The Civil War: A History

by Harry Hansen, Gary W. Gallagher (Foreword by), Richard S. Wheeler (Introduction)

Provides a comprehensive overview of the Civil War from a variety of perspectives, describing the causes of the war, the battles and campaigns, the military leaders and politicians involved, the ideas and values that it exemplifies, and its long-term consequences.

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

672 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1961

About the author

Hansen was born in Davenport, Iowa, and attended high school in that same city.

After graduation, he joined the Davenport Republican newspaper, serving as both the telegraph editor and a staff writer. He attended the University of Chicago, majoring in English and acquiring his Ph.D in 1909.

After graduation, Hansen joined the Chicago Daily News as a staff reporter and upon the outbreak of the First World War, Hansen became the Daily News' overseas war correspondent in Europe. When the United States entered the war, Hansen was promoted to foreign editor. By 1920, he had risen to the position of Literary Editor and he remained in that position until leaving the Daily News in 1926 to join the New York World as the "First Reader".

Hansen specialized more in literary affairs than in foreign affairs during his time at the World. He made the book review column into a daily feature and remained as book editor even after the World was sold to the New York Telegram in 1931, being one of the very few employees to remain with the paper.

Hansen also contributed literary criticism to other newspapers, including the Chicago Tribune, Harper's Magazine and Redbook. His book commentary columns were syndicated in magazines all over the country and Hansen also hosted radio programs both in Chicago and New York. In addition, he served as editor of the O. Henry Prize Stories from 1933 until 1940. He wrote several non-fiction books, including "The Adventures of the Fourteen Points" about the Versailles Peace Conference that ended World War I in 1919 and his only novel, 'Your Life Lies Before You' in 1935.

During and following the Second World War, Hansen continued his historical writing. He wrote one of Farrar & Rinehart's classic Rivers of America series on the Chicago River in 1942 and he also penned one of Random House's equally famous Landmark Series juvenile historical volumes, 'Old Ironsides, the Fighting Constitution' in 1955. In addition, Hansen also served as editor of the World Book from 1950 until 1965. During the 1960s and 1970s, Hansen wrote several volumes of the American Guide Series of state guidebooks including volumes on Louisiana, California and Illinois, among others. He also published an annual anthology of all the first-prize winners of the O.Henry Memorial Awards and in 1960 he published a complete anthology of the first-prize stories spanning the years from 1919 - 1960.

Hansen was married to Ruth McLernon in 1914 and the couple had two daughters, Ruth Eleanor (born 1915) and Marian (born 1916). Harry Hansen suffered a heart attack and passed away at the age of 92 on January 3, 1977.

Reviews

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a huge American Civil War buff, and I must say that anyone amateur or very experienced with the Civil War will love this book. It pretty much covers the entire aspect of the war. Very detailed stats when it comes to battles which I love and to the point. If you are interested in specific battles or eras of the war then I wouldn't suggest this. If you are looking for a general overview with good detail then, yes, read it my friend. I am now planning another trip down to Sharpsburg, MD and Gettysburg, PA.

[Will V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't know anything about the American Civil War. So here we go.

UPDATE - I finished this some time ago. I have to admit I skimmed many parts that were heavy in names and troop organization, but I did walk away with a good overview of this horrible conflict. When you consider the fact that, in the grand scheme of things, this really didn't happen that long ago, it brings into focus many of the issues that are still around today - racial, socioeconomic issues.

honestly the whole thing (the war I mean) was just sheer madness.

[Richard Bracken · Rating 5 out of 5]

I purchased The Civil War, A History from any Army PX in Fort Riley Kansas in early 2000. At that time I was serving as an enlisted soldier attached to 4-1 Field Artillery. I recall reading much of the book between my tent in the staging area of the NTC and the back of an enormous deuce-and-a half truck as it lumbered across the Mojave desert of Fort Irwin during a month-long training exercise. The book was an enjoyable companion and nice reprieve from sun, wind, and long bouts of waiting around that’s indicative of army life.

When I interviewed for a commission into the army’s JAG corps a few months later, one of the questions asked by the interviewer was what had been the last book I had read. I was pleased to report that it had been this one and not some frivolous Star Trek novel (if only he could see me
now!).

Hansen is an engaging writer. He clips along in over 600 pages with a lot of detail and helpful sub chapters. For instance he’ll describe “the Crossing of Burnside’s Bridge” and a few pages later he’s on to “Jeb Stuart’s Chambersburg Raid”. I never felt shortchanged on details.

To those hoping to experience a well-written book about the Civil War from prior to the attack on Fort Sumter to Lincoln’s assassination, I highly recommend this one.

[Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good history of the American Civil War. Well researched and with some rare details of the war, especially some interesting minor facts.

On the downside, the chapters aren't always in chronological order, making for some disjointedness when reading. Hansen concentrates on campaigns and key generals rather than a timeline, so you can easily find yourself jumping from 1864 to 1862.

The book could also have done with more maps, lots of them, both at a campaign level and a battlefield level. There's only a handful of maps in the entire book so, unless you've got Google Maps handy or know your US geography very well, it is often difficult to picture movements of armies and understand the strategic and tactical maneuvering.

[Shamus Ewer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate giving up on a book, but this is simply rubbish and flits around all over the place. Given that it was completed in 1961 one would assume enough strategy, thinking, philosophy, debate, etc., would have surfaced to lend a helping hand to the reasoning (of course, slavery and state's rights we all know are the mainstays) behind certain skirmishes, as well as, major battles. For instance: first Bull Run battle was attended to (like an outdoor concert?) by area citizens complete with picnic baskets eager to see bloodshed in three-dimension. Such activity got one sentance in this book. I'd suggest it would have been illuminating if the author had immbeded an article or a reminesence from one of them who witnessed as an observer. I just can't believe that such does not exist. (The last civil war veteran died in 1956...only a non-combatent drummer boy...just five years before publication)

So, I continue my search for a good book on the Civil War that includes major battles, skirmishes, politics, and especially reasonings and morality of that era.

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book I've read on the US Civil War. Generally a good introduction, but it does get frequently bogged down with paragraphs listing various generals, units, troop movements, and the like making descriptions of events, battles in particular, hard to follow (especially Chancellorsville which doesn't even include a map). Ended up skimming a bit in those areas and supplementing with youtube videos. The overall structure was also difficult to follow at times, found myself skipping back through pages trying to figure out even what year particular events were happening in. It also ends abruptly with zero denouement, and doesn't talk of Johnson's presidency, reconstruction or anything else past the reactions to Lincoln's assassination. Regardless of my gripes, it did make me want to read more about this war that I've always previously ignored due to lack of interest.

[Kirby Davis · Rating 2 out of 5]

Published in 1960, it suffers from its organization by subject instead of progression and continuity. This can be quite aggravating at times. Those seeing a one-volume history of America's great war should look instead to "The Battle Cry of Freedom" by James McPherson or, if in need of something shorter and concise, the illustrated accompaniment to "The Civil War" miniseries by Ken Burns.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a thorough overview of the war, the generals, the movement of troops and the conduct of battles. It's not riveting storytelling but it's excellent information for someone who wishes to have an overview of the war. I needed a starting point to orient myself to the basics of Civil War history and this book met that need well.

[Solitude Bird · Rating 4 out of 5]

For History geeks who have never deep dived into the times of Civil War, this is a must read one.
Detailed and well researched book, begining from the causes, followed by the first fire on Fort Sumter which began the 4 year war and its Ultimate Bloody end with the death of Abraham Lincoln, the book takes us back in time giving us each and every action in spectacular details.

[Allie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fairly technical, with a lot of detail as to names and units involved in each engagement. As a historical overview of the Civil War, it was hard to follow and a bit of a slog to read.

I did find myself thinking more about leadership in war after reading all the brutal accounts of botched battles and slaughter; what makes a good commander, how do you find them and get them into that position, and what is the responsibility of that position?

Overall, I don’t think it was the best book to approach for learning about the Civil War, but I did appreciate how it impacted my thinking about leadership and command.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to give a 5-star rating with so much material condensed into a hand-held novel, but he did a good job packaging it all tightly together.

[JR Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good.

[Christian J · Rating 4 out of 5]

A concise read on the Civil War. Well laid out, and one that gives equal time to the Western theater.

[Thomas Keith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book opened the door way to the American Civil War for me as a young kid. Hansen’s writing is easy to follow and hits that hard facts needed to understand the military aspect of the war.

[Matt Kratz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was a terrific history book about the Civil War, and I learned a lot about it, the battles, and the generals.

[Terry Burgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read for Civil War buffs

[Stryder Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and exhaustive book on The Civil War. Hansen does an excellent job detailing both the major and minor details that contributed to the War.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a fact-packed history but it reads a bit like a laundry list. It made me think of the original Anglo-Saxon Chronicles: a recitation of dates and events without reflection or context.

[Dan Simpson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Reads like a textbook. A bunch of facts strung together without a compelling narrative.

[Googoogjoob · Rating 3 out of 5]

Long (655 pp in the MMP I have), dry, dense. Informative, in some ways, but also frustrating. This is certainly "A History" of "The Civil War."

My problems with the book aren't really with any issues of fact or interpretation it has, so much as with how it's all presented. On the one hand, this is very much a History of the War- that is, it's primarily a military history, with detailed accountings of the campaigns and major battles of the war, complete with casualty statistics. On the other hand, it's a single-volume work covering a big, complicated conflict. These two facts collide, resulting in a work that's very very dense with play-by-play recountings of battles, and very very light on interpretation or context, and on details about non-military matters. The writing is dry and sometimes almost telegraphic- omitting articles or noticeably condensing ideas- to get everything fit into one volume. While the book is light on interpretive matters, and tries to be even-handed in its treatment of the opposing militaries, I will give Hansen credit for never trying to conceal or talk around the fact that the war was caused, at its root, by slavery, which is more than can be said for certain contemporary Civil War histories.

Reading detailed accounts of battles and campaigns can get stultifying pretty quick, especially when there are so few and so inadequate maps. What maps there are- at least in the edition I have- are very simple, schematic maps of major battlefields; there are no bigger-scale maps of campaigns or theaters. Every battle recounted involves wading through a swamp of officers' names and placenames, with hardly anything to anchor them in time or space (the index is woefully inadequate too). Non-military matters- the background of the war, and concurrent political and diplomatic efforts- get brief moments in the spotlight in-between the recounted battles.

Another thing, which is only sometimes an issue, is the way the book is arrayed into chapters. Chapters are thematic rather than strictly chronological- each chapter generally follows a single campaign or battle to its conclusion, rather than bouncing between theaters and themes to keep things "in order" chronologically. Normally this is fine; it makes sense, for example, to cover the concurrent Gettysburg and Vicksburg campaigns in their own detailed chapters, rather than leaping between them constantly. But sometimes the ordering of the chapters is jumbled and disorienting, leaping a year or two forward or back in between chapters. In probably the most extreme example of this, there's a run of chapters that goes Gettysburg-the 1864 elections-Sherman in Georgia-Chickamauga (extremely confusingly placed AFTER the Georgia chapter, despite being the immediate background to it, and taking place entirely chronologically earlier)-four brief chapters covering minor campaigns from 1862 to 1864-Wilderness/Spotsylvania. That is, chronologically- 1863, 1864, 1864, 1862-63, 1862-64, 1864. It's hard to keep a handle on.

There's no original interpretive work in the book, and the writing shows Hansen's background in journalism. Where interpretations or opinions are presented, it's always in the form of something like, "years later, Grant wrote in his memoirs that..." or "Lee wrote in a letter to Davis that..." There's obviously implicit interpretive work being done in which details Hansen chooses to present or omit, but so much of the work is dry, omniscient military history that there's very little room for that to have much effect. Everything is very conventional and orthodox.

Overall- useful but frustrating. Better as a military overview than as a proper narrative history.

[Jap Hengky · Rating 4 out of 5]

One major factor in the severity of this war was the development of modern guns and artillery in the nineteenth century. The Civil War was unimaginably bloody. Fought all over the country from the Mississippi to Pennsylvania and throughout the South, the battles of the Civil War were massive affairs involving tens of thousands of soldiers—and horrific casualties.

[Frederick]

This classic from 1961 gives a very clear idea of the seeds of the Civil war being sown at the time of the United States' conception. I'll give a full review when i've finished the book, but I'm riveted so far.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book for someone, such as myself, who is not a Civil War buff but lives in an area steeped in history.(40 minutes from Gettysburg and 20 minutes from the Antietam battlefield.
I did probably buy this book due to the sesquicentennial of the Civil War being upon us.

[Frankenoise · Rating 3 out of 5]

After getting to Chapter 12 I just couldn't continue anymore. Sure one learns a few things here and there but this book is so dry it reads like stereo instructions. I'll just go online if I want to learn more or look at maps for the Civil War now.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book that gives You a short overview of all the battles during the civil war. The author also gives insight into smaller details regarding the lives of certain generals and even people who had an impact on the war but who however didn't engage in battle.

[Ted · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick but thorough chronology of the Civil War. All the names, dates, and most of the places.

[George · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good overview. Just trying to understand the shaping of American politics.

[Thomas Kolåsæter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Extremely rich in detail, but not very well written.

[Chandler King · Rating 3 out of 5]

That horse saved his life.

[Gary Daly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dry and precise history of the American Civil War, at times difficult to follow the complex network narrative of battles, generals, armies and politics.