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The Civil War: A Narrative, 40th Anniversary Edition #2
The Civil War: A Narrative: Vol. 2: Fort Donelson to Memphis
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304 pages, Hardcover
Published October 1, 2001
1 person is currently reading
90 people want to read
About the author
Shelby Foote
107 books683 followersShelby Dade Foote, Jr. was an American novelist and a noted historian of the American Civil War, writing a massive, three-volume history of the war entitled The Civil War: A Narrative. With geographic and cultural roots in the Mississippi Delta, Foote's life and writing paralleled the radical shift from the agrarian planter system of the Old South to the Civil Rights era of the New South. Foote was relatively unknown to the general public for most of his career until his appearance in Ken Burns's PBS documentary The Civil War in 1990, where he introduced a generation of Americans to a war that he believed was "central to all our lives."
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 6, 2011
9/14/2003 - 10/10
The Civil War is a very long (14 volumes, 4064 pages) but very detailed and rewarding look at the Civil War. There's not as much analysis of the social and political issues as there is in McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom . It is pretty noticably lacking on slavery and the causes of the war. Instead, Foote's style is a much more personal narrative (no footnotes) strewn with lots of interesting little tidbits and tons of detail! The narrative was very readable (although the prose got a little too long and fancy at times), but made it sometimes difficult to keep track of the chronology. The Time Life version had lots of historic photos and maps (could always use more though!) which add a lot to the experience. Foote's style reminded me a lot of Stephen Ambrose in trying to relate history on a personal level. The participants are vividly drawn, Lincoln especially. He was portrayed as an interesting, complex individual. Self-made, humorous (very reminiscent of Mark Twain), intelligent and tenacious; yet at the same time, underhanded, meddling and involved in lots of political shenanigans (bribery, suspension of habeus corpus, and locking up political opponents). These personal details just scratch the surface and have whetted my appetite. I look forward to reading more about many of these fascinating individuals - Lincoln, Davis, Grant, Lee, Sherman, Jackson, Sheridan, Forrest, Longstreet, and Cleburne.
For more info, check out:
Civil War site
Another Civil War site
Civil War Photographs
The Civil War is a very long (14 volumes, 4064 pages) but very detailed and rewarding look at the Civil War. There's not as much analysis of the social and political issues as there is in McPherson's Battle Cry of Freedom . It is pretty noticably lacking on slavery and the causes of the war. Instead, Foote's style is a much more personal narrative (no footnotes) strewn with lots of interesting little tidbits and tons of detail! The narrative was very readable (although the prose got a little too long and fancy at times), but made it sometimes difficult to keep track of the chronology. The Time Life version had lots of historic photos and maps (could always use more though!) which add a lot to the experience. Foote's style reminded me a lot of Stephen Ambrose in trying to relate history on a personal level. The participants are vividly drawn, Lincoln especially. He was portrayed as an interesting, complex individual. Self-made, humorous (very reminiscent of Mark Twain), intelligent and tenacious; yet at the same time, underhanded, meddling and involved in lots of political shenanigans (bribery, suspension of habeus corpus, and locking up political opponents). These personal details just scratch the surface and have whetted my appetite. I look forward to reading more about many of these fascinating individuals - Lincoln, Davis, Grant, Lee, Sherman, Jackson, Sheridan, Forrest, Longstreet, and Cleburne.
For more info, check out:
Civil War site
Another Civil War site
Civil War Photographs
June 29, 2007
Let's get a few things out into the open: 1. This war was not fought THAT long ago 2. Slavery was NOT the main issue, as we learned in 5th grade 3. Our country still bears the social/ cultural scars of of a time in it's young life when it tore itself in two and one half tried to kill the other.
Read this narrative to really find out why classmates, cousins, friends, and brothers parted ways in the name of loyalty, only to meet again on the field of battle.
Shelby Foote IS the authority on the subject, and the 14 volume narrative is time consuming, yet a page turner. His structure, eloquence, and style will engross the experienced historian and new reader alike.
Mr. Foote chose his viewpoint carefully, never forcing a verdict upon the reader. Instead, the author lays the facts out before you, and allows the reader to form his or her own opinions. Civil War: A Narrative will impress upon you the disparity and terror of war, the plight of the common soldier and slave, the arrogance and heroism of their leaders, pro/anti slavery perspective, and the pride of the people on both sides of the line.
Read this narrative to really find out why classmates, cousins, friends, and brothers parted ways in the name of loyalty, only to meet again on the field of battle.
Shelby Foote IS the authority on the subject, and the 14 volume narrative is time consuming, yet a page turner. His structure, eloquence, and style will engross the experienced historian and new reader alike.
Mr. Foote chose his viewpoint carefully, never forcing a verdict upon the reader. Instead, the author lays the facts out before you, and allows the reader to form his or her own opinions. Civil War: A Narrative will impress upon you the disparity and terror of war, the plight of the common soldier and slave, the arrogance and heroism of their leaders, pro/anti slavery perspective, and the pride of the people on both sides of the line.
January 5, 2025
My enjoyment of Foote’s narrative account of the war’s progress continues with this volume, which focuses on the western (and far-western/trans-Mississippi) theatre of the conflict. Though I am well familiar with most of the major battles of the conflict, both in the eastern and western theaters of operation (especially those which occurred within my native state of Tennessee), I am much less familiar with those campaigns and battles which took place in the far west, so there was much within this volume to fill in the gaps of my knowledge. And, as always, Foote’s wit and insights into human nature – and also into the significance of certain details which might escape the notice of others – continue to provide much delight and food for meditation.
Some of the key insights gained with regard to that last point:
I was much struck by the picture which Foote paints (pp35–39) of Grant’s forced unconditional surrender at Fort Donelson, causing me to appreciate as I really hadn’t before what a shocking (for the time), and “unchivalric” move this was (as Confederate General Simon Buckner, Grant’s former close friend upon whom the surrender was forced, termed it), one which caused a rather radical shift in the prevailing centuries old notions of how warfare was to be conducted and how defeated enemies were to be treated (i.e. with respect and dignity, in which certain symbolic details were assigned much significance in a way which is difficult for us to comprehend today) and represents a significant milestone along the transition toward “modern” warfare, in which enemies (both military and ideological) are routinely assigned something like less-than-fully-human status. (Also recorded within those same pages, Grant’s wry comments regarding Confederate General Gideon Pillow, who was one among many Confederates who slipped away during the lax security imposed by the Federals following Fort Donelson’s surrender, provide a laugh-out-loud moment: “As for Pillow, he need not have been in such a hurry to escape, Grant told Buckner. ‘If I had captured him, I would have turned him loose. I would rather have him in command of you fellows than as a prisoner.’”)
On the phenomenon of “treason inflation” (p87):
“Treason was a much-used word these days . . . beyond such scarehead words as rape or arson or incest. . . . Many acts were treasonous now which had never been considered so before. . . Even a lack of action might be treason . . . Delay . . . so many congressmen had discovered the popular value of pointing a trembling finger at ‘treason’ in high places that their conglomerate, harping voice had grown into a force which had to be reckoned with as surely as the Confederates still intrenched around Manassas.”
His explanations (pp162–164) of the challenges posed to the new-fangled ironclad gunboats when running downstream into enemy territory (as on the Mississippi, Island No. 10, New Madrid, etc.) as opposed to running upstream into enemy territory (as had previously been the case on the Tennessee River with Fort Henry and Fort Donelson) were quite eye-opening.
And as in the previous volume, Foote’s physical descriptions of each “character” in this historical drama as each makes his first entrance upon the stage are opportunities for especially enjoyable displays of wit. (So much so that those opportunities will be greatly missed when the narrative passes a point, as it surely most, when those opportunities will become much more rare.) Some standout examples from this volume:
Union General Ambrose Burnside (p59):
“A tall, rather stout, energetic man with large features and dark-socketed eyes, he made up for his premature baldness with a fantastic set of whiskers describing a double parabola from in front of his ears, down over his chops, and up across his mouth. This was his trademark, a half-ruff of facial hair standing out in dark-brown contrast to his shaven jowls and chin. Affecting the casual in his dress — low-slung holster, loose-fitting knee-length double-breasted jacket, and wide-brimmed bell-crowned soft felt hat — he was something of a pistol-slapper, but likable all the same for his hearty manner and open nature, his forthright, outgoing friendliness.”
Union Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton (p85):
“His bushy hair was thinning at the front, but he made up for this by letting it grow long at the back and sides. His upper lip he kept clean-shaven to expose a surprisingly sensitive mouth – a reminder that he had been considered handsome in his youth – while below his lower lip a broad streak of iron-gray ran down the center of his wide black beard . . .”
Union General Samuel R. Curtis (p129):
“A dish-faced man with a tall forehead and thinning, wavy hair, hazel eyes and a wide, slack-lipped mouth, . . .”
Confederate General Henry H. Sibley:
“. . . a stocky, wind-burnt man with a big-featured face and a heavy mustache that grew down past the corners of his mouth so that his aggressive chin looked naked as a heel . . .”
Confederate General Braxton Bragg (p194):
“. . . a tall, gangling man . . . in his middle forties but looking ten years older . . . a coarse gray-black beard which emphasized his heaviness of jaw and sternness of aspect; not that the latter needed emphasis, already having been rendered downright ferocious by the thick bushy eyebrows which grew in a continuous line across the bottom of his forehead.”
Lastly, a friendly-fire affair (too lengthy to be summarized here) which played out on the Confederate side during the Battle of Shiloh (as recorded on pp206, 218) provides a particularly memorable and humorous anecdote.
Some of the key insights gained with regard to that last point:
I was much struck by the picture which Foote paints (pp35–39) of Grant’s forced unconditional surrender at Fort Donelson, causing me to appreciate as I really hadn’t before what a shocking (for the time), and “unchivalric” move this was (as Confederate General Simon Buckner, Grant’s former close friend upon whom the surrender was forced, termed it), one which caused a rather radical shift in the prevailing centuries old notions of how warfare was to be conducted and how defeated enemies were to be treated (i.e. with respect and dignity, in which certain symbolic details were assigned much significance in a way which is difficult for us to comprehend today) and represents a significant milestone along the transition toward “modern” warfare, in which enemies (both military and ideological) are routinely assigned something like less-than-fully-human status. (Also recorded within those same pages, Grant’s wry comments regarding Confederate General Gideon Pillow, who was one among many Confederates who slipped away during the lax security imposed by the Federals following Fort Donelson’s surrender, provide a laugh-out-loud moment: “As for Pillow, he need not have been in such a hurry to escape, Grant told Buckner. ‘If I had captured him, I would have turned him loose. I would rather have him in command of you fellows than as a prisoner.’”)
On the phenomenon of “treason inflation” (p87):
“Treason was a much-used word these days . . . beyond such scarehead words as rape or arson or incest. . . . Many acts were treasonous now which had never been considered so before. . . Even a lack of action might be treason . . . Delay . . . so many congressmen had discovered the popular value of pointing a trembling finger at ‘treason’ in high places that their conglomerate, harping voice had grown into a force which had to be reckoned with as surely as the Confederates still intrenched around Manassas.”
His explanations (pp162–164) of the challenges posed to the new-fangled ironclad gunboats when running downstream into enemy territory (as on the Mississippi, Island No. 10, New Madrid, etc.) as opposed to running upstream into enemy territory (as had previously been the case on the Tennessee River with Fort Henry and Fort Donelson) were quite eye-opening.
And as in the previous volume, Foote’s physical descriptions of each “character” in this historical drama as each makes his first entrance upon the stage are opportunities for especially enjoyable displays of wit. (So much so that those opportunities will be greatly missed when the narrative passes a point, as it surely most, when those opportunities will become much more rare.) Some standout examples from this volume:
Union General Ambrose Burnside (p59):
“A tall, rather stout, energetic man with large features and dark-socketed eyes, he made up for his premature baldness with a fantastic set of whiskers describing a double parabola from in front of his ears, down over his chops, and up across his mouth. This was his trademark, a half-ruff of facial hair standing out in dark-brown contrast to his shaven jowls and chin. Affecting the casual in his dress — low-slung holster, loose-fitting knee-length double-breasted jacket, and wide-brimmed bell-crowned soft felt hat — he was something of a pistol-slapper, but likable all the same for his hearty manner and open nature, his forthright, outgoing friendliness.”
Union Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton (p85):
“His bushy hair was thinning at the front, but he made up for this by letting it grow long at the back and sides. His upper lip he kept clean-shaven to expose a surprisingly sensitive mouth – a reminder that he had been considered handsome in his youth – while below his lower lip a broad streak of iron-gray ran down the center of his wide black beard . . .”
Union General Samuel R. Curtis (p129):
“A dish-faced man with a tall forehead and thinning, wavy hair, hazel eyes and a wide, slack-lipped mouth, . . .”
Confederate General Henry H. Sibley:
“. . . a stocky, wind-burnt man with a big-featured face and a heavy mustache that grew down past the corners of his mouth so that his aggressive chin looked naked as a heel . . .”
Confederate General Braxton Bragg (p194):
“. . . a tall, gangling man . . . in his middle forties but looking ten years older . . . a coarse gray-black beard which emphasized his heaviness of jaw and sternness of aspect; not that the latter needed emphasis, already having been rendered downright ferocious by the thick bushy eyebrows which grew in a continuous line across the bottom of his forehead.”
Lastly, a friendly-fire affair (too lengthy to be summarized here) which played out on the Confederate side during the Battle of Shiloh (as recorded on pp206, 218) provides a particularly memorable and humorous anecdote.
July 22, 2016
I've decided to tackle Foote's Civil War Narrative as each significant anniversary pops up. This holiday weekend was the 150th anniversary of Shiloh (Pittsburg Landing) April 1862. This is classic. Foote's writing has an easy flow to it and you can't help but remember that voice from Burns' Civil War. Pages 175-223.
August 4, 2011
Awesome set of books - I own several of them. This one (as well as the others) is FULL of information. Shelby Foote is a great writer - makes history very interesting!
April 10, 2019
These represent about half of the series. It is both excellent reading and very readable of around 270 pages . The well written narrative alternates between the Eastern and Western fronts providing lots of specifics.
Read
March 20, 2021Excellent!
December 3, 2025
Enjoyed it. Very accessible quick read before we visited Tennessee and saw a few of these sites.
December 10, 2011
Foote does a great job with history narrative. I would have loved to have met him.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews