The Civil War: A Narrative, Volume 4: Second Manassas to Pocotaligo

The Civil War: A Narrative, 40th Anniversary Edition #4

by Shelby Foote

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Genres: Civil War, History, Nonfiction

288 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1999

About the author

Shelby 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."

Reviews

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 3 out of 5]

Foote is a well-respected historian who has chosen to focus most of his writing career on the USA’s Civil War. I have read Foote before and The Civil War: A Narrative was published long ago.

The original text has been “augmented” with period photographs and maps of some of the battles and campaigns for the “40th Anniversary Edition.” Instead of 3 volumes, the series now numbers more than a dozen. This volume covers the period of the Confederate invasions of the Union and the events leading up to the Emancipation Proclamation.

The maps are helpful, the photographs less so. If you can do without the “padding,” stick with the original. If you want the more “plump” version, you might see if your library has it.

[Abrahamus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful reading once again with this volume, which covers the campaigns surrounding the battles of (in the East) Second Bull Run (aka Second Manassas) and Antietam (aka Sharpsburg), and (in the West) Corinth, and Perryville.

I’ll forgo any extended review this time and simply relate two of the most memorable (and humorous) anecdotes from this volume:

p27
“[One evening, following a raid on some federal trains as part of the lead up to the Battle of Second Manassas, Stonewall Jackson] stood beside a fire, hastily kindled for light, and began to interrogate one of the captured engineers. Across the way, a Federal civilian was laid out on the ground; a middle-aged man — probably a politician, for he had come down from Washington on a visit to Pope’s army — he had suffered a broken leg in one of the train wrecks. Hearing who his captors were, and that their commander was just on the opposite side of the campfire, he asked to be lifted, despite the pain, for a look at the famed rebel. When the soldiers obliged, he saw beyond the dancing flames a stoop-shouldered figure in outsized boots and road-colored clothes slouched with a crumpled cadet cap pulled far down over his nose. For half a minute the civilian stared at the plain-looking man his captors assured him was the gallant Stonewall, scourge of the Yankee nation. Then, anticipation having given way to incredulity, which in turn gave way to disillusionment, he said with a groan of profound disgust: ‘O my God! Lay me down.’ Jackson himself knew nothing of this: which was why he never understood the basic implication of the expression used by his soldiers in almost every conceivable situation from now on, whether confronted with an issue of meager rations or a charging Union line: ‘O my God! Lay me down!’”

p198
Lincoln, in response to General McClellan presuming to advise him on civic affairs: “. . . it made me think of the man whose horse kicked up and stuck his foot through the stirrup. He said to the horse, ‘If you are going to get on I’ll get off.’”

[George · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[George Noland II · Rating 5 out of 5]

Volume 4 of 40th Anniversary Edition 14 Book Set. Second Manassas, Richmond (Ky), Harpers Ferry, Antietam, Corinth, Perryville, Emancipation Proclamation and Dec 1862 Lincoln address.

[Brian · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Rich Mirocco · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.