The American Civil War

by Winston S. Churchill

Retells the story of the conflict from the attack at Fort Sumter to the surrender at Appomattox

Genres: History, American Civil War, Nonfiction, American History

145 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1961

About the author

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill, politician and writer, as prime minister from 1940 to 1945 and from 1951 to 1955 led Great Britain, published several works, including The Second World War from 1948 to 1953, and then won the Nobel Prize for literature.

William Maxwell Aitken, first baron Beaverbrook, held many cabinet positions during the 1940s as a confidant of Churchill.

Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, FRS, PC (Can), served the United Kingdom again. A noted statesman, orator and strategist, Churchill also served as an officer in the Army. This prolific author "for his mastery of historical and biographical description as well as for brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values."

Out of respect for Winston_Churchill, the well-known American author, Winston S. Churchill offered to use his middle initial as an author.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winston...

Reviews

[Noah · Rating 4 out of 5]

As expected, Churchill writes like a journalist, concise, fast paced and easy to follow. This brief history of the American civil war - an excerpt from the history of the English speaking nations - doesn't add anything new beyond what you can find in any other history book about that time. However the interesting point is that it was written in 1939, just before the beginning of Word War II and Churchill's first term as prime minister. He extensively passes judgement on the qualities of various generals and on the strategies a leading politician should use to chose and lead military leaders (in this Jefferson Davies fares much better than Lincoln). In a sense this preempts Churchill's civil and military leadership in world war II and this is what makes this little volume so fascinating.

[Kyle Sargent · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a delightful little summary of the Civil War by an inconspicuous author. It’s fun to read it out loud in Churchill’s voice from time to time. Churchill every once in a while ties in one of the events to England, and compares certain aspects to the Napoleonic Wars; for instance, he compares Pickett’s Charge to the Battle of Waterloo: “In splendid array, all their battle flags flying, the forlorn assault marched on. But, like the Old Guard on the evening in Waterloo, they faced odds and metal beyond the virtue of mortals.”

This book does serve as a quick high level summary of all the important battles and events from the conflict.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

Those who have delved deeply into the American Civil War, as in reading Shelby Foote’s three volume series, will find this a bit superficial. But nevertheless it is a worthy read, and Sir Winston’s comparisons to European conflicts adds a nice perspective.

[Terry · Rating 3 out of 5]

Originally a part if his History of the English Speaking People's, this gives a brief overview of the Civil War. He sees Lee and the military hero, and Lincoln as the political hero of the story. Chancellorsville and Gettysburg get the longest chapter of the book. Lee and McClellan get the second longest chapter, everything else gets short shifted. At only 133 pages, you can only say so much, but the entire Western Theater gets about total pages, and the Overland Campaign about 4 sentences. Definitely a work of its time and reads well, as you would expect from Churchill.

For additional reading find his newspaper piece about the "Old Battlefields of Virginia" and his alternative history; "If Lee Had Not Won the Battle of Gettysburg" both are interesting, and snappier, reads.

[Colin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a complete section of the fourth volume of Churchill's History of the English-Speaking Peoples which is presented as a short standalone account of the American Civil War. It is a narrative history of the conflict, mainly focused on the battles rather than the wider ramifications of the war. It is told in the usual Churchillian prose style of fine phrases and is very readable, although the battle details need more maps than are provided. Overall, I don't think it works well outside the context of the main book and its main merit is that it is under Churchill's name.

[Mark Luongo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short brief narrative by Sir Winston which comes from his book "A History of the English Speaking Peoples: The Great Democracies" (1958). Any easy read.

[Michael Cawley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well-written summary of the American Civil War

[Rebecca Goodwin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The American Civil War written by Sir Winston S. Churchill was an in-depth description of the Civil War. Because Churchill was not American, the book provided an international person's view of the war, which was unbiased, unlike other Civil War books. Complete with maps, pictures, and facts, this book is captivating yet should be read in doses. Reading numerous facts can be intriguing but also difficult to process. By the end of the book, the reader will have a new perspective on the Civil War that is both refreshing and unique.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Concise, lucid Whig history. A joy to read for Churchill's mastery of the English language alone, but must be read for his perspective on the politics of Lincoln's relationships with his generals and his assessments of the military leadership on both sides of the conflict, especially for his assessment of Grant as a military strategist.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 2 out of 5]

Besides being Prime Minister of England during World War II, Churchill has written a very wordy view of the American Civil War with a foreigner's perspective. Most tend to forget that he started his adult life as a journalist.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brief, almost cursory overview of the American Civil War. Is more interesting that it was written by Churchill than it is itself.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

A refreshing view of the American Civil War by an englishman. Very interesting and informative, with LOTS of information about the different battles. Excellent!

[Patrick]

THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR
BY
WINSTON S. CHURCHILL

I found this book at our church book fair. what a buy. I spent a whole dollar for a book that looks as if it was printed just yesterday. Enough about my bargain, this book was amazing. One of the things that impressed me the most was the records the were kept by both sides. T he amount of men that were fighting on both sides, and the precise number of not only the wounded but the deceased. While reading this book there were times when I felt like I was there. I also had to step away from the book for a while because of its accuracy and realism. Now that I've finished it I am going to donate it The Jefferson Barracks Civil War Museum here in Saint Louis. Which by the way if you are on vacation here in Saint Louis this museum is a must. They are in the process of adding a resource library next to the museum.