the civil war or well versed on it. I am very well read on the subject but learned alot.

[Tonya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Still a lot of inaccuracies, but it was interesting enough.

[Adam Bricker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really liked the structure of this book. Done in a top 10 style that gave enough information to let you decide if you want to read more on a subject without weighing you down with too many details.

[Jeffrey Granat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun book

A book of lists and rankings regarding different aspects of the civil war. Can read in one sitting. You also can skip to certain sections. I recommend. Good for beginners.

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good place to begin for those who have only a tenuous grasp of the American Civil War. However, it is composed entirely of lists which can be daunting. Also, it is truly impossible to get an accurate representation of the Civil War while at the same time compressing everything into such neat lists. In addition, I disagreed with some of the author's choice of entries. Finally, though the entries are generally well-written, they are just that, short little snippets of information, a condensed version of history. In order to get more indepth information it would be necessary to do further research. Unfortunately, though there is a diminutive bibliography, the author didn't appear to use a footnoting system, making it difficult to determine where he acquired his information and the validity of the source materials. This lack of a substantial bibliography and of footnoting pretty much guarantees that I would not use this book in writing a serious research book.

The negative traits aside. "The History Buff's Guide to the Civil War" is a very compact way to be introduced to the Civil War and as such might serve as an introduction to the conflict. In addition, the short subjects might also be useful in providing ideas for independent discussions and topics for research papers. But should be used with caution!

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was updated in 2010 and republished as The Civil War Top Ten, and that's the version I read. I am interested in American history, but I was not particularly well-informed about the Civil War. That is partly because I was overwhelmed by the thousands of books published. The ones I tried to read were either too massive or too focused. The format of this book provided an overview that helped me grasp the immensity of the combat, while informing me of several individuals and incidents that I would like to know more about.

[Patti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comprised almost entirely of lists, such as The Bloodiest Battles, the top ten worst, as well as the best, generals, the top 10 battlefields to visit, etc., and includes the criteria for selection. Well researched, easy to read, would be great on a driving tour (or two), good refreshers for those of us who don't constantly read about that time period, and generally a quick reference book or an interesting read. Recommended for above reasons.

[Vincent · Rating 2 out of 5]

So this is a guide book and it would have been better had t not been a Kindle edition. One cannot put a bookmark in - or dogear a page and to "get to know the book" one has to read most of it - some parts I expect to go back to but I would prefer a "real book" with stik it note sticking out.

It was convenient on the Kindle to just read a little at a time in the midst of travel or waiting.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this book. It had the right combination of interesting facts, opinions and information. well written and covered enough ground to kee things interesting.

If you like books that you can consume in chunks, and you are even a mild Civil War fan, this is a noce read.

I give this 3.5 stars.

[Teresa Prado · Rating 5 out of 5]

very good guide for anyone that loves civil war history. Many facts that i was never aware of.. The main thing that amazes me is that a large number of soldiers, from both sides, died from disease. The conditions back in 1863 were so filthy, unsanitary medical tools, not to mention, feces and urine on the ground, lice was rampant and many, many other reasons for disease to run rampant.

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always found history to be extremely interesting. I can't believe how much I learned from The History Buff's Guide. Anyone who likes to learn about what happened in the past will appreciate this book. I give it five stars.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flagel's book is entertaining. It is organized in such a way that you can stop frequently and get back to it when you have time without losing the gist of the book. I found I learned quite a bit from reading this book.

[Lee · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty good Civil War book with lots of subjective top 10 lists, best worst general best battlefield parks etc. Also some interesting Top 10 lists like 10 ways the Confederate Constitution differed from the US Constitution. Good read.

[Carolyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This helped me understand the Civil War using a "top ten" format for a bunch of topics, like the "top ten causes of the Civil War".

[Nev Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plenty of facts.No storey

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Basically a series of top ten lists of basic and easily digestable info- most common cause of deaths, most important battles, items in a soldier's pack, etc.