What do you think?
Rate this book
The American War: A History of the Civil War Era
In The American War, renowned historians Gary W. Gallagher and Joan Waugh provide a fresh examination of the Civil War, its aftermath, and enduring memory in a masterful work that prize-winning historian William C. Davis calls, "easily the best one-volume assessment of the Civil War to date."
Nothing had prepared Americans for the fury that ensued when eleven slaveholding states seceded and formed the Confederacy in 1860-1861. Four years of fighting claimed more than 1.4 million casualties, directly affected the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians, and freed four million enslaved black people. The durability of the Union was confirmed, and the social and economic system based on slavery lay in ruins.
By investigating this crucial period through the eyes of civilians, celebrated leaders, and citizen soldiers, readers interested in the Civil War era will gain a profound understanding of the dramatic events, personalities, and social and economic processes that caused the war, enabled the Union to prevail, and forever transformed the United States. It also will help readers understand why, more than 150 years after Appomattox, it remains impossible to grasp the larger sweep of U.S. history without coming to terms with the American War.
Nothing had prepared Americans for the fury that ensued when eleven slaveholding states seceded and formed the Confederacy in 1860-1861. Four years of fighting claimed more than 1.4 million casualties, directly affected the lives of hundreds of thousands of civilians, and freed four million enslaved black people. The durability of the Union was confirmed, and the social and economic system based on slavery lay in ruins.
By investigating this crucial period through the eyes of civilians, celebrated leaders, and citizen soldiers, readers interested in the Civil War era will gain a profound understanding of the dramatic events, personalities, and social and economic processes that caused the war, enabled the Union to prevail, and forever transformed the United States. It also will help readers understand why, more than 150 years after Appomattox, it remains impossible to grasp the larger sweep of U.S. history without coming to terms with the American War.
304 pages, Hardcover
Published November 30, 2015
6 people are currently reading
151 people want to read
About the author
Gary W. Gallagher
108 books98 followersGary W. Gallagher, the John L. Nau III Professor of History at the University of Virginia, is the author or editor of many books in the field of Civil War history, including The Confederate War; Causes Won, Lost, and Forgotten: How Hollywood and Popular Art Shape What We Know about the Civil War; and The Union War.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
July 20, 2017
A very sound introduction to the Civil War, covering an immense amount of information in fewer than 250 pages of text. Although geared towards those wanting a shorter treatment, its up to date scholarship and very insightful final chapter of different schools of interpretation will be welcomed by those generally familiar with the war as well.
February 26, 2016
The gold standard when it comes to a single volume, all inclusive account of the Civil War.
February 4, 2019
One of the better written history books I've read in a while. Clearly written so anyone could read it, truly does cover the entirety of the civil war and a decent overview of Reconstruction.
June 29, 2023
For a relatively short book amazingly well put account of the war and its political ramifications. It is quite objective and balanced, which says much about Gallagher's skill as a historian. My only complaint is that the naval warfare is sidelined in this book. Although I do understand such short account cannot cover everything, the Civil War had changed the global face of naval warfare (armored vessels, steam warships, submarines, mines...) and I think it deserves more spotlight.
June 27, 2019
Great book. It was a complete and concise explanation of the American Civil War.
January 27, 2022
I read this book for one of my college courses. It was good, but I think it was a little dense and it really seemed to drag on for a while.
November 15, 2022
Thorough yet readable history of the American Civil War. Includes military, political, social, and economic topics.
July 8, 2024
Read in college for Civil War class. Was a solid overview of the Civil War.
June 28, 2025
Great, easily-read, accessible one-volume history of the Civil War and Reconstruction by two of our best Civil War historians.
February 23, 2017
Five stars out of Five.
Required reading.
In this concise and tightly written book, history professors Gary Gallagher and Joan Waugh cover the essential events surrounding one of the formative eras in American history. This could function as a text for an introductory college course, an advanced high school program, or as an overview for anyone interested in the Civil War.
Beginning with the lead up to the insurrection, covering the major battles and interaction of the principal characters and finishing with Reconstruction and major themes that persist today, The American War is a short but remarkably detailed history.
Some things I learned that I had not realized: Lincoln won the election of 1860 from among four candidates and a profoundly divided electorate. Disappointed with the outcome of the election, seven states in the Deep South had seceded before Lincoln even took office in March 1861. Maj Gen George McClellan, Lincoln’s first commander, was actually opposed to the abolition of slavery and eventually ran against Lincoln for the presidency in 1864. When tallying up property wealth, Mississippi and South Carolina were counted as the wealthiest states because of the value of their slaves. The South truly expected support from Britain because of their reliance on cheap cotton. Lincoln hated slavery but supported segregation and, to the castigation of black abolitionists Frederick Douglass and Robert Purvis, Lincoln proposed setting up Central American colonies for former slaves.
This book, however, is much more than disparate facts. The authors are professors with a deep understanding of the nuance of many of decisions and circumstances of this often confusing era. The value of this tome is the narrative that is carefully crafted to give the reader an understanding of why things happened instead of just a laundry list of events. Just enough detail is provided regarding the way of life in the North and South, highlighting the differences in industrial versus agrarian cultures.
In a mere 250 pages, one comes away with a sense of the inevitability of the Civil War, and also a better understanding that we are still fighting many of the same demons today. The book is extremely well-written, with maps and grayscale pictures complementing the text. While it lacks endnotes or footnotes, there is a prodigious bibliography in the back for readers to pursue topics in more detail.
The American War is highly recommended and I’d go so far as to say that it should be required reading for every American, easily read in a few days.. It’s short, accessible and thoughtful.
Required reading.
In this concise and tightly written book, history professors Gary Gallagher and Joan Waugh cover the essential events surrounding one of the formative eras in American history. This could function as a text for an introductory college course, an advanced high school program, or as an overview for anyone interested in the Civil War.
Beginning with the lead up to the insurrection, covering the major battles and interaction of the principal characters and finishing with Reconstruction and major themes that persist today, The American War is a short but remarkably detailed history.
Some things I learned that I had not realized: Lincoln won the election of 1860 from among four candidates and a profoundly divided electorate. Disappointed with the outcome of the election, seven states in the Deep South had seceded before Lincoln even took office in March 1861. Maj Gen George McClellan, Lincoln’s first commander, was actually opposed to the abolition of slavery and eventually ran against Lincoln for the presidency in 1864. When tallying up property wealth, Mississippi and South Carolina were counted as the wealthiest states because of the value of their slaves. The South truly expected support from Britain because of their reliance on cheap cotton. Lincoln hated slavery but supported segregation and, to the castigation of black abolitionists Frederick Douglass and Robert Purvis, Lincoln proposed setting up Central American colonies for former slaves.
This book, however, is much more than disparate facts. The authors are professors with a deep understanding of the nuance of many of decisions and circumstances of this often confusing era. The value of this tome is the narrative that is carefully crafted to give the reader an understanding of why things happened instead of just a laundry list of events. Just enough detail is provided regarding the way of life in the North and South, highlighting the differences in industrial versus agrarian cultures.
In a mere 250 pages, one comes away with a sense of the inevitability of the Civil War, and also a better understanding that we are still fighting many of the same demons today. The book is extremely well-written, with maps and grayscale pictures complementing the text. While it lacks endnotes or footnotes, there is a prodigious bibliography in the back for readers to pursue topics in more detail.
The American War is highly recommended and I’d go so far as to say that it should be required reading for every American, easily read in a few days.. It’s short, accessible and thoughtful.
July 17, 2025
A short overview of the war and reconstruction that doesn’t quite bring the conflict to life and also seems to have just a bit too much sympathy for the Confederate cause
July 2, 2025
While giving a more articulate and intricate version of the mainstream history of the era, this is overall a good place to start for someone approaching the topic of the Antebellum Period, the Civil War itself, and Reconstruction.
February 12, 2016
Great book for people who want a concise history of the U.S. Civil War.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews